Reef Discussion

[toby4]

Sorry to take this post in a different direction again but I need some help.

Just as everything was going well and I was going to start adding my first corals this weekend I got home last night and found my blue tang covered in ich. I was very surprised as my water levels look good. My calcium is a little low but otherwise everything else was ok.

The lionfish look ok at the moment.

Can anyone suggest what my best course of action is? I don't have a qt tank so that's not an option. Is there any medication I can try?

Apart from the blue tang and the lionfish I only have snails and a starfish in there.

Really appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks.

 

[holly]

Sorry to take this post in a different direction again but I need some help.

Just as everything was going well and I was going to start adding my first corals this weekend I got home last night and found my blue tang covered in ich. I was very surprised as my water levels look good. My calcium is a little low but otherwise everything else was ok.

The lionfish look ok at the moment.

Can anyone suggest what my best course of action is? I don't have a qt tank so that's not an option. Is there any medication I can try?

Apart from the blue tang and the lionfish I only have snails and a starfish in there.

Really appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks.

Don't add any corals - use hypo salinity or buy a quarantine tank and don't add fish back into your tank for a minimum of 8 weeks. Nothing else you can do.
Highly recommend to read this post:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/23132-marine-ich-myths-facts.html

 

[Agent M]

Any updates @toby4 ?

 

[toby4]

Hi thanks for the follow-up. I have currently put my corals on hold while i deal with my ich outbreak.

I am trying Polyp labs Medic and am currently 7 days through their recommended 10-20 days treatment so far, but i'm not really sure if its working yet.

I was pretty sure i was going to lose my blue tang on wednesday but he is now swimming around fine, but the lionfish looks quite bad. Its getting worse and then better in cycles which i had expected but am hoping everyone pulls though.

fingers crossed.

 

[toby4]

been a while since i posted so i thought i would update.

unfortunately the ich outbreak claimed my two lionfish but the blue tang survived and has been ich free for 5 days now so i am hoping we are in the clear, but will keep medicating for a few more days to be safe.

while i really liked my lionfish i wont be replacing them and will look to introduce more safe, passive, gentle fish instead. it also means i can get that elegance coral i wanted but wasnt really compatible with the lionfish. the world is literally my oyster now!

so i am pretty much choosing corals and fish now. if anyone has any strong recommendations for fish i'd love to hear them. my criteria for are the same for my corals, ie colourful, hardy and low maintenance.

thanks!!

 

[MichelleShocked]

If you plan to have Damsels of any type, add them last as they are territorial and belligerent.
More than 1 person has bought a Damsel because they are so pretty (electric blues, sunny yellows and iridescent greens), cheap (as little as $12 each) and because LFSs will often recommend you use one to cycle your tank (not necessary & cruel) and wound up with a mini tyrant bullying every one in the tank.
Blue Chromis are probably the least bothersome in those departments as they are a schooling fish but they still have a pecking order and will harass each other while establishing it in your tank.

 

[grimnir]

Can put my hand up with Damsels being bullies. First fish I added to my tank were 3 Yellow Tails and they bullied anything else added
until we got some clownfish. And now the yellow tails behave.

 

[toby4]

thanks for the help, am going to the LFS tomorrow to see what we like the look of.

will post again after that but so i can decide for definite before buying them.

cheers

 

[Agent M]

Some really hardy and interesting to keep suggestions, some not so colourful:
Lawnmower blenny or the more colourful Bicolour Blenny - I have a lawnmower blenny at the moment and he's very entertaining, but dull grey
If you can get a couple of Engineer gobies ordered in they are like faux mini-eels with beautiful black and white patterning growing to 1 foot long. They have the potential to live up to 20 years in captivity.
Banana wrasse seem pretty hardy and are bright yellow - I looked after a pair for a friend and they were very active and have this winding, weaving swim pattern thats relaxing to watch. Prone to jumping though so a cover on the tank is a good idea.
Foxface or Scribbled Rabbitfish are big and colourful - they'd make a nice feature fish

I'm basing these suggestions on what you should be able to easily find. The engineer gobies are a special order, not sure how easy they are to get as they are imported. There is a red version of this fish that is very similar and from the Indo-Pacific but I've rarely seen them available.

Personally I find Blue Chromis about as exciting as goldfish, but if you really want that slice of reef look they have their place. I saw some Orange Striped Cardinals (I think thats what they were - definitely cardinals) at an LFS this week and while they are quite inactive, they sit out in the open in the water column and you could have a group of them. I liked the look of them quite a bit - might look them myself at some stage. I'm guessing they would be a special order item as well.

 

[toby4]

hi Agent M

thanks very much for the input, will have a look at them all online and let you know.

Ps first corals should be in tomorrow!!!!!

 

[toby4]

It's been a while, but have been slowing adding my corals. Thought I should post a quick update.

Still a long way to go but it is so so much better than before.

Thanks for everyone's help in getting me this far!!

 

[holly]

Hi @toby4, just wanted to say that you will still have ich in your tank if you have not kept your tank fish less for a minimum of 8 weeks, or used hypo salinity treatment. The medications do not get rid of the ich all together so I would expect another outbreak in the future if you add more fish. Some fish will have natural immunities to it (or so I have read) but many will become ill. Just wanted to make you aware of that to save yourself the heartbreak. All of this info is expanded on in the link I posted up.
Tanks looking great!

 

[toby4]

Hi Holly, really appreciate the info. I have been ich 'free' for a week or so now and was planning on not adding any fish for another's month or so. I'll now make that a couple of months to be safe. Thanks again!

 

[holly]

No probs, so you don't have any fish in there at the moment? If your tang is still in there it means the ich will still be in there even if you're not seeing it like you were at the start. There's always anecdotal evidence to suggest otherwise but ultimately it's your decision :)

 

[toby4]

Hi, the tang is still in there but he's looked clear for a week or so. So he might still have ich even though I can't see it?

 

[holly]

Hi, the tang is still in there but he's looked clear for a week or so. So he might still have ich even though I can't see it?

It's almost certain - here is the link again, it's worth a read. Hypo-salinity treatment or removing all fish from your display tank are the only effective treatments to get rid of ich. Otherwise it will flare up again and again in times of stress or tank parameter fluctuations. It's a royal pain in the ass to get rid of :(
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/23132-marine-ich-myths-facts.html