Reef Discussion
First thing to do is calm down! If fish are sick with anything, stress = dead!
Second pictures would help people here advise a best approach!
Most of the time it is a case of just hope they recover naturally but you can aid this with diet changes to build immune system like adding garlic, spiraluna and a few other things.
But post some pics and settle down! Your nose in their face and hand in the tank won't help!
Second pictures would help people here advise a best approach!
Most of the time it is a case of just hope they recover naturally but you can aid this with diet changes to build immune system like adding garlic, spiraluna and a few other things.
But post some pics and settle down! Your nose in their face and hand in the tank won't help!
Personally I would not do anything about it. If your fish are weak they will die.
First time I medicated my tank for ICH they all died.
Last time the tank got ICH I did not treat it and they all survived. - my 2 cents -
I chose not to treat the tank due to keeping SPS coral.
As their keeper you'll have to figure it out
First time I medicated my tank for ICH they all died.
Last time the tank got ICH I did not treat it and they all survived. - my 2 cents -
I chose not to treat the tank due to keeping SPS coral.
As their keeper you'll have to figure it out
@Dean Lovett
If your photo is the white bulbous thing on the end of his tail only, I don't believe thats ich. I have had ICH and it looks totally different. If you imagined getting a salt grinder and grinding salt onto a black piece of paper, thats what ICH looks like. It is fine grains, that eventually cover the fish completely. ICH starts mainly in their gills but will generally be first noticed by us humans on the side fins.
Keep an eye on him, but I don't honestly believe its any ICH ive see or dealt with.
If your photo is the white bulbous thing on the end of his tail only, I don't believe thats ich. I have had ICH and it looks totally different. If you imagined getting a salt grinder and grinding salt onto a black piece of paper, thats what ICH looks like. It is fine grains, that eventually cover the fish completely. ICH starts mainly in their gills but will generally be first noticed by us humans on the side fins.
Keep an eye on him, but I don't honestly believe its any ICH ive see or dealt with.
Right, So this all makes me feel better. I wont seek pharmaceutical intervention yet.
I will try and get a better photo tonight.
He is still in great spirits and eating and attacking me.
Everyone seems fine.
But i have noticed the Blenny scratching up against the wall every now and then...
I will try and get a better photo tonight.
He is still in great spirits and eating and attacking me.
Everyone seems fine.
But i have noticed the Blenny scratching up against the wall every now and then...
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If you haven't already got one, it might be a good time for you to get your hands on a quarantine tank. You might also buy yourself a refractometer.
If the fish get worse and it becomes evident they really do have white spot, I'd suggest you try the hyposalinity treatment mthod. There's a good article on this website or MASA. I got my pair of clowns through it. I did have a tiger blenny that died during the treatment though.
Since having performed the treatment I have not experienced a problem with white spot. This definitely makes me think that while white spot might be in everyone's tank, there must be more aggressive strains of white spot that can be introduced with new fish. I think this because the time I had white spot I had never had a problem with it prior and when it hit it hit so hard, but once I'd eliminated it, there was no problems.
If the fish get worse and it becomes evident they really do have white spot, I'd suggest you try the hyposalinity treatment mthod. There's a good article on this website or MASA. I got my pair of clowns through it. I did have a tiger blenny that died during the treatment though.
Since having performed the treatment I have not experienced a problem with white spot. This definitely makes me think that while white spot might be in everyone's tank, there must be more aggressive strains of white spot that can be introduced with new fish. I think this because the time I had white spot I had never had a problem with it prior and when it hit it hit so hard, but once I'd eliminated it, there was no problems.
Hi,
Let's put some facts in place, then some educated guesses.
Facts
Until diagnosed confidently as Cryptocaryon irritans, there's little point treating for that but there are dangers if you do as it will stress fish further.
My best advice would be to take it to a trusted LFS for diagnosis or ask an experienced reefer to come for coffee and take a look. Beware of any LFS more interested in selling a cure, than giving you advice.
In the meantime I would lean toward injury treatment and in this case I personally would treat with garlic, Melafix AND Pimafix (or similar natural products) to cover all bases. For what it's worth I always keep these products on hand, they are one of the areas where API does it well (unlike test kits). These products can be used in the display or as a dip but work best in a hospital tank (HT).
Good luck and keep us all posted on your progress.
Let's put some facts in place, then some educated guesses.
Facts
- Unlike "ich" which is a freshwater disease, what we call marine ich is actually a parasite (Cryptocaryon irritans) and it never goes away on its own. The symptons may disappear but the parasite doesn't. I've included a diagram about the parasite below and a great article about treatment options here. Be very careful to read the dangers of copper and be aware it is absorbed by rock, substrate and even some types of silicon.
- If you treat for Cryptocaryon irritans it MUST be done in a hospital tank regardless of treatment.
- As @Tannum_Paul said, stress is a fish's worst enemy so chill a little if you can :)
- Also if you can, reduce lighting as this is said to reduce stress on fish.
- Cryptocaryon irritans looks a little like salt as already stated by others, imagine it as small white pimples, beginning as little bigger than a pin prick.
- One of the best things you can do right now, regardless of what it is, is to maintain the best possible water quality without any radical swings to stress the fish and add garlic to the fish diet. Juice from a jar of minced garlic will do in a pinch, just soak food in it or mix a little with food.
Until diagnosed confidently as Cryptocaryon irritans, there's little point treating for that but there are dangers if you do as it will stress fish further.
My best advice would be to take it to a trusted LFS for diagnosis or ask an experienced reefer to come for coffee and take a look. Beware of any LFS more interested in selling a cure, than giving you advice.
In the meantime I would lean toward injury treatment and in this case I personally would treat with garlic, Melafix AND Pimafix (or similar natural products) to cover all bases. For what it's worth I always keep these products on hand, they are one of the areas where API does it well (unlike test kits). These products can be used in the display or as a dip but work best in a hospital tank (HT).
Good luck and keep us all posted on your progress.
The only problems I see with hyposalinity treatment is that you have to catch and remove all your fish from the display tank and you have to set up an additional medical tank.
The benefits include;
1. Actually reducing the salinity in the medical tank and maintaing the water quality in that tank whilst treating the fish is an interesting learning experience in itself.
2. You display tank is left barren for several months so you know you have eliminated white spot in the display tank.
3. You are forced to keep a coral-only tank for a while; you get to view your corals living in the Display tank without any fish-related pressure. This is interesting in itself.
4. I think once you've eliminated the white spot you are starting with a clean slate.
The benefits include;
1. Actually reducing the salinity in the medical tank and maintaing the water quality in that tank whilst treating the fish is an interesting learning experience in itself.
2. You display tank is left barren for several months so you know you have eliminated white spot in the display tank.
3. You are forced to keep a coral-only tank for a while; you get to view your corals living in the Display tank without any fish-related pressure. This is interesting in itself.
4. I think once you've eliminated the white spot you are starting with a clean slate.
Probably right about the freswhwater, I haven't really dabbled in fresh stuff for 20 years so a lot of thinking has changed.
Your second point is the one where most people muck up. You are absolutely correct and depending on which school of thought you go with, current thinking is that the tank must remain fallow (fish) for an absolute minimum of 8 weeks. So as you rightly point out, there's no point treating only fish displaying symptoms. All fish have to be treated to break the life cycle and that applies to all treatment methods.
Yep, you must go through the whole 8-12 week process. In my experience, during hyposalinity treatment the whitespot came back no less than three times during the treatment (as part of the life cycle of white spot) and each time it hit the fish really hard. So, if you commenced treatment and after a few weeks thought you had ridden the fish free of white spot, you'd get a very rude shock once the white spot entered its next cycle.
Anyway, if Dean's fish simply has a bacterial infection, then we probably should be discussing Dean's hygiene and water quality at this stage.
What's your tanks stats atm Dean?
Anyway, if Dean's fish simply has a bacterial infection, then we probably should be discussing Dean's hygiene and water quality at this stage.
What's your tanks stats atm Dean?
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