Ich, Treatment, rdg.... 10/14/08
I have been battling against ich for the last few weeks. So far I have lost 2 fish and now have 4 remaining. Last week I dropped the SG down to 1.019. Before this weekend my Yellow Tang was covered in ich and when I got home today from out of town my Tang was spotless. I was wondering if the ich is completely gone or if I should medicate just in case.
<A SG of 1.019 is not low enough to effect the parasite. The fish need to be removed from the display tank and treated in a hospital tank. See here for more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichart2mar.htm .>
Also my water temperature was around 74 degrees. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
<Give a look through our disease section, lots to learn here. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm .>
<Chris>

Ich treatment and cause? 9/11/08
Marine Ich..
Good morning crew!
<Hello>
I believe I have Marine Ich in my tank. I have a few questions. I spent hours last night scouring the WWM and now my head is spinning..I have a fair amount of questions just making sure I read everything properly, and there are sometimes a few opinions in the WWM
<Ok>
I've done all the proper husbandry including quarantine tank for new fish.. and don't get it.. We have "finished" adding new members to our reef tank about 4 months ago. The only thing different we have done is added 2 pieces of coral last week, and tired a new food "Reef Bugs" Yesterday morning not a problem.
<Did you QT the coral?>
Come home from work and there is what looks to be marine ich over 3 fish. Our purple tang had about 30 "grains of salt" looking ich on it including its fins, our chevron tang, about 10 "grains", and Flameback angle 20 "grains".
This morning, the chevron had about 5 grains, the Flameback 10, but the purple tang perhaps had slightly less, but where the grains are now have 1/4" diameter light spots surrounding the "grains" (he also seems to be the only one going to the cleaner shrimp and trying to scratch).
<Sounds like ich to me.>
I hoped it was the air bubbles last night, but the light spots this morning is for sure an indications it's not air bubbles.
<Agreed>
So, is it possible marine ich can lie dormant for that long and then pop up out of no where?
<Can stay in the fish's gills where it is impossible to detect without gill scrapings, also could have come in on the new corals.>
Is it possible the new coral brought in the ich?
<Yes>
Reef Bugs - I don't think that could do it?
<Doubt it.>
We chose not to have a UV sterilizer after reading pro/cons. We thought that if we quarantined properly, we would not need it.
<Is not a cure, but can help contain an infection.>
Should we have used one? Could we have prevented this?
<I don't believe the UV would have saved you from this situation. As far as preventing, its more a matter of limiting risk rather than a guarantee of being ich free, QTing greatly lowers the chances of introducing ich but sometimes a fish can get through without showing symptoms.>
Now on to the cure, on the WWM, there are compelling cases for copper based treatments, and formalin.. do a copper with hyposalinity.. Skip a Methylene Blue 5% freshwater bath because the symptoms are not that bad on the fish?
<When dealing with fish particularly sensitive to copper I would go another route, either formalin which can also be tough on fish or quinine which has it's own set of problems. Any time you engage in chemotherapy like this there are certain risks with each method.>
3 out of the 5 fish in the tank have symptoms.. treat all 5? Hospital tank(s) 1 per fish or can you stick them all in 1 tank (no sand/ substrate and use pvc to make hiding places/homes)? Daily water changes to keep water quality ok. (last night I read the suggestion to keep a separate / spare sponge filter running for situations like this..will get one going!)
<As long as your QT is large enough you can keep all the fish together.>
The LFS opens in a few hours so I'm ready to spring into action..
<Good.>
Time to make another donation to the WWM. I still wish you had a pay- pal account going! <<Mmm, we do... is at the bottom of most pages: "Donate". RMF>>
<Thanks for the donation.>
Peter Baron
<Chris>

For Chris: Re: Ich treatment and cause?
Re: Ich treatment and cause? 9/11/08
"Now on to the cure, on the WWM, there are compelling cases for copper based treatments, and formalin.. do a copper with hyposalinity.. Skip a Methylene Blue 5% freshwater bath because the symptoms are not that bad on the fish?
<When dealing with fish particularly sensitive to copper I would go another route, either formalin which can also be tough on fish or quinine which has it's own set of problems. Any time you engage in  chemotherapy like this there are certain risks with each method.>"
Is the treatment I outlined above ok? Or do you suggest something  different? Your response has me puzzled?
<I would not use copper on a tang, it tends to cause too much long term damage. I would investigate either formalin or quinine sulfate and see which one you are more comfortable with.>
""3 out of the 5 fish in the tank have symptoms.. treat all 5? Hospital tank(s) 1 per fish or can you stick them all in 1 tank (no sand/substrate and use pvc to make hiding places/homes)? Daily water changes to keep water quality ok. (last night I read the suggestion to keep a separate / spare sponge filter running for situations like this..will get one going!)""
how large of a hospital tank is needed to keep
1 - 4" chevron tang
1 - 3" purple tang
1 - 2" Flameback angel
1 - 3" maroon clownfish
1 - 3" zebra barred Dartfish..
I have a 30 gal ready to go.. is that not big enough? Get a few 10gals to help out?
<I think the 30 will be ok for 6 weeks or so. Just watch the fish carefully.>
Plain old HOT filter just to help out? but daily water changes for water quality? Correct?
<Yep, that is what I would do.>
Thanks,
Peter
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Swissguard Basslet/ich  9/11/08
Hi there,
I have been reading and reading on your site for days and I have learned a lot but I thought I would ask about a less aggressive way to fight (what appears to be) ich/crypt. I had my Swissguard Basslet in QT just shy of a month and he wasn't the happiest guy (there isn't tons of cover)
<These little basses do need this>
but he was okay. Then I moved him to my 4+ year old 28 gallon nano reef.
<And though small in size, they need more room than this>
Long-time occupants are 3 shrimp gobies (wheeler, orange-spotted, hi-fan banded) and two tiger pistol shrimps, a Tailspot blenny, a small solar fairy wrasse,
<This as well>
2 peppermint shrimps and a cleaner shrimp. He was much happier in this tank, eating well, showing a lot more interest in his surroundings and a lot more personality. I really fell for him. :)
Well, after about 4 or 5 days, he developed what appears to be ich.
<Mmm, likely Cryptocaryon was/is resident in your main display... the stress brought on its expression>
He doesn't seem to have lots of obvious white bumps although he has a few and it is hard to tell with his stripes/coloration and he isn't scratching but he is doing this little quiver thing and he looks a little dinged up and well, I have been keeping saltwater for 20 years and my instinct is that he has ich. I moved him back to QT
<Mmm, I would not have done this>
but he immediately got very morose and jammed himself into a rock and wouldn't eat. I was hesitant to treat with copper because I have found some fish to be quite sensitive to it, and there is a flame angel in QT,
<Now infested as well...>
anyway. Well, I moved him back and he perked up and ate until he had a very round tummy, but I don't know what to do. I am going to do a freshwater dip (with or without methelyne blue? )
<... see WWM re>
tonight. Is this something I should do on a daily basis?
<... What for? No>
The cleaner shrimp does not appear to be tending to him. If I leave him there and raise the temperature and dip him--and maybe get a UV sterilizer, is there hope?
<Mmm, always as long as there is life for me>
No other occupants have even a hint of it and I hate to disrupt them.
I have a UV on my 150 and I never have any problems with ich in that tank.
Also--If I go the lowered salinity route, I would have to remove all the corals--and the shrimp, correct? I assume they can't handle the hyposalinity. I hate to separate the shrimp from their gobies.
Thanks for your help and your site.
Jeanne
<Let's have you start reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/reefparasittksfaqs.htm
and on to the linked files above... till you understand your options here. Bob Fenner>

Re: Swissguard Basslet/ich and new question about sexy shrimp  9/11/08
Good morning,
I really appreciate the prompt response. You certainly have better things to do than read yet another letter about ich. I realize the ich must have been present in the nano.
<Ahh!>
Everyone there has been there at least one year and several two or more, and I am very careful about quarantine so I wasn't prepared to see it show up.
<Can be "the Dickens" to eradicate completely>
I also realize it is a delicate balance and although I maintain very good water quality, we had a power outage several months ago that probably caused some latent problems. I did a freshwater dip on the Basslet which he tolerated surprisingly well (stopped at two LFS and neither had methelyne blue--is this unusual?
<Mmm, not really... some do, others don't>
I mean, do I need to go to a pharmacy? )
<I'd order online...>
and I am not quite ready to go the hyposalinity route. I did know the fairy wrasse would have to move to a bigger tank (my ornate wrasse won't tolerate him in the 150) but my research had indicated that 20 gallons was the minimum size for the Basslet. Is it because of the instability of nanos?
<Both this and moving room>
Before writing you, I had carefully read the fallow tank article(s) but I was hoping for an interim method. I gather that short of waiting, environmental cleaners, etc. there really isn't one. The consensus on garlic (specifically, a product like Kordon Ich-Attack) is that it may have some preventive qualities, but does nothing to affect a cure?
<Not much consistently>
There seems to be some dissent on your site about this.
<There are several of us here... a couple dozen... more than this over time... all have their opinions, and yes, these do vary>
One last (tedious) question, and then I hope to leave you alone for awhile. A few months ago, I put two sexy shrimp in this nano, and although they hung around for a few days (although nowhere near the small bubble tip anemone, as I had hoped), they quickly vanished. I suspect the peppermint shrimp who seem big and aggressive to me. Fish ignored them (Basslet wasn't there then). However, Blue Zoo Aquatics (from whom they were purchased) said that unless I had camelback shrimp (which I do not) none of the shrimp in the tank are the culprit. I would appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much as always.
<Mmm, the Peppermint would generally not eat the Sexy Shrimp... but any actually could. Bob Fenner>

Slippery slope..., Ich treatment 9/5/08
Hello guys,
<Hi>
I am pretty sure I am in over my head here! Last Saturday night, I tore my 72 gallon reef apart to gather up my fish for QT as they had come down with a case of ich.
<Not fun.>
I purchased a 26 gallon bow front for a hospital tank. The guy at the LFS told me of a product called SuperBac Aquarium (nitrifying bacteria).
<Not familiar with this product, I like Bio-Spira, but only if the store keeps it refrigerated.>
He said that for a hospital tank, I could administer the product, and put the fish in provided that the water temp and spec grav were the same as my reef tank.
<Ok>
I used 15 gallons of water from my 72, and filled the rest with stored water with same temperature and spec gravity. He then recommended a product called Ich-x to treat the ich.
<Malachite Green and formalin, strong stuff, not much room for error.>
After administering this product, my one Tomini Tang started to breath extremely heavy. I did an immediate water change (25%). He died the next morning. I stopped with the medication. Then later that day, I noticed the other fish breathing heavy. (2 Black Clowns, 2 Flame Angels, 1Coral Beauty Angel, 1 Mimic Tang and a Scopas Tang). I tested the water and discovered a nasty ph drop (about 7.5). After some excellent advice from one of your team, I added a powerhead to the 26 gallon, opened the lid, and alas, my pH came back very nice the next day.
<Good>
The pH has been strong at 8.2 ish all week. Alk is steady at 2.2. On Tuesday, since my pH remained stable, I administered a product called Coppersafe for the ich. On Wednesday my nitrite levels spiked to 0.5 as well as my ammonia increased to 2.0.
<The copper will kill off your biofilter, will need lots of water changes to keep up the water quality. Also several of your fish do not handle copper well, but I would still use it over the Malachite Green.>
I changed 20% of the water.
Then today my levels were still high. Nitrite at 1.0 and ammonia at 2.0. that was this afternoon, so I changed 10%. Then tonight (10 hours later) after test results showing NO2 to be 1, and ammonia to be 2, I changed another 25%. I also put in a piece of my live rock (although I thought this was bad for the ich treatment).
<I would remove this, for one it will absorb some of the copper, making it difficult to maintain therapeutic levels, and secondly the copper will kill off much of the life on the rock, making it more difficult to maintain water quality.>
I had also stopped feeding as of this morning.
<Feed as little as possible until you get a grasp on the ammonia/nitrite.>
Also please note that I have replaced the Coppersafe medication proportionately for the amounts of water I have changed.
<Good, just make sure you are using the appropriate test kit.>
Also, I dripped the new water so the water changes happened very slowly.
<Ok, but probably not necessary as long as you match parameters.>
It took about 5 gallons per hour or so.
My goal is to keep the water clean enough so I can cure the ich and get my fish back in the 72 gallon (which tests nicely).
<Will take 6-8 weeks to have most of the ich die off in the main tank.>
Is this going to work?
<Should, just be careful not to cross contaminate the main tank with anything from the hospital tank.>
Is it also true that if I put a uv light on my main tank, this will also cure the ich?
<Not really, will help control it some, but running the tank fallow for 6-8 weeks should do it alone.>
If that is the case, would I be better to put my fish back in my reef tank and install a uv?
<Will not effectively cure the tank.>
Both my tanks run with a temp of 80 degrees and a specific gravity of  1.025.
<Good>
main tank info:
72 gallon bow front
metal halide lighting with florescent lights
skimmer
sump (20 gallon no bio balls)
activated carbon
pH 8.4
alk 1.7-2.0
no2 .05 max
no3 0
ammonia 0
calcium 420
<Ok>
hospital tank info:
26 gallon bow front
lid with florescent light (lid open)
2 hang off filters
heater
powerhead
1 piece of live rock
<As above, I would remove.>
a few pieces of pvc for the fish to hide crushed coral base of about 1 inch
<Would remove this too, also will react and absorb the medication, just run it bare bottom. This also allows you to easily siphon the bottom of the tank, hopefully removing many of the ich tomonts.>
Incidentally, I have abused this site a lot this last couple of weeks
and am making a contribution now.
<Thanks!>
Thank you so much for all of your knowledge and patience.
<Welcome. If you have not already, please read here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm .>
<Chris>

Ich and Quarantine
Attacking Ich-Quick!  9/1/08
Hello all,
<Scott F. here tonight!>
I just read your article for battling the dreaded ich. This is by far the best explanation I've read, and I intend on following it to the letter. However, I never set up a quarantine tank and I'm afraid my fish are going to pay the price, unless the plan I have works.
<Okay...>
I'm planning (now) on getting a 20 gallon QT, I already have my first skimmer/filter that I saved and extra heater. I'm not sure I can get the QT up and running fast enough unless I steal some Live rock and sand but will that be enough?
<You really don't want live rock or sand in a quarantine/hospital system. These materials will potentially absorb medications, and the collateral loss of life to the microfauna living within them is unacceptable to most people.>
My Coral Beauty is showing the worse signs and succumbing to the ich quite fast. This whole mess began yesterday morning and is taking over. I've combed the internet and visited two of my most trusted LFS and of course all answers vary greatly. (Garlic, cleaner shrimp, freshwater dip, and tried them all) None of them have made a dent so I'm going to follow the advice I have gotten from this site if I'm not too late. Please don't take that to mean you were a last resort, I try to use "keywords" on my search engine to visit the specific problem but the answers are to different. Sorry, going off subject.
My Tank:
Dragon Goby
Coral Beauty
Ocellaris Clown
Pearly Jawfish
Cleaner Shrimp
7 red legged hermits
2 snails
1 cleaner shrimp
30 gal tank ( 30"L x 12"W x 18"H )
16lbs LR - 20lbs LS
PH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Salinity: 1.025-26
Will my 4 fishies be ok in a 20 gallon tank for a month?
<They should be, but you will need to keep at the water changes and check for copper concentration (if you're going that route) to keep a proper therapeutic dose going. Stay right on top of things and you should successfully beat the Ich outbreak.>
I added the contents of my tank because I was wondering, as I asked earlier, could I steal some live rock and sand out of my main tank and replace it to speed up the cycling process for my QT tank?
<Better, IMO to use a sponge filter or other media that has been in your display system's sump for a while to help "colonize" beneficial bacteria. You could also utilize one of the proprietary "bacteria in a bottle" products to help speed things along and maintain water quality during your frequent water changes. It is a bit of a challenge, but you can do it. As a matter of practice, I always keep a few sponge filters and other biological filtration media in my display system's sump, so that there is an active biological filtration potential whenever I need it (such as when I set up my quarantine system for new fishes, etc.). It's a really great habit to get into, IMO!>
Sorry if this sounds like ranting but I'm scrambling to save the fish now. I don't mind learning from my mistakes but I'm sure the fish do.
<Understood!> Any advice would be greatly appreciated. You guys have been very helpful in the past and I thank you again in advance. Laurie
<I'm glad we could help. Just stay on top of things and keep at the water changes! You can beat this thing. Regards, Scott F.>

Marine ich treatment, Chloroquine Phosphate   7/22/08
To the Crew at WWM:
<Gene>
For many years you've helped fellow hobbyists through their troubles including myself. This time I do not have a question but I would like to share my experience with the fight I've been having for YEARS against ich.
<Please do>
Before I begin I would like to remind everyone that proper quarantine is essential. It is NOT an option. A QT system can be set up in an out of the way place (mine's in the laundry room). My QT system is a 50 gal. AGA with a 15w UV, large Aquaclear power filter, CPR BakPak skimmer, heater and a variety of plants and PVC sections. This is what's worked for me, especially since I usually have a couple of fish in QT so I needed the extra room. My usual protocol would be to let the new fish settle in for about a week
<A very good practice>
and then begin hyposalinity therapy as a prophylactic measure for 3 weeks then slowly bring the SG back up. Many people, myself included, can't wait to get their new fish into their main system and don't have the patience to wait the month or so.
Try to think of how healthy the fish will be and the long term enjoyment that will come from having that healthy fish in your system. In the meanwhile you'll be able to observe your new fish while in QT.
<Good spiel>
As stated earlier I have been battling ich for YEARS with what I believe now to be a very resistant strain. I don't like to use chemicals so I've tried hyposalinity many times only for the parasite to reappear. I always QT my fish with an average QT period of 4 - 6 weeks.
Awhile back, I read an article in FAMA about a product called Chloroquine phosphate ( CP ). The author, Bob Goemans, also has a book out that I obtained which explained the new chemical treatment. My system is a 210 gal. AGA FOWLR with a sump capacity of 75 gal. and a 55 gal. refugium.. After I turned off my UV, Ozonizer, Skimmer and refugium I began the treatment. At first I didn't lower the salinity so the effectiveness was in question. A week later I began hyposalinity (SG 1.009) with a CP treatment. One week later the fish were looking amazingly well. However, when I finished my first treatment and began increasing the salinity, the ich returned. It was then I began believing the parasite needs to go through its life cycle in order for many treatments to be successful. I took a deep breath, regrouped and went a different route.
The following is what I did next.
On 5/19 I began treatment with CP. The first dose was a double dose of 20/ppm. and I did not use hyposalinity. My SG was 1.018 which was been slowly raised to 1.022.. On 5/26 I did a 50% water change and added the second dose. This time at 10/ppm. On 6/3 I did another 50% water change and added the third dose, again at 10/ppm. On 6/10 I performed the final 50% water change and add the final dose at 10/ppm. I turned on my skimmer on 6/28 and turned on the UV and reconnected my refugium on 7/5.
On July 8th. all fish were doing well with no signs of parasites. I even introduced a Cortez angelfish and 6 chalk basses on July 1st that were appropriately quarantined for 6 weeks and they too are looking good. It's now July 22nd and the fish in my tank have never looked better!!
At this point I have to believe the CP was definitely effective in eliminating Cryptocaryon that is a thorn in the side of many hobbyists. It appears the correct protocol is as described above; do not use hyposalinity with the CP treatment, use a double dose of 20ppm with first dose, 10ppm for the next three doses with all doses precluded with a 50% water change. (Of course not to be used in the presence of photosynthetic organisms).
The Crew has helped many hobbyists over the years that I hope my experience will also help other hobbyists out there an alternative procedure in the battle against ich. It is not safe with photosynthetic organisms but it appears to not have any negative effect on shrimp nor crabs.
Gene
<Thank you for sharing your information and passion Gene. Much appreciated. Bob Fenner>

Need an opinion on ick treatment   7/5/08
Hello,
<Hi there>
I need your much appreciated advise regarding ich treatments. My tank is a 300 gallon sps setup with two tuff stuff 140 gallon tubs connected by two 3" bulkheads;
<Nice>
one currently is holding the skimmer and the other is used as a refugium with Chaetomorpha algae. My display is over 2 years old with a 4" layer of fine sand and about two hundred and fifty pounds of live rock. My ammonia is undetectable; so is the nitrite. My nitrates are about 2.5 and pH ranges from 8.2 - 8.4. Alkalinity is at 9dKH and calcium is around 450.
<Very good>
I always tried to maintain salinity at 1.025, however after buying a refractometer three days ago I realized my water was actually at 1.030; so I lowered it to 1.025 within three days.
<Mmm, I would take a week or longer here>
I currently have the following fish:
- 4" Majestic angelfish
- 4" Coral Beauty
- 2" ocellaris clown
- Two 3" black saddleback clowns
- 3.5" melanurus wrasse
- 3" Lawnmower blenny
- 3.5 yellow eye Kole tang
- 4" Pacific Blue tang
- 4.5" Powder blue tang
By now I'm pretty sure you know where this is going. I got the powder blue about two months ago. I quarantine it for a month without any signs of ick, so I placed it in the display. None of my fish bothered it, he became the dominant fish right away. About two weeks after being placed in the display, I noticed he had what seemed to be ick. I obviously somehow introduced the parasite, so I was wondering what could have triggered this.
<Perhaps the rapid change in SPG>
Does the tank have a high Bio-load,
<No>
could the high salinity I had previously mentioned started this
<Yes>
or could it be the current heat wave which elevated the temperature to 84 degrees
<Could be a co-factor>
the one day I forgot to turn on the cooling fans. My display temperature is always at 80 to 82 degrees. I also had to remove a 5" blue throat trigger which the powder blue could not stand and chased a few times a day; I wonder if that stressed him enough.
<This too>
I waited a few days before taking further and appropriate action. At this point the powder blue is full of ick but eats well. My yellow eye which only grazes of the rocks and the glass is now also full.
<This is something else>
The Pacific blue gets the spots to a lesser degree on and off. The rest of the fish don't show any signs, however based on your web page I know all the fish need to be treated.
<Yes...>
After doing my research I need to remove all the fish and leave the tank fallow 8-10 weeks. I need your advise on how to properly remove the ick from the fish. My plan was to begin with the three tangs, giving them a formalin bath as per bottle recommendations, then placed in a 60 gallon quarantine.
<Good>
My question is whether I should add Cupramine to the 60 gallon quarantine tank at .35ppm
<At the highest concentration...)
for two weeks
<Is one approach... you might want to try Chloroquine phosphate... IF the infestation is not too "deep", hyperinfective, this anti-malarial may destroy it (rather than simply arrest the present development)>
then moved to a 150 gallon holding tank while I place the rest of the fish through the same procedure and while the display goes fallow. However I'm scared the copper might damaged the intestinal bacteria the tangs have, or if I might be doing more damage to my angels.
<A distinct possibility>
The other plan was to not use the copper and give the fish a formalin bath every other day for two weeks, then skip the 60 gallon with copper and place them into the 150 with newly mixed water.
<Another approach... but likely more harmful than chelated copper exposure at the lower effective range (.0.15 ppm free Cu++)>
My last idea was just one Formalin bath then placed in the 150 for observation. I believe I read many are not big fans of Formalin, as it is toxic, however I figured the copper might do more damage but I could be wrong.
<Is very toxic... but effective for "surface" complaints>
Please help me figure out which would be my best option. Also how would you recommend keeping the ammonia and nitrite down on either the 60 or 150 spare tanks with new saltwater.
<Changing it...>
Is Amquel or any ammonia sponge good or are water changes the only option.
<Mmm, the latter may be worth trying... most water conditioners remove copper...>
The sponges I had for biological filters in the sump most likely have ick so I don't want to introduce it to the quarantine.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
<I empathize with your situation... Would try the Chloroquine on the Tangs, Angels... and see if this does the job, along with the one-time/moving formalin/aerated bath. Bob Fenner>

Marine Ich  7/3/08
Hello Bob,
<Mike>
I’m into the first 24 hours of fighting the dreaded “crypt” in my 10 gal QT using Seachem Cupramine and a lower specific gravity of 0.011.
<This is low>
I initially vacuumed out all gravel
<... there should be no gravel present>
to minimize Tomonts and I lowered the salinity to help with stress to see if “Sonic”, a 2” Porcupine Puffer, would fight it off on his own. The spots, however, continued to increase and he continued to decline. I finally added somewhere between 0.2 and 0.5 ppm copper sulfate last night (it’s hard to accurately determine the concentration with a color comparison test kit, especially one using blue hues since most males are somewhat color blind to blue to begin with).
<... Mmm... need to be more accurate, consistently....>
This morning, 8 hours after adding the copper, Sonic was swimming around a bit with the rising of the sun. It’s now a little over 24 hours after adding copper and he’s “begging” for food as he usually does. I gave him some dried krill soaked in Kent Zoe Marine hoping to boost his energy and immunity.
<Good>
The Puffer that was barely able to move off the tank bottom is now voraciously eating again! Although he still has numerous spots, we seem to be wining the war - many thanks to you for your advise.
<Advice>
So off to my questions;
1) Is the lower specific gravity a benefit?
<... can be>
2) At what point should I begin to raise the SG and to what value? Again, it’s a fish only quarantine tank.
<... please read... WWM re... Hyposalinity...>
3) Are the white spots that we see actually the Trophonts; or the host’s response to the Trophonts; or a combination?
<The reaction. Crypt is too small to see...>
Thanks,
Mike

Treating Ick on a Volitans Lion  6/27/08
Hello Crew and thanks in advance for your help,
<Welcome in time>
I recently (yesterday) got back from a trip to Key West for my cousins wedding.
<Ah, the Conch Republic... what a place!>
(Poor me right! ; )) While I was gone I was lucky enough to have a friend watching my tanks for me who is a fellow hobbyist on a temporary financially imposed hiatus.
<I do like this desc.... am going to apply it in talking about myself>
Unfortunately my Volitans Lion came down with a nasty case of Ick which I have to admit is probably my fault (stress). Fatty (my lion) was the first of my fish to be transferred to my "new" 75 gallon display. The tank was cycled for 5 weeks with pre established live sand (3-4" deep) from my and my friend (the one watching my tanks) old tanks that were still running that the time. After the tests all came out with zero readings I introduced 20 lbs of "pre-cured" live rock (bought from 2 different trusted LFS) along with 5 lbs of LR from my already established 25 gal., and left tank to cycle/cure for another three weeks (tested again). Equipment is one Fluval 4 plus (seeded filter media), 2 Koralia 1 power heads, and a 200W Jager heater. At this point I added roughly 20 small mixed snails (Cerith, turbo, Nassarius) and 4 or 5 blue legged hermits
<Your Lion may swallow any/all of these in time...>
along with Fatty (about two weeks before vacation to Key West). During the transfer Fatty scraped him self on some LR while trying to flee the specimen container, but I dosed some vitamin C and he looked fine in a few days. Sorry if I'm being long winded here, but here the question/advice needed part. I have a five gallon bucket, 10 gallon tank, and another 25 gallon tank to use for the FW dip, chemical med dip/HT, and QT while I let the 75 gallon go fallow for the next couple months. My plan of attack was to do a FW dip (adjusted PH, Alk, etc.)
in the bucket, then transfer fatty to the 10 gallon hospital tank for a medication period, and then finally to the 25 gallon QT for the remainder of the fallow period. For the medication I have some Quick Cure already from a FW Ick out break a few years ago, but I'm hesitant to use it given that lions are scale-less fish (at least I think they are)
<Do have fine scales, but you are right in that they are more than usually sensitive to copper and formalin>
and it's a harsher medication. From my research I see that Formalin 3 is highly suggested in the FAQ's, so do you think I should spend the extra $ and get it (or something else) instead of the Quick Cure I already have? Thank you again for your help, and continued dedication to this amazing hobby.
Thanks,
Darren Cothern
<I would first try just adding the Quick Cure (it has formalin as well) to the dip/bath solution... at appropriate strength (see WWM re)... enroute to transferring the Lion, vacuuming the 25 tank bottom daily (to remove tomites)... to see if this "does it"... Should be able to see w/in a week... Bob Fenner>