So confused..ich or not??? Help

[Coralgurl]

This morning I noticed white spots on one of my new clowns, looked up what it could be and came up with ich. The clowns as well as my starry blenny scrape /flick against the rocks and sand. All day I'm in a panic, what to do, try to catch all the fish, stick em a hospital tank? I called the lfs and was told to try garlic and selcom, picked it up along with some tools for rinsing and mixing up some food. Get home and spots are gone from clown, not moved but gone. Fish ate this morning, haven't fed yet tonight. Now my coral beauty has white spots that look like bubbles all over it. I turned up my protein skimmer to help with my phosphates (0.25), just tested and everything is where it should be. Do I have something going on?? I'm going away mid week and am so worried. I'm changing the water tonight and all filters, carbon etc (monthly change is due). Thoughts?? Thanks

[Proteus]

Just went through similar when I upgraded. All fish had whit spots and were faurly stressed. But the next day they were all cleared up. I passed it off as sand and scrapes from hiding in the rock and sand.

[Coralgurl]

Thanks I hope this is all it is! Going to give them the garlic and selcon anyway with their food, it can only help right? Ive been so worried all day. Before any new fish, a qt tank will be set up...but I'm fully stocked now anyway

[naesco]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

Thanks I hope this is all it is! Going to give them the garlic and selcon anyway with their food, it can only help right? Ive been so worried all day. Before any new fish, a qt tank will be set up...but I'm fully stocked now anyway

Good idea just in case. Soak dry food in the garlic extract (Garlic Extreme) Dry because it soaks up the extract. Feed only garlic soaked food and feed often. Add Selcon from time to time.

[Coralgurl]

I've mixed up a batch to last a few days, going away mid week and my daughter will have to feed. I don't have any dry food, just frozen, but I rinsed then used fresh garlic and added the selcon. Im just not sure about my coral beauty, but she's eating and moving around lots, less shy as well.

[Coralgurl]

I am pretty sure it's ich,my coral beauty looks like shes dying, kinda swimming, nose up and sideways. She normally stays in the back behind the rock, but she's in the centre of the tank out front covered in white dots. My blue chromis then started smacking her with it's tail and she really didn't respond. I don't know what to do, I'm pretty sure my flame angel has some on it's tail, the blenny keeps hitting the sand and one clown now won't come out of the nem. I know trying to catch the all would be stressful to put them in a qt tank but this is horrible to watch. Any suggestions?

[kien]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

I turned up my protein skimmer to help with my phosphates (0.25)

Protein skimmers do not remove phosphates nor is it their function to do so. Protein skimmers help to remove dissolved organics (fish poo, amino acids, etc). Protein skimmers will remove organic waste products that may contain phosphorus but phosphorus is not exactly phosphate. Technically, phosphorus is an element (P), and phosphate is a molecular anion (PO4_3-), part of phosphoric acid (H3PO4). Also, our aquarium test kits can only test for inorganic phosphates.

A better way to reduce phosphates is to run Granulated Ferric Oxide (GFO) in a media reactor. Mostly all local fish stores will sell some form of GFO (rowaPhos, etc).

[Coralgurl]

I actually picked some up yesterday and added to the filter tonight. The phosphates have stayed at .025 since I started testing a few weeks ago but has likely been an issue for a while. I actually added phos-pad to the filter. Will see how this works.

[Cal_stir]

fresh garlic works better, put it in a blender and pour off the juice

[Coralgurl]

I'm using fresh garlic with the selcon. Setting up a qt going to get the coral beauty in it and treat, she's the worst but may have to treat one of the clowns as well. We think the others will get better with the food.