Sick coral beauty...could be ick

Moogled · #1 08-23-2006, 10:33 PM

Mike, FYI, what you are seeing might NOT be Ich.

If you have a skimmer that produces alot of bubbles, they stick to fish that swim around. A way to tell the difference is to take a look at your Coral Beauty. Do the white dots seem to be embedded into the epidermis or are they stuck on the outside?

Lights sometimes play with our eyes and make the air bubbles on the fish look white. If you have a sandbed, this could also be the case. Fish sometimes pick up grains of sand as well.

Take a look again for a better diagnosis.

Best of luck,

Marco

danny zubot · #2 08-23-2006, 11:51 PM

Another solution that takes a longer period of time but is more thoroug IMO is hyposalinity treatment. Either way you will need a Q-tank to achieve the cure.

MikeP · #3 08-23-2006, 11:54 PM

[quote=danny zubot]hyposalinity treatment. QUOTE]
How do I do this?

muck · #4 08-23-2006, 11:58 PM

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22013

The last 2 articles should be of interest to you.

danny zubot · #5 08-24-2006, 12:03 AM

I knew you'd ask that. You should read up on it before attempting, but I'll give you the low-down.

Place ALL fish (because they will all be carriers even though they may not show symtoms) into Q-tank.

Gradually decrease the salinity over a few days (maybe a week, i can't remember). This is done with small water changes. Stop when you get to 9-11 ppt (again I don't remember) All inverts including parasites will begin to die off at around 19 ppt

You will actually notice the ick fall off of the fish and die. Leave salinity at the low level for a couple days, then very slowly increase the salinity back up to desired level.

I did mine over 6 weeks because that is beyond the life expectancy of the ick in their dormant state.

This method also benifits the fish who might be under stress from the parasites. By decreasing the salinity you are also decreasing the fish's osmotic rate, essentially making it easier for them to breath.

Be careful though, some fish will not tolerate lower salinity levels. And please read up on it before attampting, I'm second guessing the numbers above even as I write this.

Skimmer Juice · #6 08-24-2006, 01:59 AM

The fish can be as healthy as possible.If you add a fish that is untreated this can get all your fish sick.So make sure you treat every fish for ich before adding it.Even if it has no sign of disease.Some people may disagree but I have had a lot of experince with ich as my first fish was a cowfish.The best safest way is cuprimine in my opinion. As soon as I started treating my fish with it no problems.All my fish are healthy.Knock on wood.

MikeP · #7 08-24-2006, 03:14 AM

Thanks for all the help everybody.

i have crabs · #8 08-24-2006, 03:43 AM

like i stated eirlier cuprimine is the way to go for shure if your gonna treat them.hypo works also but ive found that its a lot more complicated and a bigger hassle for a outcome thats a lot worse,ive never had a fish die from the cuprimine treatment but have lost a few to hypo