I'm an Idiot

marie · #1 02-09-2012, 03:01 PM

After 5 1/2 yrs of being ich free, I introduce ich to Doofus

2 weeks after I rearranged the tank, I received 2 boxes of corals and lacking any place to quarantine all of them for the required time and because some of them were in need of tlc I placed them in the tank. 2 days later doofus had a few spots, this morning (exactly 1 week later) Doofus is covered.

hillegom · #2 02-09-2012, 03:03 PM

Sorry to hear that.
If its any consolation, I have done the same thing

lastlight · #3 02-09-2012, 03:22 PM

Sorry to hear Marie. So Ich can be passed on from the water or frag itself?

Reef Pilot · #4 02-09-2012, 03:31 PM

Geez, another one.... I sure hate reading about this over and over....

If it is ich (sounds like it from your description), and you decide to QT, go the hyposalinty route, instead of chemicals that may do more harm than good. And hopefully you have a fully cycled canister that is available to prevent ammonia.

With chemicals (other than copper, which is bad for other reasons), you get false hope, as it recedes temporarily, and then comes back worse, often in the gills, and your fish will die quickly. With hypo, the 2nd leg, if you get one is milder, and then you are home free after that. The fish are much happier in hypo.

I've done both in the past, so not saying this from reading on the internet. I now QT religiously before adding new fish.

Best of luck.

marie · #5 02-09-2012, 03:43 PM

Lastlight, I believe it was transfered on the rock some of the corals were attached to.

Reef Pilot, I have treated Doofus already with copper when I first got him. Now he is a 10" fish and I don't think he will do well in a 20g hospital tank.....especially when he has 4 other tank mates that would have to be treated as well......I also don't have a tank big enough to house him for the required 8 weeks. He's going to have to get through this on his own and my house is going to smell like an italian restaurant again form all the garlic

Reef Pilot · #6 02-09-2012, 04:05 PM

Well, if your fish are healthy, chances are still good for a positive outcome. With my 1st episode, I didn't have a QT, and had no choice but to treat with some "reef safe" chemicals. Fortunately, none of my original fish died, but the new ones did.

The product I used then was Medic by Polyplab at triple dosage for a full month. The new fish didn't survive, but after a few iterations on my original tank residents, the ich finally went away. I did UV at the same time. So not saying this product works, but in my case, at least all my original tank inhabitants survived.

lockrookie · #7 02-09-2012, 04:08 PM

try a product called rid-ich plus soaking food in garlic it is completely reef safe and will save you alot of headaches... i used it with my regal and was amazed

sully08 · #8 02-09-2012, 04:17 PM

I thought ich can only be spread through fish, not transfered any other way,

PoonTang · #9 02-09-2012, 11:36 PM

I would have to agree. I know that my tank has ich but I have seen absolutely no sign of it what so ever in over a year. The only time I ever see it is when I add a new fish to the tank and then my powder blue and purple tangs have a break out for a few weeks.