Ich problem

[NateHanson]

This morning our hippo tang (about 3.5 inches long, had him for 4 months) has a few ich spots (at least I'm assuming that's what they are). He seems to be acting normally, not breathing fast, not less active than usual. He is making a lot of trips to the corner where the cleaner shrimp live, but they're not giving him any attention (Aaargh!).

The tank is a 30g with 10g refugium, and has been up for 6 months. We've had the hippo for about 4 months. Other fish are an occelaris pair (added 5 months ago and a Yashi Haze Goby. Only the goby (added 2 months ago) was quarantined prior to addition. Am, NO2, NO3 are all zero. pH was 8.0, and I raised it to 8.2 over the past 2 days. Also 2 days ago my temperature got up to about 85 deg (I'm still figuring out the new MH light and tank cooling). Perhaps one of those 2 changes stressed him. Or maybe the tang is unhappy in our size tank, I don't know. (We got him before learning much about keeping a fish tank, and I've been going back and forth on whether we should get rid of him lately, but he always seemed happy and well adjusted at his current size.)

I have a 10g q-tank I could set up, but I'm not sure I could catch him, because he's a hider, and I would think that would make him pretty unhappy to be in a 20" tank. I'd like to think that the shrimp and a return to normal tank conditions will take care of things naturally, but I don't want the situation to get worse. Would Kick Ich be worth a try in the entire tank? Can someone tell me where I can get that? Any other suggestions? Moral support? Sympathy? (Condemnation for having a hippo in a 30?)

Thanks,
Nate

 

[jackie]

Nate, so sorry to hear that! I'm going through the same thing. Wow, don't know what to tell you. USE GARLIC, VERY effective when used to soak food AND dose the tank. Also, I bought a couple of cleaner neon gobies and they're GREAT. The fish love those gobies, and they do an awesome job, very effectively removing the parasites. If I didn't have the problem with the leather, I would have kept using the kick-ich which was doing very well. However, I temporarily stopped the dosing because of the leather and need to get the water quality up to speed and will starting using it again in a couple days). I would suggest using the kick-ich, providing everything else in your tank is doing well. Kick-ich can be bought online through Marine Depot, buy the 2L bottle.

There are different schools of thought on QT'ing, but at this point, I think it would stress them out more. How big is the hippo? I'm thinking the 30 might be too small and stressing him out.

Good luck, and I'm sure everything will turn out fine, keep us posted......

 

[NateHanson]

Thanks Jackie. I think you're probably right about the size problem. I got him before really learning much about keeping fish, and we weren't warned about a tang in a 30g. He's about 3.5 inches long. He acts pretty comfortable, but we were sure we'd have to move him out of this tank at some point. Maybe we need to do that now.
At any rate I'm most concerned about getting him over this bout of ich. Since he's been healthy otherwise I suspect either the pH change or the temp spike could have been the trigger for the infection, but maybe he's closer to the edge because he's a little baseline stressed by the size tank.

Is there anyplace local to get the kick ich? I'd rather not wait a week to start dosing after ordering online.
Nate

 

[jackie]

I had temp spikes too (+2-3) which probably caused the problem. Of course tangs are ich magnets anyway...

I swore I saw some at AA a while back, you can call them, and I bet Sea World will have some. Any other LFS will probably carry it since it's been on the market for about 6 years.

 

[NateHanson]

This morning I fed nori, spectrum thera pellets (a pellet food that's supposed to help the immune system), mysis, and cyclopeeze: All soaked in garlic juice.

I usually just feed mysis and cyclopeeze, with nori occasionally.

Nate

 

[jackie]

Dose the tank also, every day, one drop for every 10 gallons + one for good measure for ich problems.

 

[Kerry]

I have a u/v sterilizer you could use to control any future problems. you can pickit up in boston.

 

[ScottM]

I have a 10g q-tank I could set up, but I'm not sure I could catch him, because he's a hider, and I would think that would make him pretty unhappy to be in a 20" tank. I'd like to think that the shrimp and a return to normal tank conditions will take care of things naturally, but I don't want the situation to get worse. Would Kick Ich be worth a try in the entire tank? Can someone tell me where I can get that? Any other suggestions? Moral support? Sympathy? (Condemnation for having a hippo in a 30?)

Thanks,
Nate

nate setup the 10. hyper salinity will do the trick

 

[KAS2]

Scott,
I think you meant to say HYPO salinity will do the trick.

 

[wrassefan]

I wouldn't do anything. Just feed the garlic soaked juice and let the cleaner shrimp do the trick. I agree that I think the temp spike might have stressed the fish. Give it some time and if the fish is healthy, it can survive a bout of ick naturally...mine has. JMO.

 

[NateHanson]

Scott, The other fish aren't affected (yet). Do you think I should put all four of them in the 10g and do hypo? Or should I just move the hippo to the 10?

Any one have opinions on whether the ph change (8.0-8.2), temp spike (85 deg), or crampiness is most likely responsible for this outbreak?

Thanks, Nate

 

[NateHanson]

Thanks for the advice Andy. I'll see how things are looking this morning.

Nate

 

[NateHanson]

The tang is looking better this morning, and no other fish are affected yet. He's got perhaps 3 or 4 spots per side, maybe a few less than yesterday, and the spots are less distinct than yesterday.

 

[Antimony1019]

Which garlic product are you using?? Is it a juice or an extract that you are using? Garlic Extreme is pure garlic extract which will probably pack a bit more of a punch than a garlic juice, if you are using Garlic Extreme I would just continue to use it. It will probably take a few days to cure it, but it worked well on our Sohal. I wouldn't QT him, it doesn't sound like it's that bad I wouldn't stress him out any more than he already is.
You also probably want to start thinking about a new home for him too. I know a large yellow that was in a tank too small and was covered in ick, he was giving a new larger home and the ick cleared up with no treatment at all... Just a few thoughts

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

you hear that nate? he needs a bigger home. good excuse to get a 4ft tank.

 

[Antimony1019]

A perfect excuse to get a bigger tank

 

[The Jester2]

Nate
Sorry to hear about your Ick problem I have used the garlic approach and it saved my Hippo and 2 firefish. I use it every other time I feed. It sounds like your Hippo is reacting favorably Hope he makes it through this.

 

[NateHanson]

Thanks everyone. (nice avatar Jordan ) Yes, I certainly need to find the hippo a new home, and this is probably the kick-in-the-pants I need. We like him, and my wife gasps each time I suggest putting him up for adoption, but I think the time has come.

I'm using juice from the jar of minced garlic, but I'm going shopping today so I'll pick up some medicinal garlic extract. I'm also feeding a pellet food that is supposed to be helpful for infections (who knows?), and the hippo really gobbles those up.

He's acting normally, and doesn't seem to be getting worse, but I wish the stupid cleaners would give him some attention. He keeps swimming right up to them, and sitting in between their antennae, but they just sit there like a pair of idiots! I think they might be too well fed. They're always grabbing mysis, nori, and pellets when I feed the fish.

Nate

 

[NateHanson]

By the way, I'd be happy to take a bigger tank complete with live rock and a bigger skimmer, if that's what you guys are offering!

But a larger tank on our own buck is unlikely. The tax refund didn't even last into May! (anyone want to buy an old house? or trade it for a large tank? )

Nate