ick/velvet

[tazzy695]

hello I think I have ick or velvet in my system I need advice on a reef safe treatment for this as I dont have anywhere I can store the corals till the treatment is done

please help me

[MizTanks]

How many fish do you have? Would it be possible for you to take them to a LFS where they could be treated? This is what I did. It also allowed my tank to fallow for a month at which time the parasite starves to death. Then your fish can come home to a clean tank.

[tazzy695]

I know I need to do a tank thread but here is my fish list

1 yellow tang
1 tomini tang (worst affected)
3 clowns
3 blue green cromis
1 6 line wrass
1 coral beauty
1 algae blenny
1 long spine urchin
1 decorator urchin
1 harliquin shrimp

[MizTanks]

You could try *Stop Ich* for salt water. Both Marine Land and F&S carry it. Not expensive either.
I agree with using garlic to boost their immune systems, also increasing their appetites. If the tang is the only one showing it so far could you create a hospital tank?

[tazzy695]

unfortunately the tang isn't the only one I am kinda leery of feeding fish food with Cu in it due to the fact that several of my corals and my nem eat said fish food

the big question of stop ick is is it REEF SAFE dose anyone have experience with this stuff in a reef system I have zoas and lps for corals

[tazzy695]

RIP nemo came home this am to the smallest of the 3 beeing dead in the sand

[Manoj's Reef]

Tazzy,
There are two schools of thought

1. Medication
2. Heavy Feeding.

My recommendation would be to feed the heck out of them.

Take some fresh garlic, peel the pod and then smash it. Put it in water with some rods food and feed three times in the day.

Make sure to change water every 2-3 days to keep up with water quality.

I am not aware of any medication that is reef safe, hence if you want to try medication the best way is to use a QT.

I would first try the food option and then try QT. Because when you move the fish to QT it gets stressed further. Also there is stress when you catch the fish.

Also check the following params, something might be off to trigger stress
Nitrate
Nitrite
Ammonia.

I hope it helps.

[tazzy695]

I wish I knew where this crap came from as this is the first time in 3 years I have had anything like this happen in my tank I guess I have been lucky till now

I have been feeding heavy and everyone seems to be eating normally even the tomini tang that has the most visible infection but then again it isn't the visible stuff that kills it is the stuff you don't see

I was hoping some of you guys with more experience would know of a treatment that has decent success rate without harming corals if I could setup a qt tank I would and drop the fish in a CU bath but no space and wife would kill me

heavy feeding isn't going to help my algae problem either unfortunately planning a WC tomorrow
but dont know if it will help probably to little to late

at least on the bright side if I loose my fish it will open the tank up to some new ideas for fish stocking

[MizTanks]

unfortunately the tang isn't the only one I am kinda leery of feeding fish food with Cu in it due to the fact that several of my corals and my nem eat said fish food

the big question of stop ick is is it REEF SAFE dose anyone have experience with this stuff in a reef system I have zoas and lps for corals

Stop Ich is 100% reef safe. I have used it with no I'll effects at all. However it will only kill the parasites on the fish and not the larva in the sand bed, hence fallowing your tank. Ich has 3 stages. Adults breed on the fish, eggs drop onto sand bed, they then hatch becoming free floating waiting on a host. Fish can also remain infected until something causes an outbreak i.e. Stress!
I'm sorry for you loss Tazzy. In the past I've lost 4 FF and 1 clown goby. I know your frustration. (((hugs)))

[stunreefer]

If it is indeed velvet you will most definitely want to treat, otherwise they'll be gone within the next day or so. Velvet attacks fast and hard.

The only two ways to actually kill ich is either hyposalinity or copper. All of the "reef safe" meds have more of a "soothing" effect on fish and can help them shake the parasite (sometimes), but it will still be present.

Personally I would QT and treat the fish.