Need Assistance - Fish Sick / Ideas

Greeting's all: First I want to thank you all for any assistance you can offer. I have a 90 gallon mixed reef - SPS, LPS, Softie's. This tank has been doing wonderful for about the past year. I'm a disabled vet, I spent 28 years in the military, I'm unable to walk, and I have anxiety and PTSD issue's (I wanted to tell you these things, as you can imagine what happens to me when my tank gets sick!), I have a lot of time on my hands and I truly baby this tank - I do daily filter cleanings, glass, water changes, observations, feeding's, I maintain this tank to optimal levels - being a perfectionist at times is draining! Also I have been in the hobby since I was 12, and I'm now 52. I'm truly amazed at what mother nature and God are capable off. I've seen it all from under gravel filters, and an incandescent bulb for light to where we are today - this hobby has truly amazed me along the way. I would say my experience in our hobby is experienced, but I'm always reading and open to learning more. I've had all different size tanks, and have raised or breed just about everything at one time or another. My tank parameters, details are as follows;

90 Gallon - sapphire glass - 48" x 18' x 24"

Equipment:
1. 90 Gallon tank / internal overflow / Sump
2. Trigger Systems Crystal Sump - 36' x 14' x 15 Growing various macro
algae's
3. Reef Octopus In Sump Protein Skimmer
4. Mag Drive 18 Pump
5. BRS Bio Reactor running GFO
6. Ultraviolet Sterilizer - 18 Watt
7. Aragonite Samoa Pink Reef Sand
8. Combination MH / T5's / LED's
9. BRS Pukani large show piece rock, live sand

I use Salifert Test Kit's (all new)
Various chemical media Seagel, Chemi Pure Elite, GFO, Carbon
I feed a varied diet of Flake (Assorted), Reef Chili, Snow, various frozen food's

My current water parameters;
Calc - 440
Alk - 9+
Sal - 1.026
Mag - 1340
Phos <0

My Problem - about two weeks ago, my wife bought me a new 6 lined wrasse for my B-day - she wanted to surprise me and floated the fish in my tank and released it without my knowledge (she was hoping to let me view my tank and see the fish as a surprise). After a day, and with no sight of the fish, she told me what she did! For those wondering - YES I have a quarantine tank, and follow all guidelines for getting and quarantining a new fish, but like I said - it was a surprise (Sigh). I for the life of me could not find the fish at all, I hoped with my fingers crossed that it would appear - it didn't. It has now been a about two weeks and now my Fox Face, a yellow eyed tang, and my starry blenny now are scratching and flashing on the substrate, rock etc. Also I have slight signs of Ick on my Fox Face. Obviously I know I have ick going on and have read and knew of all the articles on the issue. My dilemma is - What do I do - I only have a few fish and would like to try and catch them and move them to the quarantine tank, but as you all know as soon as I put my hands in the tank they all scatter into the live rock. I could possibly empty the tank and move all my live corals and live rock from the tank and catch them that way - but I hate to upset and ruin all the hard work of growing my corals (My main goal). I though of a fish trap, but not sure I'd have success or making one? I could just leave the fish alone and see if they could fight this off on their own! Their fat and were healthy till this has occurred!!!! Dose anyone have any idea's on what I might be missing? What would you do if it was your tank? Again - thank you in advance for the support and any help you could offer - sincerely Thunder

 

Feed them well they should be able to fight it off on thier own. Thank your stars that its not marine velvet.

 

I would try your hardest to find that 6 line and get it out. It sounds like it infected your whole tank. Since you have the means to quarantine I would most defiantly quarantine your sick fish and treat them in the quarantine tank. They may be hard to catch in a net but it has to be done to ensure that they wont spread it. Other wise you could always treat you display tank. I use this stuff called rid ick, works great. My damsels had ick and it cleared them right up within 2 days they were fine. You could always go the biological route and get a scarlet cleaner shrimp. They are known to pick parasites right off fish they set up a "cleaning station" I have heard stories of these shrimp clearing entire ick infestation

 

Do you see any spots besides the foxface? Any other signs of distress besides the flashing? Increased work of breathing? For a few to no spots, I'd go with diet as well. Also, vitamin C is the immune buster grandma always said it was. Start adding that directly to your tank's water. They can absorb it through their gills.

That wrasse could very well still be in there doing what wrasses do.... sand diving. When we moved a tank onetime, I don't believe we saw ours for 3 weeks.

Cleaner shrimp cannot clear away Ich infestations.

 

I'm with Renee' and Ingtar.....add the vitamin C and feed well and let the fish fight it off within the tank. I think tearing the whole tank apart trying to catch your fish to then put them in QT would cause more stress.

Welcome to 3reef! and thank you for your service!

 

FWIW Six lines do not bury themselves in the sand. They build a mucus cocoon to sleep in.It could very well be hiding.Treating the infected fish will do no good.I would NOT try to remove all the fish as the stress will probably just make matters worse.Cleaner shrimp will not help eradicate Ich.

 

You're right, it was our leopard wrasse that use to hide.

 

I am in agreement with most of the others. If you are only seeing a few spots on one fish, do not do anything. However if one or more of your fish becomes covered with Ich, than you will most certainly need to catch and move them all to a hospital tank in my opinion. But as long as they are healthy, they should be able to fight this off. Sounds like you know what you are doing though.

If you do need to catch them at any point, I use a Reef Gently Accimate box for this. I recently caught all 4 fish in my 55 gallon DT. I also use it to bring fish home from the LFS and then acclimate them in it.

Keep us update if your fish worsen.