Blue Hippo Tang keeps getting ich.

[F.H]

Originally Posted by joe pooh

treated for ich before introduction to the tank.

How? are you sure it was completely treated? sometimes it can remain in the gills without presenting itself on the body, etc.

[kyl]

Correct fallow period for ich is 76 days, not 8 weeks. You're just re-introducing a fish to a DT that still has ich.

the ich organism cant come out of thin air...

Funny enough, aerosol transmission is a thing, and has been documented at up to 10 feet if tanks are in the same room.

Only two ways to completely eradicate cryptocaryon irritans in a tank; fallow without a fish to host on for 76 days, or chemically with copper or chloroquine phosphate. Both chemical methods will kill all your corals, inverts and with CP, all algae.

To remove it in fish is either via tank-transfer methodology for 12 days to stay ahead of the reproductive cycle, or chemically with copper / chloroquine phosphate. Research papers have identified hypo-salinity resistant strains of ich, so that's really not an option anymore. Any "reef safe" treatments are just that, treatments. They will not completely remove ich.

[rsisvixen]

I find ttm the most effective way to prevent ich from getting into your system.

I ttm all my fish now.

[kyl]

TTM is the best stress level wise, but you still need to watch out for marine velvet. On the plus side, you can also get rid of flukes during TTM with prazipro use, and flukes seem to be on pretty much everything these days.

[rsisvixen]

Yes, I use paraguard, first container, prazi the next 3 and then paraguard to finish off-then QT for 3 weeks.

I haven't lost any fish from doing the ttm due to stress, and its run the range from mandarins to angels

[Frogger]

I had a hippo tang for 16 years, he died last year. Every time the fish got stressed he would get ich. Usually that stress would be adding a new fish, happened 3 or 4 times over his life span. It was never really bad but you could just make it out. Always went away when his stress level dropped. No other fish in the tank ever got it that I could see. I never treated him and he lived a long healthy life.

Hippo tangs are highly susceptible to ich. The stress of moving him from your quarantine tank to your main tank is likely setting him off.

[DKoKoMan]

My powder blue had gotten ich during the tank move. The water parameters contributed to the stress along with new fish and new environment. I monitored and observed the ich present and disappear. My powder has had no signs of ich since and no other fish had it.

IMO if it's showing up it's already in the tank, why rock the boat unless your fish is in distress. Sometimes the stress of moving back and forth as mentioned above can make it worse. As well hippo tangs and powder tangs are more sensitive and more prone to ich. Best of luck!

[kien]

Originally Posted by videosilva

1. Quarantining is such a DUMB waste of time idea. I would like to know who the idiot was that started this and is passing this DUMB information along ?

2. Fish store ALREADY quarantined the fish. DUH !

1. Quarantining actually has many benefits. In the context of disease, it allows you to better isolate your affected fish so that you can attempt to remedy their situation. During the remedy period they will be highly stressed so isolating them (in quarantine) can go a long ways to helping them recover. That is, they aren't constantly being bullied by other strong fish. They aren't being out competed for food, they can be left alone to rest while they recover.

2. Not all fish stores quarantine (properly).

[Animal-Chin]

Yea I don't know whats going on in Brandford but here in BC fish are not quarantined at the store. Most are for sale the morning after they arrive off the plane around here.

QT done properly is a great idea but most don't do it properly. The idea is a less stressful transition to your DT with a fish that is eating well and doesn't have parasites.

I tried a 20 gallon QT and think the stress of the stark small tank was causing more stress than good but I set it up because I brought in a Powder Brown tang that had marine velvet and it wiped out my entire tank, killed every fish in 7 days. Had I QT'd that fish, saw it had velvet and either helped it or let it die in QT I would have saved my entire population but back then I wasn't and I paid the price.

QT is not dumb nor started by idiots.

If I set up another (no need now, my tank is stocked) I would go for a 50 gallon bare bottom with lots of stuff to hide in. Keep the fish feeling safe and give it some room to move...

[rsisvixen]

Also all fish do not carry ich.

Some fish like gobies and wrasses are resistant to ich and it is exceptionally rare for them to get it. Only roughly 10-20% of wild caught fish actually have ich, but due to everything kept in same holding tanks and then in same systems at pets stores, the problem escalates.

I haven't had any trouble with my 20g QT-had a juvenile emperor and an atlantic blue tang in there for 1-2 months-not at the same time-lol
Could be they were only 2 inches at that point.

In my personal opinion, better safe than sorry, just costs me an extra bit of time and space.