jar05g

So I introduced a new blue tang to my tank a couple weeks ago and it now has ich. I was told not to add any chemicals to the tank because it can kill the good bacteria on my live rock. I've also tried doing a freshwater dip, but it didn't seem to do much. Since I don't have a spare tank for quarantine, I looked up some other stuff to do and I came across this:

raising the temperature to 85-88 degrees
adding one teaspoon of canning and pickling salt per gallon
and doing a water change

I've done the water change, and I bumped up the temperature just a while ago so it's still rising. Is it really ok to have your temp. up that high? I have a blue and yellow tang, a percula clown, and two damsels. Any other suggestions?

agsansoo

Ich is an obligate parasite. Usually I suggest ...
1) quarantine all fish for six weeks in quarantine tank. (i.e. plastic container or trash can)
2) Start by bring the salinity down slowly to 1.020-1.022 in quarantine tank.
3) Purchase a copper treatment, such as Seachem Cupramine ( quarantine tank only ) and follow directions.
4) Make sure the fish are eating well.
5) Bring temp to 86 degrees in empty display tank for 6 weeks.
6) NEVER EVER use copper as a treatment in your display tank.

jar05g

Where do I put all my live rock and fake corals? Do I just leave them in the display tank and raise the temp? and if I have only fish in my quarantine tank, would "quick cure" work to get rid of the ich? What do I treat my display tank with...nothing?

agsansoo

Yes, leave everything in display tank except the fish and raise the temp. As for "quick cure", this should be OK though I've never used it. Do not treat the display tank. Ich need fish to survive. With no fish in the display tank, the ich will starve to death. After 30 days the tank will be ich free ! But wait the extra week just to be sure. Treat only the quarantine tank !

jar05g

ok...that sounds perfect!! Will the ich come back? I guess it wouldn't as long as I don't put a fish with ich back into the tank...which shouldn't happen because I will quarantine it before putting it back into the tank. As far as setting up a quarantine tank...water, filter, and heater would suffice correct?

agsansoo

Just make sure you use some sort of fully functioning, cycled biological filter. I use a sponge filter. I leave the sponge in my sump for a week before using the quarantine tank. Also use your display tank water to fill the quarantine tank.

jar05g

Wouldn't filling my quarantine tank with the water from my display tank mean transferring the ich as well?

agsansoo

Don't worry ... They will soon die after you treat the quarantine tank !

jar05g

I guess what I'm most worried about is the fact that my water conditions aren't perfect. I still have .25 Nitrites, and my nitrates are around 15...my LFS told me to do the water change and just let it cycle for a few weeks. So I did the water change and I've still got about 2 and a half weeks left. They said that I just tried to rush things with adding fish before it was completely cycled. I mean, if I take out 10 gallons from the display and add it to the Q tank...then I will most likely end up starting a mini cycle again (my display tank is only 30 gallons). But on the flip side...I could add pre-mixed saltwater from my LFS to the Q tank.

agsansoo

Go with 5 gallons from tank and 5 gallons from the LFS. 5 gallons won't start a mini-cycle. Also, how many fish have ich now ?

jar05g

As far as I can tell, only 1 has it...poor thing...she has white spots all over her. But it may look like early signs on one of my damsels..maybe just one or two white spots on its fin. But I would just put them all into quarantine and treat for ich in case another might have it, and I just don't know it yet.

agsansoo

Good idea. Better safe now, than sorry later. Good luck. Keep us posted.

jar05g

Thank you!!