My tank was doing well-until I decided to add a Coral Beauty Angel-ich, really!

Things have been going fantastic, no new water overruns, no high alkalinity, all things chemical are doing well!


I think you can see progress in this picture and then...
I went to my old lfs and they had a coral beauty angel. They had many! I checked the tanks and saw no visible disease. Well, that was last Friday.
Today as I inspected my tank, examined my tank and yes, vodka dosed something was off! The Coral Beauty was hiding in among the caves. She didn't come out when I fed the guys-unusual as she was out every day since Saturday.
Big mistake, newbie long ago mistake, huge! I did not qt her. I felt that the store has always had decent stock and she looked so good. I put her in the DT!
Man, do I regret that. Now I am hoping it was just stress and she will soon get over the ick as I hate the thought of my stock getting it from her.
I have now stocked:
1 yellow tang
2 clowns-a Picasso and a Snowflake
2 banggaI Cardinals
1 pink spot watchman goby
1 lawnmover blenny
1 rabbit fish
Plus numerous invertebrates - including crabs, snails, star fish, and shrimp (none would tolerate medicine)
I also have over two dozen corals in there now

So, I have a huge dilemma, do I try to trap the angel, see if after the stress of the move she improves or what?
Shoot me now 1971roadrunner or ryanr

 

for the sake of the rest of the tank inhabitants, I would personally try to remove her. I would rather lose 1 fish vs everything else you have...which is a lot! Best of luck

 

Thanks MJDuti! I am not certain I can even trap her right now-I guess I will order a trap on line.
The thing is I have read a lot about this and sometimes, they heal on their own-at least that is my understanding in regard to saltwater fish.

 

well since I have no Saltwater experience I will keep posting so we hopefully get someone like Mike or Ryan to chime in.

 

You would need to QT the coral beauty. I have battled ich with saltwater tanks and the only success with it is by using either COPPER or HYPOSALINITY in a QT tank. I don't like chemicals, so typically I adjust the salt in a Quarantine tank to 1.10 and let it run for 6 weeks. There are plenty of blogs online that can guide you on the specifics of each treatment. Good luck

 

Thanks MJDuti! gobyman I will have to order the trap and try to catch this angel. I am so disappointed as know better!

 

Freshwater bath for the sick one.

Seriously.

But have faith. I once stuck a preggy platy in a tank with fish from another store, purchased within a few days of each other. She developed freshwater ICH and none of the others ever did. She got over it as soon as the babies came, and I added a bit of salt to the tank to help with recovery.

 

some fish won't get ich. just watch your fish. you will have an outbreak if you mixand stress the fish

 

HI Claire,
You can try the heat method and raise the temperature up to around 82. Your skimmer will keep enough oxygen in the water.

Also, soaking food in Garlic Guard or similar will help boost the immune system.

It's always a difficult call on whether to trap and QT, or treat in situ. A stressed fish doesn't need more stress from attempting to trap it. Also, rather than a trap, many have success using two fish nets.

Oh, and is there any chance that one of shrimp is a redline/skunk cleaner? They are known to pick ich off fish.

 

HI ryanr and yes, one of them is a skunk and he is constantly cleaning my fish. I will turn the temp up. I already soak the frozen food with Kens garlic xtreme and micro pellets are with garlic.
I did try two nets and almost had him but he was able to squeeze into the other rock area. I am not going to try that again as they all got upset!
I did notice today when I got home he or she looks much better-some of the spots may be disappearing. I'm watching all other fish and no other fish is showing any symptoms-no flashing, gills look good, no spots, or mucus. I sure hope he gets better soon-I will try and get a picture and post it.

 

wait, skunk cleaner shrimp eat Saltwater ich?! that's crazy

 

MJDutI and ryanr here is a picture of the cleaner shrimp:

 

I did notice today when I got home he or she looks much better-some of the spots may be disappearing.

Hmm, maybe it's not ICH. My Coral Beauty occasionally has white spots, exactly where yours has them. They disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. If it's just spots, not 'lumps', maybe you have nothing to worry about.

wait, skunk cleaner shrimp eat Saltwater ich?! that's crazy

Yep - amazing how the reef keeps itself clean.

Here's a quote from our profile: https://www.fishlore.com/profile-skunkcleanershrimp.htm

These Skunk Cleaner Shrimps will setup a cleaning station on top of a section of the live rock and will wave their antennaes until a larger fish stops by and they commence their cleaning tasks. What exactly are they cleaning you may be wondering? Well, they are looking for small parasites (i.e. marine ich) and dead tissues. They will probe all over the fish, along the gills and sometimes even inside the mouth of the fish removing the parasites and dead tissues.

 

I hope so ryanr because I would probably cry if I were to have a tank full of ich because that would mean having to turn everything off and remove all that glued rock and coral!
Fingers crossed!

 

Amazing-now you see it! Now, it is gone-ich?

Hi, I am doing the happy dance this evening!
The coral beauty has a few spots still on her pectoral fin but all the others are gone! This is super crazy and ryanr, you were totally right about it must not be ich as I have never seen anything like this!
I tried to get a picture but she, the tang, and the rabbit are all over the tank tonight swimming everywhere!
When I saw the group together, my first thought was OH NO! Then, I watched for a few minutes and did a double take-the spots are gone-just a few on a pectoral fin and maybe one on the other one!
Ryan, you said your Coral Beauty does this, any ideas as to why?
Regardless, I am very pleased and this scare has given me a vivid reminder of not using caution and qt. I think though, there are no more fish purchases for this tank and the 55 gallon will be a seahorse tank.

 

Threads merged.

Claire, no idea why mine does it, but I don't panic when I do notice it.

 

My coral beauty is completely clear. There are no signs that anything was ever wrong! Amazed!