I have a tank with a hippo tang, yellow tang, and a blue sided fairy wrasse and they are all getting ick and they are in a reef tank and im not sure how to treat them. If some one can give me n/e info on what to do.

Thank you, Derrick

Tangs are notoriously susceptible to ick. Are any of the fish new to the system?

IMO the only real way to treat them is in QT with hypo and/or a copper based medication. I have yet to see a reef safe ich treatment that actually works.

if you do not have a QT tank, you can try a 2 minute dip in DI water. I would still advise getting a QT tank. An once of prevention is better then a pound of cure.

A FW dip may help treat the parsites ON the fish, but will not do anything to the cysts in the tank.

If you DO decide to do a FW dip, please be very, very careful., and be sure to match temp and pH to whatever your tank is.

If its a mild case of ich the fish may be able to overcome it on their own. They will need to be very well fed on a good mixed diet (not just flake food). Give the tangs lots of greens, like seaweed selects.

However, I would agree that the best way to cure it is QT with copper. Just be sure to follow the instructions very carefully. Hypo IMO is a huge pain and is more stressful than its worth.

Hello Derrick and :welcome: to TR.

It would also help us to know more about your tank. How big is it, how long has it been set up, and what are the water parameters?

well my tank has been up now for about 3 months and and the water paremeters as close as i can get it to perfect its a 55 gallon and they are the only 3 fish i have in the tank and the hippo tang is the newest one to the tank i feed them all kinds of greens and real greens from my refugium and flackes a different kinds of brime shrimp and krill and mysis shrimp so i mean i think that there diet is plenty good enough. and another ? if i set up a QT is quick cure a good way to treat it but even if i do treat it in a QT wont there still be free swimming parasited in my DT.

o and how big of a QT should i have for these fish the 2 tangs are under 3 inches and the wrasse is only a little bigger

Well, even at 3" tangs require a lot of swimming room, or they will get stressed, which doesn't help with treatment. Honestly, I think your current 55 is too small, and may have contributed to the outbreak, but that's another post...

I'm going to say get the biggest QT you can. You're going to have to keep a very close eye on water parameters here. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate WILL rise, and you will have to do very regular water changes to keep them in check, like daily. Any copper based medication should be fine for treatment. You'll need o follow the directions exactly, and probably will need a copper test kit as well.

In order for the cysts in your display tank to hatch and die, you're going to need to "fallow" your tank. Meaning, the fish will have to be in QT for at least 6 weeks, 8 is better, with no fish at all in your DT for the ich to host on/in.

ok thanks for the info im going to get a 29 gallon and use as my QT . i have got another ? i would like to put them in a 75 gallon if i take and put the water from the 55 gallon and put it into the 75 gallon and put the filters from the 55 on the 75 could i put the corals that have into the 75 gallon.

I don't see a problem with that. The only thing that could be an issue is the sand. I don't know what your substrate is. Bare bottom, shallow sand bed or deep sand bed. If it's anything over, say, 1/2" deep, I'd save a couple of cups full of sand, then either rinse the sand very very well, or preferably IMO start with all new sand. Either way, you can then use the cups of sand you saved to re-seed your sandbed.

Once you do the move, just keep an eye on water quality, and have some water on standby in case you have to do a couple of water changes.

allright thank you and i know that im becoming a pain in the neck im sure asking all these ? but when i set up my QT can i just use new water or how should i go about that.

Not a pain at all, that's what TR is here for.

There's no hard and fast rule as to how to set up a QT. This is what I'd do. Set up the 29 using as much water out of your 55 as you're comfortable taking out. If you do a 10 gallon waterchange, then just use the 10 gallons you remove from the 55 and use fresh water for the rest. I'd leave the QT bare bottom. Got to the LFS or Wal-Mart or wherever and get one of those cheap Whisper power filters, or a cheap canister filter. Add one or two decent sized pieces of LR. Check with the LFS or a local reefer and see if you can have or buy a couple of cheap, ugly pieces of LR. This rock will be contaminated with copper when you're through (as will the tank and filter) so they can never be used in a system with inverts. Add the rock, the water, a heater, and set up the filter. After it's been running a little while, check to make sure salinity, temp and pH match your dispaly tank. Then, move the fish in and start treating. Keep a very close eye on the water quality, because the tank will be uncycled, and you will see a rise in ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. I wouldn't worry too much about the nitrates, but watch the other two closely.

all right thanks for all the info im going to go get my supplys today.

here is a good thread about ich and quarantine she is an expert on fish health and disease
Ich (http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic31173-10-1.aspx)

Here is an article on QT Reefreaders - Quarantine Now! (http://www.reefreaders.com/content/view/22/1/) that should help you.

BTW ... the 75 will also be to small for the tangS ... maybe one, but probably not both.

I Was reading this thread and wanted to add some info I came across - Maybe some more experience member can confirm/validate the benefits (or drawbacks) to possibly help.

I have been reading (what appears to be) a very good book: The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook by Bob Goemans & Lance Ichinotsubo. Copy right is 2008 (so the research should be up to date). It covers a lot of info on maintaining good health, illnesses (identifies and gives treatments), acclimating... great pics with specifics literally pointed out with arrows! Very easy to read and understand.

It writes (p. 146/7) that a newer alternative to copper and formalin (less toxic than copper), that is being used by professional aquarists - but little known in the marine hobby is "Chloroquine". A very interesting write-up on it, it was once a primary treatment for malaria in humans. It can be purchased from chemical supply houses with no special license or permit.

The book also recommends a freshwater bath; reporting that it will cause the parasites to fall off the fish yielding almost immediate results (for the fish not the tank of course). It suggest a 15 minute dip for best results. To make the dip significantly more effective, add formalin or malachite green (or combination of the two). This dip is to be used prior to quarantine and additional treatment via the above mentioned Chloroquine or copper....

I did this dip (with the formalin and malachite green) with a my flame angel today and did in fact see the white particles (parasites?) fall off of her. Note that when adding your fish to the freshwater they will immediately lay on their side at the bottom of the treatment tank. That is normal and is only very temporary. My angel got right up after about 4 seconds.

I have also come across a product by Chem-Marin (chem-marin.com), called STOP Parasites. You add this directly to your tank and it claims to be reef safe! ?? I am trying this but in a the quarantine tank not my display. Although I will try the preventative dosage for a couple of my small fish only tanks.

Its claims to speed up the fishes natural slime coat causing parasites to detach themselves - it also attracts the parasites as a non- nutritional food source - speeds up appetite and builds the immune system. Will not harm internal organs of the fish (as can copper)! You use it twice a day for 5 days (can be longer).

Check the website - there is a number you can call and believe it or not , I have read that the owner does answer (7 days a week), with a lot of help and follow-up.

It sounds too good to be true, but it is a more natural alternative to copper, and if it works - WOW!
I read a post (another forum when searching for more info on the product) that raves about the product and the customer service. Says that copper wasn't working when he came across this product and called to owner.

Does anyone have any experience or info on this product??

Please do your own research into these mentioned products and procedures. I am very new the hobby and cannot claim experience or knowledge. Being new has me looking in a lot of possible directions (some I am sure, might have been tried and possibly failed by more experienced members)...additionally, the thought of copper and some chemicals scares me. Part of being a newbie, I guess. I only post this info as a possible direction to be researched and so others might offer their knowledge.

Hope this proves helpful!

Here are a couple of articles on various ich treatments. They talk about both quinine drugs and freshwater dips. Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php) and Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part II by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php)

Freshwater dips are controversial. While having a LOT of respect for Steven Pro who uses them as a prophylaxis I don't routinely use them just like I don't routinely treat fish with drugs as a prophylaxis. You will note that while he thinks there is value in using them when receiving fish he does not think they are an effective treatment.

I doubt that the white particles were ich trophonts. Unless you could see ich on the fish when you bought it any other trophants were probably microscopic size. More likely they were bits of slime.