my GSP is sick with what looks like ick. i heard it's hard for marine fish to get ick, so i'm not sure, but that's what it looks like. the white salt crystal-like formations have spread to his fins. what can i do without killing all of the other things in the tank? i bought a heater from dr. fosters... maybe that will help?
this may be unrelated, but i came home late tonight and turned on the light, and i saw small bug-like things crawling all over the glass (they were about 2 mm long at the biggest). they literally look like tiny bugs, with about 6 legs and small antennae. i think they come out at night from the live rock and/or the sand... are they safe? they gave me the creeps.
here is my info:
water parameters: ammonia and pH are ok, i don't know about the rest
tank size: 45G
tankmates: an anemone, a few snails, a few hermits and a damselfish (which seems fine for now)
changes in tank: none, except a small horseshoe crab died (was eaten by puffer)
the aquarium has been set up for about 4 months, and i cycled it with live rock
Ick in Marine?
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
bonnie3188
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:48 am
- Location: Australia
Re: Ick in Marine?
It's not hard for marine fish to get Ich, they often get it when stressed or if the parasite is present in the tank.
What do you mean by the heater might help? What is the temperature of your water? Did you not previously have a heater?
You definately need to test for ALL water parameters. Id strongly recommend buying a full test kit. By ammonia being "ok" does that mean 0? What's your salinity?
As for the 'bugs' they are probably just pods. Do a search for copepods, they won't cause any problems.
Do you have a qt tank you can use?
What do you mean by the heater might help? What is the temperature of your water? Did you not previously have a heater?
You definately need to test for ALL water parameters. Id strongly recommend buying a full test kit. By ammonia being "ok" does that mean 0? What's your salinity?
As for the 'bugs' they are probably just pods. Do a search for copepods, they won't cause any problems.
Do you have a qt tank you can use?
-Bonnie
-
Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Ick in Marine?
There is an article in the library about treating Ich in marine. The ich parasite is like our biological bacteria, there's versions of it for every salinity.
And I agree, the "bugs" are probably just pods and perfectly safe. You're going to have lots of creepy stuff in a saltwater aquarium.
Keep an eye on that anemone, they are very sensitive and delicate animals, and it doesn't sound like your tank is mature or that you're watching your parameters very close at all.
And I agree, the "bugs" are probably just pods and perfectly safe. You're going to have lots of creepy stuff in a saltwater aquarium.
Keep an eye on that anemone, they are very sensitive and delicate animals, and it doesn't sound like your tank is mature or that you're watching your parameters very close at all.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Ick in Marine?
Agree totallly about the anemone. Needs a 1yr established tank with perfect parameters.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Ick in Marine?
Someone told me that you can't keep anemones in the same tank as other corals and such. Thats totally untrue right?
Re: Ick in Marine?
thanks for all of your responses! my ammonia level was 0 when i tested it but i will clean the tank tomorrow after work as a first step... can't hurt. i don't have a quarantine tank. i'll buy a full test kit as well... any suggestions for good ones you use and like?
thanks also for identifying the creepy crawlies in my tank. i wiki'ed them and they don't seem that scary anymore.
thanks also for identifying the creepy crawlies in my tank. i wiki'ed them and they don't seem that scary anymore.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Ick in Marine?
What do you mean by "clean" the tank? Please read the earlier recommended article on SW ich. Also, you really need to know those other parameters, when keeping a reef tank, including KH, Ca & Mag.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Ick in Marine?
And make sure it's a liquid tester and not those test strips.
-
bonnie3188
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:48 am
- Location: Australia
Re: Ick in Marine?
Yep, untrue. The only risk is that anemones move and can end up stinging other corals.flamesofifreet wrote:Someone told me that you can't keep anemones in the same tank as other corals and such. Thats totally untrue right?
-Bonnie
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Ick in Marine?
Thats what I thought. Thanks bonnie.
Re: Ick in Marine?
by "cleaning" i meant doing a 25% water change using my python vacuum. i did that, my water temp is at 83 degrees, and the ick seems to have subsided a bit. the white spots have decreased in numbers but i still see some small ones. i will read the article on marine ick. thanks for your help, everyone.
Re: Ick in Marine?
p.s. - i hadn't realized that i said "anemone". i meant abalone. i have a small abalone... seems to be doing just fine.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Ick in Marine?
What was the temp before the heater?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Re: Ick in Marine?
the temperature was about 80. i've also been adding more garlic to my puffer's diet. i read that raising the temperature will speed up the life cycle of the ick, but is it normal to see white spots on the fins and head of my puffer in the morning, and then come home to a "clean" puffer (no white spots save one or two small ones) in the evening? i just ordered ick attack (organic ick meds?) so i plan on trying that out when it gets here... any suggestions before i do anything i might regret?
Re: Ick in Marine?
just wanted to give you guys an update. my puffer brutus has done a 180 and is well on his way to recovery sans medications. his cloudy eyes cleared up, i am doing 25% water changes every day in the QT, and he has an enormous appetite. i am supplementing his food with garlic and selcon (interchanging) and his belly has been bright white and his energy is back up. the temperature is at 83 degrees, and the salinity at 1.009. i bought a test kit and the water parameters are in the safe range. this is such a change from where he was a couple of weeks ago. i used to see white spots all over his head, eyes and fins every few days. he used to tuck his fins into his body and lay on the bottom of the bare-bottomed tank most of the day. he used to vomit his food after sucking it in. since a week and a half ago, i have stopped seeing spots altogether. i am hoping he will make a full recovery. go brutus!