WHY can this hobby be so frustrating????

[jackie]

So I think I'm doing everything right and BAM, ich! I never had ich in my tank, started out with just a couple of spots on one fish, lights went on this morning and now they all are affected to some degree. They did drop off after a few minutes, but the gramma was breathing hard. I started adding garlic extract about a week ago thinking it would help. Bought a cleaner goby, poor guy has his work cut out for him. I made a few changes in my tank, added 10 #'s of live rock, added miracle mud, macro, and the fuge light is on 24/7. Could these changes be stressing the fish? Noticed the skimmer hasn't been skimming for about a week. Did a small water change Sunday. Tested my params everything is fine. Oh he$$, sigh.

 

[Moe_K]

Hmm, that's tough. Your water chmeistry is okay, huh? Temperature and pH are good?
That's weird.

 

[beckalexis]

this hobby can become very fusterating. I also had an ich outbreak along with my continuing struggle with red slime algae. I took my fish out of the tank and I have been treating them seperatly with a cooperbased medication while the other tank still has red algae probs....I feel your pain...my tank was running awesome till a few months ago. Good Luck!

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I just found a few flatworms in my main tank & a few clear flatworms in my sump/fuge

 

[jackie]

I've been testing every day since I started b-ionic couple of weeks ago to make sure the tank stays stable. Ph 8.3, KH 9.3, calc 400. Tested for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, all 0. But the temp was fluctuating from 80 to 82 with the hot weather, but didn't think that swing would cause disaster?

I hate to take them out of the tank, I'm looking into kick ich to see if that might help but somehow I doubt it........guess I'll have to remove them to get rid of it for good. Thanks everyone......

BTW, what does a flatworm look like, does anyone have a picture?

 

[JustDavidP]

BTW, what does a flatworm look like, does anyone have a picture?

 

[JustDavidP]

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

those are uuuugly.

 

[jackie]

Nope, don't have any of those, but I think they're kind of cute. They look like little angels with wings.....I'm sure I"ll be real popular with that statement

 

[Ifferfish]

If you need some Kick Ick let me know. I have 2 24oz. bottles of it in my basement. I had ick for no reason at all about 3 months ago and used the Kick Ick on my 180. You dose for several days over the course of 2 weeks. Didn't loose anything except for the fish that started the whole thing. I am sure that if I had acted sooner, I wouldn't have even lost that one. I just couldn't believe that that was really going on.

 

[jackie]

Thank you Iffer, can I buy a bottle from you? You didn't have any adverse affects on corals at all? It is a shock and a total bummer

 

[Scuba_Dave]

but I think they're kind of cute. They look like little angels with wings.....

devils & gargoyles also have wings

 

[Keith Sheridan]

Jackie, you have a few choices of how to deal with the ich problem, but in my opinion there is only one that will ensure you stay ich free. Hyposalinity treatment on all the fish in the tank. Remove them all and QT them in a tank at 1.0009 salinity for 21-28 days.
I have done this treatment when I had a semi reef. I removed all the fish, treated them with hypo and placed them all back in the tank, I also treated all incoming fish. It worked very well for me, but I have not kept up with it, I have stopped QTing new fish and understand the above procedure takes more patience and commitment than many of us have.

In addition, you would also have to QT all live rock/sand and inverts before entering the tank to ensure no ich cysts are attached to them.

Sorry about the ich and flatworms, I am sure you will get it all in check.

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

1.0009?? that's like a grain of salt per gallon! hehe (he means 1.009)

i've used kick-ick before. i bought it too late and by the time i started using it, it was too late. but there are no adverse effects towards corals and inverts. well at least not for me.

 

[jackie]

Well, QT would be the best long term solution. I know I should, but I can't help but think it stresses the fish when you put them back in the tank? It does take a lot of patience, I put a clown in QT one time because he had brook, ended up doing a FW dip which cured him. Right now they look Ok and not scratching with no signs....I might try the kick ich, and just keep using garlic (and pray to the fish god, and while I'm at it, put a curse on the ich gods) and see what happens....thanks for all of your help!

As far as the flatworms, fortunately they're not mine they're Dave's, just wanted to see what they looked like

 

[Yaktop]

not sure why the ick, usually caused by stress but............ did someone real ugly look in the tank? j/k

those are flatworms, alot of threads on them. lower your temp, your lights and your feeding. they have a short life span and they wont reproduce if you cut back on each enough. alot of threads on it. chemicals - last resort IMO.

 

[Ifferfish]

Yes, Just let me know what would be a good time for you. If it is easier for you to get a small bottle somewhere before I can meet you then go ahead. I work tomorrow in Tewksbury , Mass. until 3:30pm. I will bring a bottle with me just in case we can catch up. I had No ill effects at all. Since then, no more ick either. Good luck and let me know.