Damsel ich

[wowsers]

I have a "newbie" question, I suppose ...

I've got a 4-stripe damsel that I've had for over 2 months now. Lately I've noticed that he looks kinda haggered ... very tiny white spots have recently appeared, and now he has loose scales in some places ... I haven't added anything new to this tank, so could he have saltwater ich or the like all of the sudden, without it being introduced from somewhere else? What should I do? He's the only one with any symptoms of anything, and it seems very odd that this would appear after over a month of no symptoms at all on any fish in my tank.

Any advice is appreciated,
Kevin

 

[Reefguide]

Sounds like ICh to me... This a reef tank I assume?? or Fish only?

 

[wowsers]

It's fish-only for the moment ... I wanted to see if I could actually keep fish alive before I moved onto something more challenging ... although I'm thinking of adding anemones, if I get a clown or two ...

 

[Reefguide]

Everybody seems to have an opinion on how to get rid of Ich. Mine? I started using Reef Vital DNA. Great for Coraline and to quote from the label "Interferes with the ability of Cryptocaryon (Saltwater Ich)..."

Did wonders for me with my Yellow and Blue Tangs that very in pretty bad shape...

 

[wowsers]

Great! I'll give it a try ... but I have 2 snails and 2 hermit crabs ... will it hurt my inverts?

I don't have a Quarantine Tank yet, but I should probably invest in one ... and since this is the only fish that seems to be having trouble, I think (hope!) I've caught it in time to keep it under control ... *fingers crossed*

Thanks for your help,
Kevin

 

[Reefguide]

Nah man, Reef Vital DNA will not harm anything from corals to livestock, I've been adding it to my tank for ever.... Does alot of good...

 

[john f]

Kevin,

A word of advice:

Use hyposalinity to cure the Ich. If you have no inverts it is easy and works every time.

Also, Anemones are one of the delicate creatures of the sea. You had better have ALOT of light, plenty of circulation, and PERFECT water conditions in order to keep one alive for more than a couple months.

I am not against the keeping of anemones ( I have 2) but this should be something you keep after LOTS of experience in reefkeeping. No matter what the LFS or anyone else tells you.

John