Help with possible ick please (clown trigger)

[Kristen Marie]

I have baby (1 3/4 inch) clown trigger in my 20 gal and I just recently noticed he looks different than normal. I am worried about him of course, since I don't want to loose this spendy fish.

He has a few spots on each side that looks like parts that he has rubbed off. They are pinkish, grey. They could be because of sickness or because he rubbed himself against the LR trying to get something. He also has minute white dots on his tail fin and his bottom fin. I THINK (although I might just be imagining it) that there are a few more today than yesterday.

Trigger is eating well, acts the same.

I had a 4 stripe damsel with him in the 20, but there are no signs of sickness in him. I actually moved the damsel to my 40 (where I also plan on putting my trigger once he is better). The 20 is 4 weeks old. I have checked all my levels, and have no problems. I do weekly water changes.

I don't know whether to treat him with copper yet, or to wait it out. I have also heard to use garlic with food. Do you get garlic cloves and soak the food in it? Do you crush the cloves? Do you use garlic powder? Also, the LFS told me to turn up the heater a little on the tank. It is about 80 now. Can/should i go any higher?

Advise appreciated... I love this fish!

 

[Anonymous]

Kristen Marie-

DO NOT turn up the temp!-this will only reduce the amount of dissolved O2 in the water, and help speed up the spread of the ich parasite-a double negatively edged sword-the parasite is attacking your fish via its gill filaments-that's where it latches on to your fish for its nourishment-the spots are only the reproductive cysts of the parasite,not what's doing the real damage-upping the temperature makes it harder for the fish to get O2 while the parasite strangles it!

any treatment you decide should be started as soon as possible-especially with a very young juvenile!

if your tank is fo-copper sulfate is probly the easiest way to go-make sure you use a test kit-to ensure proper Cu level-too much will kill the fish,and too little won't kill ich.most non chelate copper meds give you the level needed on the label-monitor the level daily.

re:garlic-just do a search and you'll find lots of threads :wink:

good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[EmilyB]

Juvenile triggers (or any juvenile fish) need extra nutritional support. In a larger tank this is easy, in a smaller one not so. I would feed the fish golden pearls weaning size for a bit, they are high protein, and then introduce tiny pieces of raw shrimpmeat soaked in garlic. You need to get some nutrition into the fish, and at the same time deal with waste, which likely in a 20g tank means doing some pretty frequent water changes.

Baby fish need to eat lots.