HELP! might have ich for first time ever

[snyper2384]

Hi everyone. I am new to marine aquariums and currently have a 125 with a green spotted puffer (the reason I ended up getting into marine tanks) a tube anemone and a small anemone that I am not sure of the type (got from friend who couldn't remember ) about 20lb of live rock and 2 blue sponges . Anyway another friend of mine had his 30gal tank bust on him about a week ago and had 2 small (about an inch) long fin damsel juveniles and a mantis shrimp and brought them over to my tank in an emergency. Yesterday I noticed both of his damsels have white spots that look like salt grains on them. I am assuming its ich. I moved them to a 10gal qt tank that i set up using my display tank water to start off. Bare bottom, hob filter, air stone. are my other fish now infected ? Or can I assume they were already present in his fish and have not fell off and infected mine yet?. Awaiting the bad news. Ammonia nitrates and nitrates are all zero ph at 8.2. salinity at 1.23

 

[DaveK]

There is a very good chance your other fish are infected. However, maybe you caught this just in time. Keep a close eye on your other fish.

Since these fish belong to your friend, ask them what they want to do about the disease. Here is a link to a post that lists other threads talking about the disease and treatment. I'll tell you right off that there is a lot of well intended but incorrect information out there on this disease. See http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/...st-advice-on-ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.84013/

To sum all this material up, you generally treat all the fish in a quarantine tank. Copper or hyposalinity are the only really effective, somewhat easy to do treatments. Don't use both treatments together and don't treat in the main display tank. Don't try and shortcut anything.

From your post, I see some other possible issues that may need to be addressed. Keep in mind that I'm saying that these might be problems, but it's hard to tell a lot form one post.

Are your completely sure you have a green spotted puffer? These are usually kept in FW tanks when young, and brackish water tanks as adults, although you could keep them in full strength SW.

It is important that you identify the species of anemone. Some have very demanding requirements and will usually die in new SW systems.

Check that the Mantis shrimp is identified correctly. They are vicious predators and should be kept alone in a single tank. They can easily ambush and kill much larger fish.

That 20 lbs of live rock is a very minimal amount. Do you have any other rock in the tank? Usually the recommend amount is about 1 to 2 pounds per gal of water. In your case this would be about 120 lbs. In SW systems the live rock is one of the major parts of your biological filtration.

The blue sponges really should come out of your tank and be returned to your LFS or sold or given away. They are filter feeders and difficult to keep for a beginner, and if they die can really foul a tank.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to RS and best of luck ! The link ^ is some of the best advise on the net !

 

[snyper2384]

First let me clarify by new to marine tanks I mean this is my first marine tank . Been salt for a little over a year and I have had planted fresh water tanks for as long as I can remember (over 30 yrs). It is a green spotted puffer that I started in fresh 30 gal . Went to a 55 brackish and then I was given 125 with stand and started acclimating him full salt. All this took place over a 2 yr time. I am just now getting live rock in the last 4 to 6 months . a few lbs here and there as money allows ( had to replace my engine in my truck and rebuild a junk yard engine) and the sponge came on the rock from the lfs. they showed it to me and told me to never let it touch air. Turns out the mantis shrimp and both damsels he got out of the bay and he says it's a spearer mantis shrimp? He said "i could let them go back in the bay if they are sick". So needless to say I am a lil mad at him anyway for putting them in my tank having got them from the bay. he saw them thought they were cool and set up his tank with sand and water from the bay also. I assumed he got them from a fish store.