Buying fish for first tank, LFS has Ich.

[Mrj7]

I just recently started my first saltwater tank. It is cycled and ready for the first fish. A new fish store just opened in my area and their tanks are only a few months old. I went in there earlier this week and found out sometime within the past 2 weeks they had an Ich infection in their fish system.

Currently they are not letting anyone take fish home while they are treating their system. I bought a pair of clowns and they are holding them for me. The clowns look very healthy and aren’t showing signs of infection. However I did see a Tang with a pretty bad case of Ich. I bought 5 snails from them and added them Into my tank as their Inverts are all on a separate system. They said I can possibly take the fish home this weekend.

I have been in this store several times and the people are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They seem to be handling the situation well.

I am brand new to reefing and I do not have a quarantine setup. Considering I just bought everything I needed for my main tank, I am not very fond of the idea of starting a quarantine tank as well. Though I realize it is probably the best option here.

Obviously I want to avoid Ick in my tank. I will not add the fish if they have a visible sign of infection. Here are some preventative measures I am considering.

Running a UV sterilizer when I add the fish and for the first week or so, to neutralize any parasites that make it into my tank that aren’t attached to the fish.

Possibly a freshwater dip during the acclimation process before putting them into my aquarium. If anyone has done a freshwater dip during acclimation please share your method.

If anyone could share some advice and precautions I should take I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!

 

[Bepis]

A. UV sterilization will most probable not kill the ich if there is
B. Make sure they are doing a full qt with therapeutic level.
C. A freshwater dip will not treat internal infections. Tho it will help against things like flukes. Many routinely do freshwater during acclimation.
D. How long has your fish been in qt?

 

[Tamberav]

I just recently started my first saltwater tank. It is cycled and ready for the first fish. A new fish store just opened in my area and their tanks are only a few months old. I went in there earlier this week and found out sometime within the past 2 weeks they had an Ich infection in their fish system.

Currently they are not letting anyone take fish home while they are treating their system. I bought a pair of clowns and they are holding them for me. The clowns look very healthy and aren’t showing signs of infection. However I did see a Tang with a pretty bad case of Ich. I bought 5 snails from them and added them Into my tank as their Inverts are all on a separate system. They said I can possibly take the fish home this weekend.

I have been in this store several times and the people are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They seem to be handling the situation well.

I am brand new to reefing and I do not have a quarantine setup. Considering I just bought everything I needed for my main tank, I am not very fond of the idea of starting a quarantine tank as well. Though I realize it is probably the best option here.

Obviously I want to avoid Ick in my tank. I will not add the fish if they have a visible sign of infection. Here are some preventative measures I am considering.

Running a UV sterilizer when I add the fish and for the first week or so, to neutralize any parasites that make it into my tank that aren’t attached to the fish.

Possibly a freshwater dip during the acclimation process before putting them into my aquarium. If anyone has done a freshwater dip during acclimation please share your method.

If anyone could share some advice and precautions I should take I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!

UV for a week isn't going to neutralize parasites. It can be ran 24/7 if it is sufficient size (these usually cost 100 of dollars, not those 50 dollar 10w ones mind you) to keep numbers lower but will not eliminate parasites.

FW dip does not treat ich. It can help knock some flukes off or relief for velvet. Ich buries too deep and the white spots you see is just the fish's mucus.

You can do a peroxide dip (look up how to do this) to help reduce some flukes/velvet (not helpful for ich) and then just feed your fish well and try to stick to disease resistant fish and hope everything goes ok.

It is either you feed well, keep stress low and this may work or may not or you QT (or buy from a QT vender online).

 

[HuduVudu]

This is the part that you are going to need to do a ton of research. First research Ich and it's life cycle and how it works. Second start a deep dive into how you are going to approach dealing with aquarium disease. Once you settle on a method stick to the method. There are two main approaches, and each one is antithetical to the other. People run into problems and dead fish when they mix the systems. Choose one and stay with it.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I just recently started my first saltwater tank. It is cycled and ready for the first fish. A new fish store just opened in my area and their tanks are only a few months old. I went in there earlier this week and found out sometime within the past 2 weeks they had an Ich infection in their fish system.

Currently they are not letting anyone take fish home while they are treating their system. I bought a pair of clowns and they are holding them for me. The clowns look very healthy and aren’t showing signs of infection. However I did see a Tang with a pretty bad case of Ich. I bought 5 snails from them and added them Into my tank as their Inverts are all on a separate system. They said I can possibly take the fish home this weekend.

I have been in this store several times and the people are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They seem to be handling the situation well.

I am brand new to reefing and I do not have a quarantine setup. Considering I just bought everything I needed for my main tank, I am not very fond of the idea of starting a quarantine tank as well. Though I realize it is probably the best option here.

Obviously I want to avoid Ick in my tank. I will not add the fish if they have a visible sign of infection. Here are some preventative measures I am considering.

Running a UV sterilizer when I add the fish and for the first week or so, to neutralize any parasites that make it into my tank that aren’t attached to the fish.

Possibly a freshwater dip during the acclimation process before putting them into my aquarium. If anyone has done a freshwater dip during acclimation please share your method.

If anyone could share some advice and precautions I should take I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!

Hi, neither UV sterilizers or freshwater dips control ich, they are just adjunct therapies. Your very best option is, as you know, having a dedicated quarantine tank. If their system has obvious ich in it, don’t buy fish from that system unless you are able to start a copper treatment.
Jay

 

[Uncle99]

Sounds like a job for the TTM Method.
Maybe Hypo Salinity.

 

[MNFish]

My experience with ich was not fun. Copper safe worked for me but it will more than likely kill your snails. Usually if a tank is ich free for a week I think you would be pretty safe but the life cycle of ich depends on temperature and other factors. I feel it would be a gamble to put them direct into your tank, but being it is a newer system now is the best time to gamble.

 

[Mrj7]

Thanks for your input everyone. I am seriously considering an extremely cheap 10g quarantine tank and treating with copper. I am also thinking about the fact that the snails I already added could have been carrying ich or other parasites and they may now be in my tank. Seems like the best option is to quarantine new fish for 2-4 weeks. That way any ich in my tank carried by the snails will die with no fish to attach too, and any ich on the new fish will die as well. Leaving me with a parasite free system.

 

[Bepis]

My experience with ich was not fun. Copper safe worked for me but it will more than likely kill your snails. Usually if a tank is ich free for a week I think you would be pretty safe but the life cycle of ich depends on temperature and other factors. I feel it would be a gamble to put them direct into your tank, but being it is a newer system now is the best time to gamble.

I don’t gamble in this hobby anymore. These fish aren’t toys they are animals, treat them like you would your dog

 

[Bepis]

Thanks for your input everyone. I am seriously considering an extremely cheap 10g quarantine tank and treating with copper. I am also thinking about the fact that the snails I already added could have been carrying ich or other parasites and they may now be in my tank. Seems like the best option is to quarantine new fish for 2-4 weeks. That way any ich in my tank carried by the snails will die with no fish to attach too, and any ich on the new fish will die as well. Leaving me with a parasite free system.

Nothing good happens fast. Do 4 weeks, mows not the time at the beginning to stop short get a good start, and do 4 weeks

 

[lefkonj]

Personally I would ask for your money back. The best lesson learned in this hobby is patience. If I am looking at a fish and anything in the system is scratching, rubbing, just not looking right I walk away.

When I bought my Achilles Tang it looked great, was eat in the store. Said to myself 'Come back in 4 days if it is still eating, still looking good and still there BUY IT'. If it was gone what can you do. You will be ticked off if you bring these fish home, they are fine for a few days and then die.

 

[Mrj7]

I found a used 10g tank with a lid for $20 on Facebook marketplace. Looks like this quarantine tank is going to be setup tomorrow.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Thanks for your input everyone. I am seriously considering an extremely cheap 10g quarantine tank and treating with copper. I am also thinking about the fact that the snails I already added could have been carrying ich or other parasites and they may now be in my tank. Seems like the best option is to quarantine new fish for 2-4 weeks. That way any ich in my tank carried by the snails will die with no fish to attach too, and any ich on the new fish will die as well. Leaving me with a parasite free system.

I hate to be a killjoy, but shouldn’t you wait the full 76 days before adding anything into your display now that your snails are in there?

 

[mehaffydr]

I found a used 10g tank with a lid for $20 on Facebook marketplace. Looks like this quarantine tank is going to be setup tomorrow.

Go to Petco they are having their dollar a gallon sale right now so you will pay $10.00 for the same tank and its brand new.

 

[Spieg]

Tank Transfer Method is probably the fastest and least expensive way to get new fish into your new tank. For smaller fish like your clowns, it can be done using two 5-gallon buckets, two small heaters, two small sponge filters and an air pump. I also recommend doing a Safety Stop dip with new fish.

 

[Mrj7]

I hate to be a killjoy, but shouldn’t you wait the full 76 days before adding anything into your display now that your snails are in there?

Here is my thinking on this. The snails came from an invert only tank that is on a separate system than the one with Ich. Personally I think It is very unlikely that they are carrying it. Say there is Ich attached to the snails in the Tomont stage. If so it has likely already been there for quite some time. I think a 4 weeks should be fine and 76 days would be over kill. Just my opinion though.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Here is my thinking on this. The snails came from an invert only tank that is on a separate system than the one with Ich. Personally I think It is very unlikely that they are carrying it. Say there is Ich attached to the snails in the Tomont stage. If so it has likely already been there for quite some time. I think a 4 weeks should be fine and 76 days would be over kill. Just my opinion though.

I hear that! I'm doing builds myself (fishless for now), and think, every time I add a frag or a live rock, what did I just put in this tank? Fortunately, my own tanks will be fallow for a great deal more than 76 days before I put in my first fish, but I'm setting up a quarantine system now. I don't want problems in my displays that I caused through impatience or carelessness.

 

[TheReaperOfMars]

If you're considering the Tank Transfer Method you can do what I do for $110.

2 - 10 gallon tanks from Petco - $20
2 - Small Maxijet Pumps - $40
2 - 50w Eheim Heaters - $50

If you're doing TTM you don't even need a filter really. Seachem Prime works for me.

 

[Tamberav]

Thanks for your input everyone. I am seriously considering an extremely cheap 10g quarantine tank and treating with copper. I am also thinking about the fact that the snails I already added could have been carrying ich or other parasites and they may now be in my tank. Seems like the best option is to quarantine new fish for 2-4 weeks. That way any ich in my tank carried by the snails will die with no fish to attach too, and any ich on the new fish will die as well. Leaving me with a parasite free system.

LFS get their hands and nets in all of tanks and stuff gets transferred for sure.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Walk away and find a new store
You have the right too to question their husbandry practices as well as ask to see fish eat before any purchase.
Dont resist as a $30 fish will cost you $60 in medication, possible another $100 in quarantine setup and not being able to stock your show tank for 2.5 months !!
Just not worth it. UV in many cases are alternative and not a solution not to mention the cost of $150 to $300 which would by a bit of fish and coral. A $50 UV will give you $50 low quality performance.