Coral beauty afflicted with ich

[Torvik9]

So I messed up and didn't QT my Coflake Beauty. It's been eating like crazy for 2 days, but now it's got what looks like Ich. The fish itself is healthy, but every now and then it rubs up against the rocks, and you can see the Ich on its head. I'm not sure if I should move it to my 10 gallon with the reef lobster or just leave it where it is. At this point, would moving it to another tank even make a difference, or would it just stress the fish out more? I've been feeding it twice a day with garlic extract. What's the best course of action now?

[florix9]

Before we can give you the best advice, we need a bit more info - are there any other fish in the tank showing similar symptoms, and are there any other coflakes in there with your Beauty? Also, what are your water parameters looking like?

From what I've seen, Ich usually starts on the fins and works its way down to the body, but who knows, maybe this strain is different. If you do have other coflakes in the tank, treatment can get a bit more complicated.

[Torvik9]

I took some pictures, but they're not really helping. The white specs are just too small to show up well. I'm wondering if the Ich parasite would be larger than this, as I've seen it before on our butterfly in our previous tank - it was really noticeable and unfortunately didn't make it. I also thought my Coflake was scraping against the rocks, but now I think it's just trying to squeeze into tight spaces to get at the algae.

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The specs are mostly on its head and a few on the tail. As for other fish in the tank, there's a six line Wrasse and a False Perc. Clown - both are doing great and show no signs of anything. No coflakes in this tank, just the two other fish and some inverts like the CC star, pincushion Urchin, and the clean up crew.

[creebo]

So I messed up and didn't QT my Coflake Beauty. It's been eating like crazy for 2 days, but now it's got what looks like Ich. The fish itself is healthy, but every now and then it rubs up against the rocks, and you can see the Ich on its head. I'm not sure if I should move it to my 10 gallon with the reef lobster or just leave it where it is. At this point, would moving it to another tank even make a difference, or would it just stress the fish out more? I've been feeding it twice a day with garlic extract. What's the best course of action now?

Honestly, I'm not seeing any ick in those pics. Could be just me, but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. If you're still convinced it's ick, I'd advise against copper treatments. Instead, have you considered trying to boost the fish's immune system?

[Torvik9]

Honestly, I'm starting to think it might've just been a minor issue, not ick at all. I mean, those grain-sized spots on its head are gone now and it's eating like normal. If I'm being honest, I'm still keeping a close eye on it, just in case. But if nothing else happens in the next few days, I'll probably just delete this post and move on. Thanks for the concern, though.

[florix9]

Ich can be sneaky like that, it can clear up on the fish but that doesn't mean it's gone from the tank. Those little guys can just be chillin' on the sand, waiting for their next victim. Just keep doin' what you're doin' with the garlic extract and keep a close eye on your tank for the next couple weeks - these parasites can stick around for a while.

[felinxo]

"yeah, ich can drop off the fish and go into the sand as part of its life cycle, but that doesn't mean it's gone for good. just because you don't see it on the fish doesn't mean it's not still lurking in the tank. keep feeding with garlic extract and be extra vigilant for the next couple of weeks, those pesky little things can stay alive for a while.

also, just to clarify, ich has a pretty complex life cycle, it's not just a simple parasite. it's got different stages, from the tomont stage where it burrows into the fish's skin, to the tomit stage where it's free swimming and looking for a new host. and even when it's not visible on the fish, it can still be present in the tank, just waiting for its next opportunity to strike. so, just keep an eye out and be prepared to take action if you need to."

[Torvik9]

I'm really impressed by the info, it's kinda overwhelming. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. So, at this point, I should just keep a close eye on things or start taking some action? I'm still feeding with garlic extract and doing those regular water changes, 15-20% every couple of days.

[creebo]

So I messed up and didn't QT my Coflake Beauty. It's been eating like crazy for 2 days, but now it's got what looks like Ich. The fish itself is healthy, but every now and then it rubs up against the rocks, and you can see the Ich on its head. I'm not sure if I should move it to my 10 gallon with the reef lobster or just leave it where it is. At this point, would moving it to another tank even make a difference, or would it just stress the fish out more? I've been feeding it twice a day with garlic extract. What's the best course of action now?

Garlic extract, not sure if it's legit or not, hasn't been proven scientifically yet. Just keep an eye on things and if something pops up, setting up a QT tank might be an option, but I'd say focus on boosting the fish's immune system with liquified nutrients - it's what they'd get in their natural habitat, and that's how they fight off ich in the wild. No stress, they can handle it. Plus, those nutrients are like a supplement, giving them what they'd find in their natural food.

[zeno9]

So I messed up and didn't QT my Coflake Beauty. It's been eating like crazy for 2 days, but now it's got what looks like Ich. The fish itself is healthy, but every now and then it rubs up against the rocks, and you can see the Ich on its head. I'm not sure if I should move it to my 10 gallon with the reef lobster or just leave it where it is. At this point, would moving it to another tank even make a difference, or would it just stress the fish out more? I've been feeding it twice a day with garlic extract. What's the best course of action now?

well, i gotta say, garlic extract may sound like a good idea, but it's not been proven to be effective yet. personally, i'd rather not take the risk. if you're concerned, you could try setting up a QT tank, but i think it's more important to focus on boosting the fish's immune system with liquified nutrients. in the wild, these fish are used to living with ich, but they're not stressed out, so they can fight it off naturally. liquified nutrients can give them the same benefits they'd get from their natural food sources.