Episode 80 pt 6,The 500 Gallon Aquarium, LA Fishguys

[FishHobby1984]

@lafishguy Wouldn't it be cheaper for someone in scotts situation to just setup another tank to treat the fish in, instead of taking the coral out of the primary tank? Ich can't live in the primary tank without fish in it!!!

[lafishguy]

hey F, actually Scott did set up a seperate100 gallon tank but other than some new Chromis he never moved any other fish into it.

[FishHobby1984]

@I2eapz Having a low salt level won't kill Ich. Ich can live in a freshwater tank!!

[TWhite2345]

Where did he get the sump

[lafishguy]

hey T, it was designed by Scott and custom made by a local acrylic fabricator

[vipete1985]

i have had great results with removing ich by elevating the temperature to 80 degrees and using a uv sterlizer for a few months to reallly kill it alll and also dosing garlic drops into the tank and into the fish food

[ksandz21]

hey there jim. i just wanted to say that i love your show! i have a question do your clients ever mind that you film while you work? is it time consuming?

[lafishguy]

hey K, some people are wierd about cameras. I prefer that they not be around when I film as I am more comfortable. I do find it takes me upwards as twice as long due to figuring out all the camera angles and re-do's.

[huzzygam1]

Hi from Australia, Great vids.Ive seen most of them and enjoy seeing what you get up to.I want to set up a refugium, i know your not a big fan of this system but i see a lot of sucsess with this.What i dont know is the size?? is there a formula for tank size vs refugium size. Any ideas??

[lafishguy]

hey H, i dont think there is a formula for a Refugium, its more as big as you can go.

[I2eapz]

with the copper treatment will that kill live rock ? also iv heard that making the salt level lower then the normal mark it will help to kill off ick

[lafishguy]

hey 12, yes copper will have an affect of the live rock.

[mrperryguitar]

i have a desktop 2 galoon tank. i was wondering if 18 watt power compact lights are strong enought to keep sps corals? maybe a clam?

thanks

[lafishguy]

hey M, i dont do small SW tanks so I am the wrong person to ask.

[oscar2hot4u]

is he small? or are you holding the camera up in the air

[FallensReef]

if nothing was wrong with the first filter why did he change it anyways thats why i say IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT

[danbran67]

He has more invested is the filter than the fish I see no extrem costly fish in there My advice would be loose the fish hold on to your corals and stop using so much chems in your tank kick Ick trust me won't to a thing wait 40 days after the last ick casualty and start all over be patient do not put copper but install a great UV light that works for real am I right ? only time will tell good luck

[z3r0ko0l1234]

its hard to have a reef with fish without a quarantine tank

[smuutheness]

Jim when are we going to get another video?

[vorkev1]

you should add some bio balls just a few thay can help i no you say no but i sed a few not a lot. and a few bamboo in thare two and yes thare is fresh and salt banmboo coper is bad.

[vorkev1]

it takeis time with this type os filter bfor the tank settles proplerly

[24SaltyDog]

Hey Jim,

Gotta say Microbe-Lift Herbtana really works. I just introduced a new Clown Tang in to my 180 with 3 other Tangs. The Clown was beat up by my yellow and all stressed out. Of course he came down with ick after 2 days in the tank. I dosed the entire reef tank with Microbe-lift Herbtana and Artemiss. After 3 days of dosing this fish came back from the dead. He is now swimming the tank and eatting well. This is the second time Herbtana saved my reef. Great product.

[ji3200]

next time if fish gets ick use the garlic xtream. trust me that is the perfect solution to cure fish parasite without hassel.

[eartharts2]

Hi Jim, I have a new 80 gallon aquarium and cant find the reviews on this type of tank so I was wondering if you have herd of a ViaAqua before? it has a trickle system built into the hood, so do you know if this tank has lots of problems or not with filtering issues, like not enough filtering for this set up? Again thanks for all your help.

[lafishguy]

hey E, i have no experience with that brand. I am sure it works well. just make sure you proform maintenance as suggested in the manual.

[Mr99Reef]

Hey Jimmy

Quick one.. What makes filter pads in my w/d filter turn dark brown so fast.......?

[lafishguy]

hey M, its most likely the debri that the filter pads are trapping out.

[VitalApparatuz]

OK Jim.Ive become a Lafishguy addict! You simply must make videos quicker and more often!

[lafishguy]

hey V, thank you but you need to hold onto your pants. I have three business I juggle in addition to LA Fishguys.

[pmhoard]

Quick tech question. He has a circulation pump that he says returns under the rocks? In the event of a power failure. How does he keep the entire tank from draining out?

[lafishguy]

hey P, that return is part of the Internal Circulation, which draws directly from the tank and returns directly to the tank, there is no place for it to drain out too.

[pmhoard]

Thanks for clearing that up Jim. It's a cool idea. I have been trying to think of a way to get more circulation into the tank im building as it is also a large 500 gallon.

[lafishguy]

hey P, check out Episode 75

[pmhoard]

Yeah, i have seen those episodes (i watch all your shows). I am definantly going to use vortecs. I just kinda like the idea of creating some circulation from under the rocks to move some on the crap out of there.

[wilkolak85]

got rid of ich by healthy nutrition garlic and a new uv sterilizer along with keeping up good water parameters no temp increase because sometimes it causes more stress to fish.

[WSSJ25]

I would hate to have ich in a big fancy tank. Maybe lowering the salt level will help.

[SeaSlug415]

Jim, Once the fish are all gone ( be it caught or death ) if the tank is running with no fish for 60 days , the ich will die off with no fish to host and then he can start fresh with new fish and parisite free .

[lafishguy]

hey S, i bet you the parasite offspring will continue to haunt this tank for years.

[SeaSlug415]

I'd take that bet , I've been through this in many of my customers tanks . Ich needs a host , no fish=no host . The parisite and it's off spring die with out a host . 60 Days ,90 if you want to be real safe . As far as copper goes it will soak into the live rock and even the silicone in the tank , from then on it will only be good for fish only. Any coral you put in after the copper treatment will die over and over again .

[lafishguy]

hey S, since Scott was resistant to removing the fish for treatment outside the tank ( and now over 75% of the fish have died from Ick ), chances are really good he wont remove the remaining fish either for your 60/90 days, so chances are the Ick will still be in the tank and will continue to haunt him down the road.

[SeaSlug415]

Yes it will , unless the fish that are left can fight off the ich . But looking at the video they really seemed to be strugling . Time will tell .

[shane3621]

if you treat with copper, you cant leave the live rock or sand in either, correct?

[lafishguy]

hey S, at the least the copper will eliminate some of the life in the LR and LS

[ryjack26]

Take a peek at my latest video and you will see

[ryjack26]

Jim, can u tell me why im getting so many bubbles coming down from my overflow?

[lafishguy]

hey R, no idea. not enough information.

[jeremymid]

I swear by Ozone backed up by UV. Lots of carbon and regular water changes. No magic potions. I have a O3 reactor not on a skimmer and a moveable system that I can plug into any tank. It has worked and saved many fish and systems. Even a small 50mg unit will work wonders.

[ElTurco034]

Hi there;

I do really want to know why no UV utlised in this system. Had same problems before but a year had no cases for parasites and ich. My corals are also doing well although have UV circle for two hours a day. PS: weekly dosing for ready to use bacteria also supports my system as well.

brgds

[lafishguy]

hey E, keep in mind that this tank has 'floundered' for the last 4 or 5 years. recently myself and Scotts wife resurected the tank as a fish system, noe Scott has gotten interested but changed it to a reef tank in midstream. BTW, i am NOT a believer in UV for parasite control as they are only as effective as what passes through them.

[bulldog111111]

Garlic is BY FAR the most effective treatment that I've used. It is a great reef safe alternative. Daily garlic, dosing directly to the tank & in food, and the use of a UV should take care of the problem...just a thought from my experience....good luck

[YeahBudday]

@bulldog111111

I completely agree I have had great luck with garlic along with vitamin c.

[dahermitcrab]

on the bottle it says "natural expellant for paracitic diseases" and specifically says excellent for ich. i had a fish infected at the time but it's a 10 day treatment and couldnt save him in time but it did protect my other fish!!! you dont have to use it... just tryin to help!

[lafishguy]

hey D, thanks for the suggestion :)

[dahermitcrab]

i actually had some ich and my lfs reccommended a product called Herbanta. it's coral safe and relatively new... so ich hasnt formed a resistance to it yet. although the corals reacted, cause they didnt like it but no harm was done. also it annoyed my anemones, but once again no harm done. then again it's different for some people (but not that i know of), so id be cautious. just a suggestion... worked good for me!!

[CCBalltheway]

UV will help the Ick and other diease floating in the water but it will not treat the fish. Kick Ick is ok. Hikari food sells a product call Ick X sw I have heard nothing but good things about it and had good results.

[k1woods]

I also think the best option is to remove the fish to another bare tank - treat with copper. Leave the main tank devoid of fish for 6-8 weeks. In addition, add a proper sized UV unit off the main pump + plus ozone since he already has a ORP meter/ computer. Great Videos, keep it up.

Also determine what is stressing the fish (temp swings??, chemistry swings, etc.)

[TheDiverdutch]

UV-C is a essential tool for reef aquariums. Combine this with a ozone generator on your skimmer air inlet controlled by a MV controller and you have maximum prevention of parasites!

The triple filter looks impressive however it is statically proven it is very difficult to maintain this type of filter so eventually it will become in balance and become a Nitrite / phosphate generator.

[lafishguy]

hey T, I think Scott has rigged-up a UV unit tempoarily, and he is the most 'into it' I have seen in years so if he contiues he will be sucsessful.

[TheDiverdutch]

Having a large reef tank its necessary to have a quarantine tank present. I have one which normally runs with the system but can run solo as well.

A good medicine is halt parasites. This doesnt affect the corals because it doesnt contain copper! Besides this the eye of the aquarium holder is crucial and its fair to say he reacted much too late!

[lafishguy]

hey T, its definately too late. he has lost a number of fish now.

[SeaSlug415]

I have been running reef tanks for 15 years plus , so I thought I would throw in my two cents here . The fish are looking pretty rough and will most likely not survive . Forget the QT tank and chemicals , let the ich run it's course . If all the fish die so be it . It can be a blessing in disguise . With no fish in the tank for about 60 days the ich parisite will die off with no fish to host .

[JUNAID187]

if he adds copper those corals will die if they go back into the tank since its impossible to get rid of copper 100% once you dose it in a tank, especially with the liverock and stuff in it.

tbh the only thing he can do is take the fish out and use copper meds on them in another tank and buy new livestock since the fish themselves will have copper dosed water in their bladder etc which will leech out into the tank.

btw copper is hit and miss some fish wont make it just saying.

[lafishguy]

hey J, and here lies the crux of the issue, to taint the tank with copper or to not and risk continued waves of future parasites.

[JUNAID187]

i think he will need to dead cycle the tank and set it up again, he has some parasite prove fish in there i dont understand why he does not have a uv/and or ozone in there since some of those fish are an accident waiting to happen without it, which then spread the parasites to the rest of the tank.

some good and bad times in this hobbies :).

[lafishguy]

hey J, it took myself and his wife 3 years to get him to make it a nice fish tank... once we achieved that he then decided he wanted a reef tank.

[smuutheness]

i think he waited too long to resolve the ick issue. those fish look bad.

[lafishguy]

hey S, waited way too long, he is loosing fish left and right now.

[Joeyt66]

Copper will kill of the live rock as well. Either Quarantine the fish in a separate tank using copper or hypo-salinity. Leave the display tank with out fish for 6-8 weeks. I went through this about 2 years ago. and after trying differewnt meds and losing some pricey fish the only thing that worke dwas copper in a QT tank. Leaving the tank fishless will for 6 weeks will kill off all the ich. Then be sure to trat a quaritine all fish before putting them in the tank

[TropicalFishAuction]

I would remove all the fish and place them in another tank (bare bottom) and treat all the fish.

[martyhowie75]

You can't have both as you said. Is the change in filter systems the main reason for his ich problem? If so why play with such on old tryed and true system?

[lafishguy]

hey M, i dont feel the switch was the source of the Ick problem ( but its timing was bad ). the issue is not what caused but how to resolve it... and in a LR / Coral / Invert system there is no good solution.... and because of that we are now loosing fish left and right.

[canvoodoo]

would uv be any good

[lafishguy]

hey C, it would only as effective as what passes through it, UV does NOT suck parasites off the fish.

[helicrashpro]

There are other affective ways to treat ich in a reef tank. Just had to do it about 4 months ago. The stuff we used worked great but I can not remember what it is called now.

[wwarwick]

This ma be a stupid question but if fish tend to be hardier than corals, would it not be easier to set up a tank to move the fish to for treatment of the ick rather than moving the corals? Or wluld thre be concern that the ick would still be in the system?

[lafishguy]

hey W, catching the fish in a 500 gallon tank with decorations is much easier said than done, also if you dont treat the tank you will not rid yourself of the problem as there is off-spring that will hatch later on. Corals are easily removed.

[24SaltyDog]

Hey Jim, try Microbe-Lift Herbtana. This is a great new herbal product 100% reef safe. It worked great for me. This can also be used with Microbe-Lift Artemiss. Both products can be used at the same time.  I have had ick before and I have tried other products and this stuff really worked. Do some research and give it a try. It looks like you have nothing to lose. I would not go the cooper route, if anything take the fish out and treat them alone.

[dasadler123]

This is my first venture into saltwater aquariums and I have been VERY fortunate to not have any problems yet. I have done a ton of research on everything before I did it and have taken things super, super slow. Took over 6 months before I was done adding my fish and corals

[rayme07]

Jim, I would highly recommend not adding copper to that beautiful fish tank, it will be fish only for the rest of its life. Once you add copper that tank is going to be ruined for any reef type set ups. That kick ich should get rid of it if not take the corals out and do hypo salinity that will for sure get rid of it (it worked for me and many of my friends). Copper is a big humongous mistake.

[rayme07]

Good luck!!

[LESTATAK]

I think removing the fish and leaving the corals would be your best bet. Let that big beautiful tank go fish-less for 6 weeks while treating your other fish in another tank. I would use hypo-salinity as well and not copper.

[dasadler123]

Hey Jim, can ick affect your corals also? If it can, is it possible to treat them with something not copper based?

[rayme07]

dasadler, ich is a disease that is fish bound. It cannot affect corals and invertebrates. There are diseases that can affect corals and inverts but that is something you are going to have to research. =)

[lafishguy]

hey D, i am not aware of Ick affecting corals... corals have their own parasite issues :)

[DaytonaRoadster]

man thats a nice setup

[CoralMan24]

copper would wipe out all the tank of inverts and microfauna, and zooplankton. Your best bet is to contact Matthew Wittenrich or check out some alternative methods that you can treat the tank and not have to kill it all with copper, plus all the cysts in there from the ich your in a tough battle but with Jim there and your seeking of knowledge you'll prevail I'll send some good ich treatment methods to jim as well.

[ryjack26]

just set up like a 55 and put the infected fish in there for a month or two

[jse702]

as others have said, take the fish out to treat not the corals.

[showtime302]

I would set up another tank to treat the fish

[nigelnathan]

Jim, Where is the trademark "Keep moving Forward" motto, didn`t hear it.

[oconano]

What happened to the quality Jim? Were you using a different camera? It seems more foggy and unclear.

[cullensaquarium]

due to the video only being uploaded recently youtube havnt finished processing it. itshappened to one of my videos recently

[LordoftheReef]

@oconano looks like the vid was recently updated. I know youtube can take a few hours to get the video quality up to par.

[Nugburner420]

leave they stuff in the tank and remove the fish?

keep tank running with carbon.

meds will also kill what ever is living on the rock and put tank into "new tank syndrome"

may make the balance of the system unstable

at least for me thats what happened

[Mr99Reef]

I hope he doesnt go with copper.....its going to cost him an arm and a leg to fully get the copper out....if his planning to have corals again...

[cdacaraudio]

give it a bit YouTube is still doing there voodoo probably

[Mr99Reef]

My eyes are killing me watching this video>>>>

[ljusta]

Ty Jim for the new episode