A miniature fish with a red border and an orange center is what will grab your attention in any aquarium for sure. Its beauty and dwarf size will undoubtedly compel you to make it a part of your saltwater aquarium too.
If you have decided it for sure or are seriously thinking of getting a Flame Angelfish for yourself, you must understand that it is not as easy to maintain as it looks. It has a few problems that you’ll have to be mindful of before getting this fish in your tank.
This article talks about the ICH problem of the Flame Angel and the way quarantine rules are applicable.
- How does Flame Angelfish get the ICH?
- How to identify ICH in Flame Angelfish?
- Fish Quarantine
- Setting up a quarantine facility for Flame Angelfish
- Rules of Quarantine
- How to cure ICH in Flame Angel Fish?
How does flame angel get the ICH?
One of the main reasons your flame angel would get the ICH is the stress. Although the Flame Angel’s habitat is wild, which often restricts any severe problems to be part of your fish’s body. But in the case of Flame Angel, the stress is known to create a strong impact.
While shipping from the wild habitat to the wholesaler or importer, the Flame Angel might go through much stress. The stress of moving from the natural habitat to the new artificial one, strain from the excessive movement, and the adjustment into an alone setup are a few plausible causes of stress that a fish moving from its natural habitat would probably face.
When the fish are under stress, their immune system weakens significantly, and their bodies can catch different parasites. ICH is one of the diseases they might get, and you’ll only find it out once you have bought the fish from the local retailer.
So, now that it has officially become your pet, and you have started developing some associations for it, finding that your little Flame Angel has some problem is a distressing factor.
But you don’t have to be much concerned about it as it is not a permanent problem and you can quickly get rid of it when you detect it timely.
How can you identify that your Flame Angel is suffering from a problem?
The changes in your fish’s body can be one of the prominent signs that your new fish has some problems. However, in most cases, you wouldn’t be able to identify them before you have already placed your fish in your main tank.
In a day or two, if your fish is detected with ICH or any other parasite, then all the other creatures living in the tank would get the ICH too. And this is something unfavorable for the other creatures, and obviously, your Flame Angel too.
So, it is essential that you identify the problem right in time. But what signs to look for? In most cases, the fish have white granules-like spots on the body. You can most likely consider them similar to salt granules.
Have a close look at them, and you’ll find the problematic areas and thus the signs to treat your new fish.
But what will you do until you don’t identify any signs? Quarantine is the best option you have.
Quarantine your fish
Whether we are talking about the Flame Angelfish or any new fish in your tank, it should be quarantined first. You can keep the other creatures safe from external threats and parasites of all kinds. As discussed in most cases, you wouldn’t be able to identify any problem before it is already your pet, so you can’t risk the other creatures in your fish tank.
So, what does quarantine mean? The quarantine of a fish is just similar to the standard human quarantine that we all know about. You have to keep your fish isolated from the other fish or the creatures you already have for a particular period.
This means that your new fish should not interact with the other ones.
Setting up a quarantine facility for Flame Angelfish
Now when you are fond of Flame Angelfish and need to include them in your main tank, it is better to set up a quarantine facility for them that could handle at least one fish at a time.
Let us share the complete setup of the quarantine facility that you have to set up for any of your fish, including the Flame Angelfish. We’ll start with the basics so everyone can easily understand the process and the reasons behind the specific steps.
What is a quarantine tank?
Quarantine tanks are special tanks that you can use to keep your fish isolated from the other fish and creatures. It does not have to be in working condition every time. Each time you buy a new fish from the market, you have to activate your quarantine tank. Let your fish stay there for two weeks, and once you find out that it is totally healthy (free from ICH and other parasites), you can transfer it to the main tank.
You can even use these quarantine tanks as the hospital tanks too. So, if there are no unhealthy or new fish, you can keep your quarantine tank empty.
But make sure that once you start using it for the next time, cycle it before adding the new fish.
How to set up the quarantine tank?
Setting up a quarantine tank is easy. Try not to overcomplicate it. Let’s explore how you can set up a saltwater quarantine tank.
The equipment, especially the tank, can vary in size depending upon your needs. Besides, you’ll also need a sponge filter; a hanging filter might work as well. A heater and wavemaker would be the other essential equipment required for this purpose.
PVC plumbing will also work for the quarantine tank, so you don’t have to go the extra mile. Similarly, a bare minimum would be enough from the decoration point of view. Bare bottom tanks are what we recommend as they would be easier to clean and maintain. Similarly, the kisser the decorative element, the easier it would be to clean. Moreover, it won’t absorb the medication you might require to introduce in the tank to treat an affected fish.
Apart from all these things, natural light source and an LED close to the tank would be enough to provide light to your new fish.
In any of these elements, you don’t have to go too fancy because your fish will not stay in there for a long time. So, no matter what you spend on this tank, it would ultimately be set aside. Besides, your job will get tiresome if you’ll include extra items. You must be already nervous about your fish and its possible problems, so getting into any more stress than what is actually required would not be a good idea.
Rules for the quarantine
This section of the article mainly highlights how to maintain your quarantine tank and the rules regarding fish quarantine. We’ll try to cater to all the possible questions that you might have related to quarantine and Flame Angelfish here in this section.
Do you need a large quarantine tank for your fish?
Well, that depends upon several factors. As we are talking about the Flame Angel Fish here, they are small in size, and you don’t need bulky spaces to accommodate even a few dozen fish. And when you only have to place a single fish in it, the aquarium’s small size would probably work.
But as we recommend quarantine for all new fish, you might want to buy a 30-gallon tank that would accommodate all your fish types.
What is the ideal time to quarantine your Flame Angelfish?
The ideal period to place your fish in the quarantine is 2-4 weeks. In this time, you can detect any problems in the behavior of the parasites that could be infecting a particular fish.
You can start the treatment of your fish in this period and see how long it will take for the fish to get healthy while determining the particular period for the fish quarantine.
What is the right way to keep your tank cycled?
One of the easiest things to do to cycle your tank is to keep the sponge or cycle bio-media in the main tank. You can easily take it out and put it in the quarantine tank when you need to activate and cycle it.
However, if you keep your quarantine tank active all the time, adding ammonia in it could be another option.
Should you change the water of the quarantine tank?
Although you put only a single fish in the quarantine tank, you can’t leave the water stagnant. It is recommended to change at least 10-15% of water to remain clean and for the fish to remain healthy. However, one school of thought is against changing the water during the quarantine period.
According to them, any changes in the water levels of the quarantine tank would require you to start the quarantine process all again.
Is there a need for sand in the quarantine tank?
You might have heard that you would need sand for your quarantine tank.
We wouldn’t recommend you to put sand in your quarantine tank. The sand can absorb the medications you have been outing in your tank to treat your fish, so your fish might not even get to absorb the medicine properly.
Besides, there is a possibility that the reaction of medicine with the sand can kill the bacteria. The killing of the bacteria can be associated with higher ammonia levels. The more ammonia levels in the water tank would be dangerous for the fish.
Thus, it does not provide a viable solution to be part of your quarantine tank from any angle, so you must avoid it.
Is it essential to use ATO System in your quarantine tank?
As we already discussed, keep the setup of the quarantine saltwater tank simple, so we would recommend you to avoid it.
However, if you are willing to spend on an ATO for a quarantine tank, you can do so. It will provide you with automatic adjustments of the salinity level, reducing your workload and increasing the chances of your fish getting healthy.
How should I medicate my fish?
One of the other questions you might have regarding the quarantine of your fish could be what if your new Flame Angelfish develops an illness or is diagnosed with ICH? In that case, it would be essential to provide medication to it within the quarantine tank. At this point, you can even call your saltwater fish tank the hospital tank.
But keep one thing in mind: the medication administration to the fish is an essential task as it would have to be appropriately administered. Usually, the aquatic animals get stressed when medicated to worsen the situation.
How to cure ICH in Flame Angel Fish?
Now when you have quarantined your fish, it is recommended to fill the water with the essential medicines. It will help in the early treatment of the disease even before the symptoms start to show up, creating a lot more chances for your fish to recover.
Below are the three essential medications recommended for a new Flame Angelfish quarantine tank. Let’s have a look at what each of these medicines does?
Vamisol
You can give your Flame Angel Fish Vamisol. It is a medication to treat internal parasites. Your fish is likely to have an internal parasite, so exposing your new fish to this medicine can ensure that all the internal parasites are taken care of, and your fish can grow healthy.
X
X is one of the famous medications that all fish lovers know about. This medicine is perfect for treating the external bugs from the fish. It is essential not only to ensure the health of your new fish but all the other living creatures you have in your main tank.
Nitrofurizone (Antibiotic)
Yes, there is an antibiotic for the fish too. You can find an all-rounder antibiotic that can cure all the bacterial infections your fish might be going through.
The quantity of these medicines would depend upon the eater in the tank and the recommended dosage mentioned on the medicine.
How to observe these medications?
There is a difference of opinion about medicating aquatic animals, including the Flame Angelfish. It is because of the stress element. One school believes that medicating the fish can stress them out, doing them more harm than benefit.
While others believe that medication is an integral part of quarantine, and you must introduce the medication right away, you get the fish to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy.
We leave the ultimate decision on you. However, we’ll share the prominence of medicating. Hence, you are aware of everything before deciding regarding the Flame Angel ICH.
You can put the medications mentioned above in the saltwater quarantine tank with your new fish and observe their behavior for a period of 7 days. At this time, you don’t have to change water but maintain the other factors precisely as you would in your main tank (you might want to change 10-15% of the water too, opinions differ).
Now, if you have observed some white granular spots on the fish fins and other parts, you can be sure that your new fish has the ICH. So, now what? How to treat it and what to expect?
It is the time to start treatment for the ICH specifically. To do so, consult the vet and get the needed medication to get rid of any parasites.
So, following the instructions printed on the medicine pack would do the hack. You can place your fish for a few extra days in the quarantine tank after it has recovered from ICH to ensure that it is healthy and has no other disease of any kind.
Summing Up
A quarantine facility for your Flame Angelfish is vital to identify the ICH or other diseases. By following these quarantine and treatment rules, you can surely keep your fish healthy and move it to a newer tank with great ease.
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