@CoralQueen92
Sounds like classic ich. If you have a separate tank, move her there and start treatment right away.
Another message followed:
@TankDad
Seconding ich. Look for a treatment that won’t harm any live rock or corals you have. Blue tangs get stressed easily, so the sooner you act, the better.
“Wow,” I said aloud. “They’re fast.”
I took a screenshot and texted it to Talon.
Livvi
They said ich. Someone mentioned a separate tank??
My phone rang again almost before the text went through.
“Okay, first of all,” Talon said, sounding way too calm for the fact that we might have afish emergency, “I obviously don’t have a separate tank. But I can grab treatment stuff as soon as I’m back.”
“Are you sure she will be okay until you get back?” He wouldn’t be home for another day and a half.
“She should be, if she’s still eating,” he said. “Just keep an eye on her. I’ll send you a video about a freshwater dip you can do if she gets worse. It’s just a few minutes, don’t worry, she’ll be fine. Are you okay doing that?”
“Uh … define okay.” I mean, she was cute and all when she was swimming, but that didn’t mean I wanted to touch her or deal with her squirming around.
He laughed softly, which immediately sent a shiver tracing up my spine. “Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. I can totally picture you being a great fish nurse.”
“Great,” I said dryly. “Exactly what I want to be when I grow up.”
“Seriously, though—thank you for texting me. You could’ve just fed her and left.”
There was something in his tone that made me pause. Gratitude, sure, but also something softer, something that felt a little too big to be just about a fish.
“I like her.” I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me. “And besides, I’d feel terrible if something happened to her while you were gone.”
He was quiet for a beat. “Same.”
Another notification popped up on my phone. It was another forum reply.
@FishMom5
You can also raise the temp in the tank slightly and lower salinity a bit. But just a little, so it doesn’t stress her. It helps speed up the parasite’s life cycle so treatment works faster.
“Okay,” I said, mostly to myself. “Raise temp, lower salt. I can do that.”
“Send me updates?” Talon asked, voice low now.
“Yeah. I’ll keep you posted.”
When the call ended, I stared at the tank again, watching the fish dart between the fake coral. “Okay, girl,” I said softly. “You just have to hang in there until Sunday. We’ve got you.”
For some reason, it felt like I was saying it to more than just her.
I stayed there for a few minutes longer, the glow of the tank washing over me. It almost felt like I was keeping watch over this little piece of Talon’s world while he was away. The apartment smelled faintly like him, and for a moment I let myself imagine what it would be like if this was something more. If I was here not just as a favor, but because I belonged here.
The thought startled me, and I stepped back from the tank. When had Talon gone from being someone I was just getting to know to someone I wanted around?