Really need ich advice

[FoundNemo]

Reefers,

QT are awesome if setup correctly and the reefer takes the time to maintain them. Personally, I have used them in the past. However, I do not use the method currently. Maybe because all my fish have been together for the last 3 years. When adding new fish I know exactly what to look for in the species. However, that is me!! Knock on wood - I never had a fish get ick since I stop using the QT method.

I understand about not wanting to break down your tank. We have all been there. The only success story i can tell you is to lower your salinity to 1.016 - 1.018 for two weeks. This will stop the spreading of ick, shorten the life cycle, and stop the "scratching" and the end result will be a natural cure to the disease.

In lower salinity "Ick" not velvet cannot adhere to the slime coat of the fish. Ick has to have host in order to live. Lower salinity causes the larva to remain suspended in the water and die off. For the adults they cannot reproduce or remain stuck to the host. They will fall off and die. However, all this means nothing if your water temp is not even.

It is a old trick for an older problem. The two week period will not harm coral or inverts. I actually ran my salinity at 1.018 for a month with no problem. I am not reef god or genius and may get slammed. However, that is mine experience. If you are still new to the hobby under 5 years then you really should invest the time in the QT method to get a better understanding of what to look for with you fish.

[LargeAngels]

Salinity has to be down to 1.010 or 1.009 for ich not to spread. Ich will happily live and reproduce at 1.017.

If you did have success then your fish developed an apparent immunity and the lower salinity appeared to be the cure. This is why there are so many "this worked for me" cures.

[FoundNemo]

Very true!! There are several different way to cure ick. Personally I would not drop my salinity that low because I had success at 1.016. I suggested that method because in the original post the reefer did not want to break down the tank.

[katymunoz]

Originally Posted by LargeAngels

Katy,

Sounds like your first bad experience was due to improper filtration and as a result you had ammonia so i wouldnt blame the deaths on the transfer

That was exactly why i lost so many fish, but that is a common experience of people who set up a qt in a day and try to put all of their fish in the tank and just combat the ammonia and lack of bacteria by water changes. If you aren't prepared for setting up a new tank by using established media (which most people in this situation aren't, or they would of had a QT in the first place) then its really easy to let the parameters swing. Ammonia is more deadly of a killer than ich. Fish can fight off ich, they cannot fight rising ammonia.

Not to mention a lot of times bacterial infections can follow along with ich, and if you then treat those (which Fish can also get over on their own) then you just will kill any good bacteria that has managed to colonize, leaving the tank even more exposed to ammonia spikes.

So I still stand by my original statement, i would not remove all of my fish due to ich unless you have a pre-established
System (which would draw the question as to why you didn't qt the new arrivals in the first place) or are able to bring enough media and stuff over to have biological filtration, and don't use any antibiotics in the QT..... Or save yourself the hassle and just leave the fish in the tank.

[FoundNemo]

+100, Agree!!

[katymunoz]

Originally Posted by Sharkbaitz

This is quite a ridiculous statement to call it a joke disease. Ich has killed hundreds in fish that I've spent on. My lack of treating them caused their demise. Just leaving them alone and "hoping" they fight it off is wishful thinking. May have worked for you but I wouldn't recommend your method at all. That's just letting ich multiply in your tank. Heck even my mandarin ended up dying even when they have the body slime that better helps them avoid ich.

Folks, take advice from a true veteran like LargeAngels. He knows what he's talking about.

Originally Posted by LargeAngels

If you did have success then your fish developed an apparent immunity and the lower salinity appeared to be the cure. This is why there are so many "this worked for me" cures.

LOL! well your "True veteran who knows what he is talking about" as you put it, just said that the fish are capable of developing an immunity to ich, and therefore curing themselves on their own.

hmmm... quite interesting, since I've been saying this the whole time.... this thread has done more circles than a nascar track.....

[LargeAngels]

Yes, they can. But doesn't mean they will and only if they are in good health, which many newly acquired fish are not. I think it is bad advice to tell people just to ride it out cause it won't work for most of them and then they have wasted fish and money. Its funny how people are willing to spend so much time and money on their main tamk and then not do a qt properly.

[LargeAngels]

Katy,

I think some of your comments aren't really needed.

[katymunoz]

Originally Posted by LargeAngels

Katy,

I think some of your comments aren't really needed.

Lol, ok?.... this is a thread made for people to comment..... In fact, that's the point of this whole website. If you want to be the only one who is allowed to give advice, maybe you should start your own website....

[Jasper]

Appreciate everyones input....as far as lowering the salinity I don't think it's an option for me unfortunately, I keep my display at 1.026, I use aquavitro and that's what is suggested, I have serious issues keeping my calcium and carbonate levels up because I do not have a calcium reactor and my tank is mostly sps and clams...it would be impossible to get those high enough(and magnesium) to keep my corals from bleaching if not outright dying, still in a holding pattern here, 29 gallon quarantine is vacant and ready for guests, tang still has about a dozen spots, all other fish clean....I know life rarely fixes itself burying my head in the sand but that's not what I'm trying to do, just want the best for my animals and I don't want to lose (another) fish prematurely...never thought I could get so attached and feel so much responsibility for a fish

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[Graffiti Reef]

So Im happy to inform you guys that all my fish have done well with the cupramine treatment and show no symptoms of ich. Tomorrow will be the last day of treatment before I take out the cupramine and observe them for the next 2-3 weeks. How does one truly know the ich in their main system is gone?

[Kenc87]

Well it's hard to know for sure, but if you leave the tank fallow for around 8 weeks I think the statistic if I remember correctly is like 99.9%. So when I had ich in my tank that's what I did.

[Graffiti Reef]

Originally Posted by Kenc87

Well it's hard to know for sure, but if you leave the tank fallow for around 8 weeks I think the statistic if I remember correctly is like 99.9%. So when I had ich in my tank that's what I did.

Thanks!

[tdb320reef]

I beat Ich every time. When I discover it I do a quick water change, change gfo and carbon, socks. Lower the lights and feed really well like sheet algae. I belive beefing up the immune system is the best way if you are not qoing to qt them.

[Graffiti Reef]

Originally Posted by tdb180reef

I beat Ich every time. When I discover it I do a quick water change, change gfo and carbon, socks. Lower the lights and feed really well like sheet algae. I belive beefing up the immune system is the best way if you are not qoing to qt them.

I agree, beefing up the immune system will def help them fight it off but I wanted to get rid of it once and for all before I put in coral.