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1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  evb9 
#1 ·
I got home from snowplowing (4 a.m.) noticed my Helfrichi Firefish had noticable cysts, the dreaded ich. I've battled it alot and lost some of my favorite fish to the dumb disease, I wasn't about to let my helffer die. So i picked up some Garlic Xtreme by kent, I'll tell you what guys theres alot of speculation and such about "garlic" as a cure but my fish seem to be doing better ALL cysts are gone.(knock on wood) I just wanted to share my expierence. I'm not sure if this will help anyone or not. But one more plug Kent marine Garlic Xtreme :victory:
 
#4 ·
From what I read you have to be careful. Garlic is super powerful and can destroy a fish liver. So please if you read this only do whats recommended lol READ READ and RE-READ. But yeah whatever garlic does to the immune system is worth its weight in gold. :victory:
 
#6 ·
Don't be surprised if you see a bigger outbreak of ick in about 3-7 days. Usually when you see the fish clear up it's because the ick has dropped off to reproduce. You may want to plan on a QT tank just in case...

I tried Garlic Extreme before, it did not work for me. The only thing that worked for me was to remove all fish and give them the hypo treatment for 6 weeks. This kills all the parasites on the fish, and leaving the tank without fish for 6 weeks kills off all the parasites in the tank.

I did have a case where the fish became immune to the ick (without treatment), but I fear the tank may have a "subclinical" case of it (so that a newly added fish may come down with a full blown case of ick).

Let us know if it comes back, or if your ick free a month from now.

Good Luck, I hope your fish make it! Ick sure is a nasty bug...
 
#7 ·
Yeah I will keep everyone updated. I've lost a helfrichi before (they seem pretty suseptable to Ick) so I'm more then happy Garlic has given him a fighters chance lol @ Higgy - I can't seem to find where it is but I'm pretty sure I have seen Ick is a natural thing and is always present in the aquarium, just that certain things trigger the outbreaks. If thats true I'll still have it in a year lol :secret:
 
#8 ·
12 day update. Higgy was correct it came strong and hard! BUT unlike most I did not take the fish out and do the hospital tank route(hypo or copper). Instead what I did, 3 drops of garlic to the DT, one drop (soaked in) to the food(EVERYDAY). Then I went on to do water changes every 3 days (5 gallons), also started dosing with viatmin C. Everything seems to be going good, I'll keep this going to see if it stays away. Ich or Ick attacks the immune system so I'm trying to combat that with immune system boosters, it seems to be working well. Happy holidays
 
#9 ·
well another week, symptoms only worsening . . . so i used copper. I couldn't stand to see my fish suffer. Oh well I know I'll have a clean tank in a month or 2 :). ***** I want to find the cure without having to do hypo or copper, I guess I'll leave it to the scientists :jester:
 
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