Big Tank ICK Question

1ucky

1ucky

Member
Just curious as to how people here with big tanks (180 and up) deal when they have an ick outbreak in their main displays....In the past I once ran into a bad ick outbreak and solved it by running hypo-salinity for a few weeks; this was my only option as some of my fish are pretty big to quarantine (live in a condo and have no room for such a large quarantine tank). Thanks!
 
but with copper pretty much NEVER have coral after that if i read right...

i would prob go the hypo route
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13322562#post13322562 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jubjubrsx
but with copper pretty much NEVER have coral after that if i read right...

i would prob go the hypo route
Click to expand...

This is true.....
 
I've put my 120 into hyposalinity on two occassions. Removed the live rock to holding containers with heaters/powerheads. After the problem resolved, and salinity was raised to nsw levels, I replaced the rock and no problems since. I added a tang that I didn't quarantine and this is how I acquired the parasite to begin with. It can be done in a large tank.
 
I just run a UV 24/7 and I haven't had to much of an ich problem. My blue tangs got ich again when I moved them and a few others got it. But the UV knocked it out quite well. Although they all eat vitamin enhanced food and all, so that probably helps also.

Thanks Erik
 
I drained my 400 gallon, fully stocked FOWLR tank 1 week ago because of an ich outbreak. I have a 240 gallon HT running. I have several large fish- a 9" Emporer Angel, 8" Scribbled Angel, 7" Personifer Angel, 7" golden puffer, 5" clown trigger, 5" humu trigger, pair of bird-beaked wrasse, pair of maroon clowns, plus multiple smaller fish. This experience has been a real inconvenience for me. I learnt the importance of quarantining new arrivals!
UV might help prevent an ich outbreak but will not treat it after it has occured (I have 2 80W high output Emporer Aquatics UV sterilizers running on my DT). Cleaner shrimp/cleaner gobies won't cure ich- I tried that. Neither will soaking your food in Garlic and Selcon. The worst thing you can do is waste your money on any of those "reef-safe" ich treatments (I never did that- you can read all over Reefcentral forums that those don't work).
My advice- bite the bullet and fallow your tank for 8 weeks.
 
I"m treating my main tank right now with hyposalinity. To many fish to stick in the quarantine tank for 8weeks. So I moved all the Lr to the QT and drop the salt to 1.09.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13328272#post13328272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdefino
I"m treating my main tank right now with hyposalinity. To many fish to stick in the quarantine tank for 8weeks. So I moved all the Lr to the QT and drop the salt to 1.09.
Click to expand...

sounds like you are on top of it! Just make sure to check your PH daily.
 
How bad is the ich?

I have not had the best of luck with hypo the last two times I tried it. I no longer believe it kills all strains of ich. It kind of keeps ich more manageable...so it is a good thing.

I had no signs of ich for about 6 months in my last tank, everything was QT'd before going into the tank. Then when I moved, I had an ich outbreak. I QT'd in 1.008 for 6 weeks. Added fish back and within a week had ich again. Nothing new was added and the tank was fallow 6 weeks. OK, so 6 weeks is not long enough. Try again but for 8 weeks. Two fish die this time. Two weeks after putting the fish back in the display, ich again. So, 8 weeks was not enough. Enough was enough and I was not about to stress my fish anymore in hospital tanks, so I started to feed vitamin and garlic soaked foods three times a day and keep water parameters perfect with lots of water changes. Now 3 months later and I have not seen ich again. It got really bad before it got better but my fish were strong enough to fight it off.

Im not suggesting you do this but this has been my experience with ich lately. I have tried hypo maybe 12 times in the years I have kept marine fish and its worked MAYBE half the time.

I remember my brother used to tell me to forget the hypo and just keep the fish well fed and happy and they will be able to fight it off on their own. I believe this now too. This is for milder outbreaks though. If it does get out of hand, I would QT and use hypo to get it back under control.

I know there are strains of ich that hypo does kill completely but not all.
 
SaltyESQ,

I drained my 400 gallon and removed the LR because it was the only way I was able to catch all the fish without chasing them around and getting them scratched up. I was able to gently scoop them out of the shallow water in tupperware containers.
 
Thank you all for your replies!!! It's always great to see people's different opinions. E55MD, thanks for leading me to your thread; I also loved your idea of removing all the live rock out of the display when treating your tank with hypo! I will definately be doing this if a major outbreak occurs.
 
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