Garlic vs Ich

[jenglish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15372663#post15372663 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GrimReefer82
Seriously you read further into my post than you should have. Some people aren't very observant when they claim that they are. Doesn't mean my point of view is limited or that i stated anything nasty.

I would like to know what method of garlic supplementation you were using.

A fish doesn't get placebo effect from garlic. If they do then I would like to know how the fish knows that you are treating it for a parasite using garlic as a placebo.

Seems to me like Tom is trying to explain his POV and you keep saying if he sees anything but what you see he is not observant,

 

[snorvich]

Well, I come down on the side of tmz's viewpoint. There is no scientific evidence that garlic affects the immune system of people or fish; there are a lot of homeopathic treatments to "increase" your immune system, none of which have ever measured the immune system before or afterwards to see if it increases or decreases. Like tmz, I think anyone can do whatever they think is best for themselves or their animals (fish, dogs, etc). I have used it and it does increase nutrient level in the tank, and is not a substance found naturally on the reef.

There are three treatments for ich that have proven successful. Two out of those three have downsides (some strains of cryptocaryon are oblivious to hyposalinity at a level that is still safe for fish, copper has negative affects on biocapacity and some fish). The only proven method is tank swapping but that is infeasible for most people.

When push comes to shove (don't you like that analogy for this thread), Reef Central is a collection of opinions. Some are based on experience, while others are based on hearsay. In the long run, many people only learn by screwing up since many of the easy ways of doing things don't work.

 

[jener8tionx]

I agree with TMZ here. Grim, you need to take a breath.

 

[Andrew]

Let's keep this peaceful. Steven Pro's article does cover many good points and yes he does do his research to back up his statements. Steven has written numerous articles for the Reef Keeping Magazine and is respected by many in the reefkeeping field.

Garlic is NOT an affected treatment for Cryptocaryon irritans. Garlic is a stimulate that is added to food to enrich the flavor. Enough garlic in a fish's system will help strengthen their immune system. So in short terms, yes garlic can aid in protecting the fish from contracting the parasite, but no it will not fully prevent it.

Many reefers use garlic for an easy way out of a serious problem. Putting a fish through hypo is a much more affected method. This is why every fish should be hyped before entering your tank. It all comes down to how much effort you are willing to take to protect your tank.

Am I saying to not feed your fish garlic? No. It can be a good supplement if added to a varied diet. But Garlic shouldn't be used for ich treatment. There's more to killing the parasite than a few drops of garlic.

 

[Paul B]

I have had many sick fish in the past that wouldn't eat for days. Every time I supplemented their diet with garlic they ate. Explain That! Also since I started using garlic my fish's ich has all disappeared and never returned. I'm not saying that garlic cures ich, what I am saying is that garlic has been proven many times over to be good for you and have a positive effect on your immune system.

Ok I am just stating my opinion, I am not argueing, fighting or doing anything else.

I have also many times had fish that did not eat. Many fish at first do not eat and I have kept a lot of fish in the last fifty plus years of keeping fish. Most of them ate eventually with no garlic.

I have not quarantined in almost 30 years and my fish do not get ich. I add all sorts of things from the sea but no garlic.
I feel fish will eat and be disease resistant for other reasons.
I can't get into that now so have a great day.
Paul

 

[Ken_wied]

This is exactly what I was looking for. A LOT of differing opinions. Thanks everyone!

 

[tmz]

The supplements I used were Kent garlic extreme and Seachem garlic guard. I used it for a long time. May have been more than a year. Worried a bit when I stopped which was over a year ago I was going to try fresh squeezed garlic but then decided not to after learning that the allicin is likely destroyed in stomach acid and I became concerned that garlic additions might contribute to nutrients as well as do more harm than good for fish in the long run after reading more about it. .

 

[Steven Pro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15372304#post15372304 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gooyferret
Andrew do you know if he ever did controlled tests with garlic and the results? When was his article written?

Unfortunately, no. I got far too busy with other projects to complete the Molly experiment. I also had difficulty in obtaining clean samples of Cryptocaryon. The article was published in October, 2005.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15372304#post15372304 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gooyferret
As a side note: If a research facility or Seaworld is going to spend $1,000's if not more on researching garlic, there must be some logic behind using it.

The question to ask is not did someone experimentally try it. The real question is after experimenting with it, do they still use it?

 

[coral_lagoon]

IMO the garlic vs ich thing is hocus pocus..