Have ICH looky here!!!!!

[jasonrp104]

I got power back on Sunday so it could be worse.

No ich problems ever that I've noticed. I've had the CB for about 6 months now and I've changed about 90% of the water since my tank temp resumed normal (79) Other than a few polyp hitchers, it's a fowlr tank but I've still got crabs, snails, and a shrimp to worry about.

The Beauty keeps going to the cleaner shrimp, but he could care less atm. He just molted yesterday and doesn't seem to want to do any more than eat. The little skunk used to pounce on anything that passed by him.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hmm, this is one of the cases where a wait/see attitude may be appropriate. Without recent introductions of livestock it would be unusual to see ich suddenly appear. I'd watch closely for the next week or two and if the spotting increases, or erratic behavior sets in, then begin treatment. At this point it is still up in the air if there is an infection or not.

 

[jasonrp104]

It's just a few spots on it's head above the eyes. A bit white around the mouth too

 

[gwenvet]

WK..I like your last post. Although I see 1-2 spots, I'm going to wait and see before any treatment. Even though I've had temp swings, the only new additions to the tank have been a CUC and I didn't add any of the water they came in.

Here is what I got back from a colleague of mine who is a small animal vet, but who does some amount of exotic animal practice as well. Don't know how much she does with marine fish but I will keep looking for opinions and info re Metronidazole.

"Everyone always thlinks Ich needs to be treated with medication but with the life cycle is temperature dependant and siphoning of the tank bottom is crucial for its elimination. If you can scrape one of these areas with a cover slip and then look at it immediately under the microscope you will see the classic large ciliate with a large horseshoe shaped nucleus. I tend to recommend good siphoning of gravel water 2-3 times weekly if not daily. Increase tank temp to 82-84F (30C) for 10 days otherwise you can use copper sulfate for 21-28 day treatment. - L"

 

[WaterKeeper]

:lol: Well at least someone agrees with me on a 4 week life cycle at 82°F.

The only problem I have with that is, if you have a DSB, you can't siphon too deep into the bed. I imagine that siphoning the to quarter inch would get most though.

 

[jenglish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13964045#post13964045 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
:lol: Well at least someone agrees with me on a 4 week life cycle at 82°F.

I'm gonna hafta get ich on purpose just to run randomized control trials


RIght after I run RCT to settle the DSB vs. BB VS. SSB and Skimmer vs. ATS and every other debate in the hobby. So basically whenever I'm ready for a divorce

 

[WaterKeeper]

With the membership we now have you think somebody would do an independant study on some of these diseases. All of the main work is focused on fish farming or public aquaria.

 

[spicy]

I got itched....
I was running my salt water tank safely until i bought 5 days ago new fish ......i did not quarantee them before intalled in the tank.....2 days later the fish GOT VELVET and than i start to notice brown spots on them and they die one after the other ...i changed all the water ......but still one after the other .............. i lost everything ....now running with o fish any advice??????

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13974906#post13974906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spicy
I got itched....
I was running my salt water tank safely until i bought 5 days ago new fish ......i did not quarantee them before intalled in the tank.....2 days later the fish GOT VELVET and than i start to notice brown spots on them and they die one after the other ...i changed all the water ......but still one after the other .............. i lost everything ....now running with o fish any advice??????

let your fish tank run fish less for a minimum six weeks(not to disagree with Waterkeeper)but just to be on the safe side since your tank has been infected.

not to rub salt into a wound because I sympathize with your loss but in the future you might want to listen to experienced advice from reefers like Waterkeeper
quarantine all fish and remove infected fish from the tank and treat ich with one of the "generally" accepted methods of treating---mentioned previously

hyposalination
copper based medications
series of complete qt water changes
all requiring the use of a qt.

Once again, I am very sorry for your loss---it is disheartening but should be only used as a positive learning experience.

 

[WaterKeeper]

That's the sad part about these parasitic diseases. It only takes a single fish to infect a whole tank. Sorry to hear that happened Spicy, after the fallow tank period please get a Q-tank and use it.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13964549#post13964549 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
With the membership we now have you think somebody would do an independant study on some of these diseases. All of the main work is focused on fish farming or public aquaria.

greenbean might be one to track down and answer that.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Problem is $$$. It can run big bucks to finance a clinical study and, although reefkeepers sounds like they spend big money,it is a drop in the bucket compared to what dog and cat owners spend as a whole.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13982151#post13982151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Problem is $$$. It can run big bucks to finance a clinical study and, although reefkeepers sounds like they spend big money,it is a drop in the bucket compared to what dog and cat owners spend as a whole.

tell me about it---three dogs treated for a parasite, one dog surgery for fat cysts-----1500 bucks later

but the vet did send me an xmas card

 

[WaterKeeper]

Unfortunately that is why we only get straws. Not too many people take a sick fish to the vet. I bet fishdoc and gwenvet have yet to see a fish. Almost every cure we use is a legacy treatment from tropical fish, derived from research on aquacultured marine fish or used at public aquariums. It would be nice if these groups holding annual expos would do more toward advancing disease treatment but the public doesn't really go to such meetings to hear about disease. They are more interested in the latest LED lighting.

Careful WK you are about to start a rant!

 

[why_drift]

I have had a fish free tank for 5 weeks and 2 days at 79-80°F.
would really love to have the fish back in for christmas.
do you think i am safe to go?

 

[norgemorir]

I recently had a heater stop working and the temp dropped to ~71 or so for a unknown period (couldn't have been longer than 6hrs). I got the temp back up to 75 pretty within 2hrs of noticing and am trying to get it back to normal.

I haven't added anything other than a few more janitors in the last month but now my royal blenny has started swimming erratically every once in a while including trying to rub on the rock. I don't see any spots, but maybe a slight discoloration on 1 fin.

The rest of the fish seem unchanged and they all eat like normal.

Of course I absolutely dread getting ich and fear the worst. How long should I monitor before QT'ing?

 

[WaterKeeper]

At least another day or two. Cool temps don't cause ich but they can cause problems with a fishes swim bladder. It wasn't that cold so I'd just maintain a wait and see attitude right now.

 

[norgemorir]

Thanks for the quick reply! I'll watch him closely for the next few days and pray i can avoid the ordeal.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Good Luck.

 

[SaltyDr]

How long into treatment with copper should the external evidence (white spots) of ich be no longer apparent? After 4 days of treatment with copper my Royal gramma is spot free! Now only 4-6 weeks more of treatment!