Please help me I am new to saltwater aquariums and also new to this forum. I need some advice my saltwater tank keeps breaking out in ich and I'm not sure what to do I have heard I can dose the tank but I have snails and shrimp in there I have also heard I can use a uv sterilizer but I'm not sure what to do I want to get rid of ich and don't want to to lose anymore fish please help
Help Ich Outbreak
- Thread starter tvm2487
- Start date
Is there any other way I don't really have another tank to setup for QT, Is there anything I can dose the tank with with everything in the tank
top shelf
New member
If you have sensitive fish you can also use TTM(tank transfer method) it can be found with a simple search. Basically every 3 days for 2 weeks you transfer your fish from one tank to another. What your doing is breaking the ich cycle before they can reattach to the fish. The write up goes into more detail but but I believe better then then using chemicals and some fish aren't very tolerant of copper. Then liet tank sit empty of fish for a min of 72 days.
DancingShark
New member
The only way to get rid of them is setting up a quarantine tank treating all your fish for it and leaving your tank without any fish for at least 2 to 3 months. Ich is a parasite with a life cycle. There are many threads online about the process of eliminating the parasite.
One is tank transfer method, copper dosing example is using cuprimine, and hyposalinity. Just Google the different methods and choose the best that fits you. I have done all three and cuprimine was the easiest for me at least.
Just what type of fish do you have and what fishes have you lost.
One is tank transfer method, copper dosing example is using cuprimine, and hyposalinity. Just Google the different methods and choose the best that fits you. I have done all three and cuprimine was the easiest for me at least.
Just what type of fish do you have and what fishes have you lost.
Yeah I have been reading like crazy to try and find a solution
In the tank right now there's 1 Maroon Clownfish 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish (that I think has the ich) 2 green chromis and 1 yellow damsel and a chocolate chip starfish and some snails and a shrimp
DancingShark
New member
Here is a list of copper sensitive fish.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2635980
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2635980
sde1500
Active member
Nope. No reef safe method exists.
billdogg
Well-known member
There are plenty"medications" that claim to cure Ich and are reef safe. NONE OF THEM WORK. DON'T WASTE YOU MONEY AND TIME ON THEM.
IMHO, and IME, the least stressful, and if done correctly, 100% effective method is TTM. You don't even have to use tanks if you don't want to. 5g buckets will work just fine, although with the Maroon and Coral Beauty you may need to use 2 buckets at a time. So you would need 4 x 5g buckets, available at HD/Lowes for a few dollars apiece.
Read the sticky at the top of this forum for a very good step-by-step. Do what it says and in a few months you will be good to go.
Then, QT EVERY SINGLE NEW ADDITION TO YOUR SYSTEM - ESPECIALLY THE FISH. ALL OF THEM.
Although copper based medication can work, the dosage must be carefully monitored. Not enough and it is ineffective, too much and you kill the fish.
Regardless, the only way to get your tank free of the Ich parasite is to keep it fishless for a minimum of 72 days.
tjm9331
New member
yup I agree with what everyone has said so far.
I'm going through an ICH outbreak right now, started during the last week of August. I had to basically tear down my tank in order to get all the fish out but I bit the bullet and got them all out and in to a Rubbermaid tote, I didn't have an extra tank available either but I knew I had to get the fish out so in a pinch I went and bought a large tote and filled it with tank water.
I treated them all with cupramine, definitely have to monitor the copper levels and keep it at the recommended levels otherwise it won't be effective and the ich will come back with a vengeance.
I'm nearing the end of my fallow period, fish should be able to be put back in the tank Nov. 7th
Don't try and treat your DT, you'll just end up losing all your fish, trust everyone here. Get them out and treated and leave your tank fishless for 72 days
I'm going through an ICH outbreak right now, started during the last week of August. I had to basically tear down my tank in order to get all the fish out but I bit the bullet and got them all out and in to a Rubbermaid tote, I didn't have an extra tank available either but I knew I had to get the fish out so in a pinch I went and bought a large tote and filled it with tank water.
I treated them all with cupramine, definitely have to monitor the copper levels and keep it at the recommended levels otherwise it won't be effective and the ich will come back with a vengeance.
I'm nearing the end of my fallow period, fish should be able to be put back in the tank Nov. 7th
Don't try and treat your DT, you'll just end up losing all your fish, trust everyone here. Get them out and treated and leave your tank fishless for 72 days
monkeysee1
Member
I would set up a quarantine tank, put your fish in it, and do HYPO, not copper.
QTs are relatively cheap, and easy to set up. Lots of pet stores have 10-20 gallon kits.
SLOWLY bring down the salinity in your qt to 1.008 and leave it there for 6 weeks. Just watch your pH. Raise it with pH up if necessary. After that, bring it back up to 1.025 over the course of an additional two weeks.
Main DT should be free of ich by this point.
QTs are relatively cheap, and easy to set up. Lots of pet stores have 10-20 gallon kits.
SLOWLY bring down the salinity in your qt to 1.008 and leave it there for 6 weeks. Just watch your pH. Raise it with pH up if necessary. After that, bring it back up to 1.025 over the course of an additional two weeks.
Main DT should be free of ich by this point.
