I am new to the hobby, somewhat, and new to this forum. Had my tank (130gal) well over a year with no issues, I went out of town one of lights timer stayed on for 5 days, came home & fish where stressed & covered in ICH, I've lost 5 fish, I've done 3 water changes of 25-30% with 3 treatments of ICHX over the last 3 days. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. How long do I continue this? When is tank safe again?
Help Questions about ICH
- Thread starter cjbennett
- Start date
sleepydoc
Team RC
Do you have your fish in a QT/HT, or are you trying to treat in the Display? What kind of fish do you have and what else do you have in the display? Did you quarantine your fish? I'm assuming not, but it's a moot point now either way.
Not sure what ichx is, but can virtually guarantee you that it won't kill the ich. The only treatments known to kill ich are copper, tank transfer, chloroquine and hyposalinity. None of those can safely be done in a DT (possibly chloroquine and hypo if you have a fish only tank with no inverts.)
Other treatments, additives and immune boosters will not kill the ich and will at best suppress it to sub-clinical levels so it can flare again the next time a fish gets stressed.
Read though the stickies at the top of the forum on ich and treatments.
Prime shouldn't be necessary if you're in the DT. If you're in a HT that wasn't cycled, you almost certainly will have problems with NH4 and prime can be helpful. Do not combine it with copper treatments like cupramine, however.
Not sure what ichx is, but can virtually guarantee you that it won't kill the ich. The only treatments known to kill ich are copper, tank transfer, chloroquine and hyposalinity. None of those can safely be done in a DT (possibly chloroquine and hypo if you have a fish only tank with no inverts.)
Other treatments, additives and immune boosters will not kill the ich and will at best suppress it to sub-clinical levels so it can flare again the next time a fish gets stressed.
Read though the stickies at the top of the forum on ich and treatments.
Prime shouldn't be necessary if you're in the DT. If you're in a HT that wasn't cycled, you almost certainly will have problems with NH4 and prime can be helpful. Do not combine it with copper treatments like cupramine, however.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I agree with the above, you cannot eradicate ich in a DT. The ich breakout was inevitable, but good reading for folks who think they can "manage" ich indefinitely. If ich is in a tank, it will be a huge problem, only question is when.
By the time I got back in town the fish were very far gone I lost all fish, but one firefin who doesn't have any signs of ICH, I have live rock & few corals not many, I didn't see a reason to set up a QT or HT it was pretty far gone at that point. I've been treating the tank trying to rid it of what ever eggs or left overs of ICH might be left, I guess for the next 30days.
But new question
How true is it about the ICH eggs being left in the tank & hatching in 25-30 days? and do I break the whole tank down & start over? I only ask cause I don't want any issues again.
But new question
How true is it about the ICH eggs being left in the tank & hatching in 25-30 days? and do I break the whole tank down & start over? I only ask cause I don't want any issues again.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Ich cysts can wait as long 12 weeks or so before the next generation appears ( http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2041951). I'd read the initial posts in Snorvich's ich stickies at the top of the disease forum. FWIW: Just because you don't see ich in a fish doesn't mean it isn't there. If you don't leave your DT totally fishless for 12 weeks or so, it will return. Corals and other inverts are safe. But if you don't start religiously quarantining all new fish, this will happen again. A QT/HT is a vital piece of equipment, not just a nice accessory.
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