Hyper-Saline Foods and Ick

[jamesbaur13]

Maybe it's just dumb luck on my part, but I'd figure I'd post this just to see.

My DT has ick. I have a powder blue tang and he seems to bear the biggest brunt of it. He has been in the tank for over a year and is well established.

For whatever reason, the amount of spots I've seen on him has been elevated. It's been that way a couple weeks.

Until yesterday.

Maybe it's dumb luck or maybe I stumbled across something.

I usually use tank water to melt their mysis cubes, but instead I used a fresh SW mix I had sitting for a couple days. The mix is 1.030.

Like I said "maybe it's dumb luck"... but I can tell you that since soaking the feeding from this mix I'm seeing 75% fewer spots.

I was wondering if anyone has stumbled across this same thing or if anyone else was willing to try this and see if they have similar results.

I know, it's more than likely co-incidence.

I'm thinking 1 of 3 things...

1 it's pure co-incidence
2 The increased salt content caused the spots to shrink, making them less noticeable
3 The increased salt content made the fish host less hospitable

 

[accordsirh22]

they could have jsut dropped off as part of their life cycle. they only stay on the fish a few days

 

[jamesbaur13]

they could have jsut dropped off as part of their life cycle. they only stay on the fish a few days

like I said, it's more than likely pure co-incidence.

 

[MrTuskfish]

they could have jsut dropped off as part of their life cycle. they only stay on the fish a few days

Exactly right. Why not cure this infestation now? The ich will win eventually, it always does.

 

[jamesbaur13]

Exactly right. Why not cure this infestation now? The ich will win eventually, it always does.

I tried that already. 10 weeks fallow... didn't work.

They seem to contend with it well. My tangs are the only ones that develop visible spots. Typically they have around 5 spots. Once in a while that number will increase. Only recently did that number increase significantly. What triggered it? ...I don't know. They both look normal now.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I tried that already. 10 weeks fallow... didn't work.

They seem to contend with it well. My tangs are the only ones that develop visible spots. Typically they have around 5 spots. Once in a while that number will increase. Only recently did that number increase significantly. What triggered it? ...I don't know. They both look normal now.

Ich doesn't need a trigger. As long as its in your tank, it is multiplying, feeding, and at some time, the numbers are going to get to a dangerous level. Some fish can develop some immunity to some strains of ich. When the immunity wears off, the numbers of ich can skyrocket. How did you treat the fish in the QT last time you left the tank fallow?

 

[jamesbaur13]

How did you treat the fish in the QT last time you left the tank fallow?

Tank transfer for the entire duration.

 

[triggreef]

Tank transfer for the entire duration.

The entire 10 weeks?

 

[jamesbaur13]

The entire 10 weeks?

Yep.