I spoke to several of you guys at the meeting about my tank issues and just when I think I've moved on, I get suprised. I've been using Kick Ick in my tank for about 16 days and thought everything was starting to look pretty good. When I came home from the meeting tonight my Anthia looked worst than ever. He was covered with what appear to be white dots and not happy at all. I dosed the tank again and the spots have seemed to have cleared up a little, but at this point I don't know. I'm ready to take drastic measures to get rid of this problem, it is depressing. I'm trying to finish setting up my other tank to move my corals over if need be.. Help Help Help!!
I just want it over with!
- Thread starter mrharris3
- Start date
Ding2daDong
New member
Honestly I think their is ick in all tanks and fish. It is just when water parameters or something stresses the fish out when it can take over and appear on the fish.
I think you should check all your water parameters, and temp fluctuations. Feed with garlic additive with mysis and spectrum pellets.
If everything is in check then you maybe just bought a very sick fish.
hth
-Matthew
I think you should check all your water parameters, and temp fluctuations. Feed with garlic additive with mysis and spectrum pellets.
If everything is in check then you maybe just bought a very sick fish.
hth
-Matthew
bshumake
New member
heres this thing with ick. Its everywhere. You will never be rid of it. All we can do as aquarists is prevent it in our tanks. we quarentine to keep from introducing foreign disease organisms into our tanks as a preventative method and to continue this we take measures of UV steralizers and garlic food additives.
Here is the long and short of taking care of your ick.
Throw the Kick Ick away. Its snake oil.
Turn the temperature up in your tank to about 80 to 83 deg. I went as high as 85, but you know your system better than me and can guess what your system can take. Try to drop the SG to 1.020 or a little lower. Some sensitive corals can handle lower that .020 but again, i don't know what you have. Add garlic to the food.
IF you can get the fish out without tearing apart the whole tank do it. If not do as I said above. In either case ADD GARLIC to the food. The increase temp forces the parasite to complete its lifecycle faster and the decreased SG makes it easier for the fish to breathe and the parasite easier to kill. Once the parasite goes into the cystic phase you'll be OK. Again, you'll never be rid of it but once its cystic and the fish are healthy they'll probably rarely (if ever) get ick again.
Here is the long and short of taking care of your ick.
Throw the Kick Ick away. Its snake oil.
Turn the temperature up in your tank to about 80 to 83 deg. I went as high as 85, but you know your system better than me and can guess what your system can take. Try to drop the SG to 1.020 or a little lower. Some sensitive corals can handle lower that .020 but again, i don't know what you have. Add garlic to the food.
IF you can get the fish out without tearing apart the whole tank do it. If not do as I said above. In either case ADD GARLIC to the food. The increase temp forces the parasite to complete its lifecycle faster and the decreased SG makes it easier for the fish to breathe and the parasite easier to kill. Once the parasite goes into the cystic phase you'll be OK. Again, you'll never be rid of it but once its cystic and the fish are healthy they'll probably rarely (if ever) get ick again.
I recently check all my paramters and in addition had Memfish check them all. All was well. I've been confused as everyone else when it comes to this matter. I will definately take the advice I have recieved here. I have already turned up the heater on the tank and I will be at the store tomorrow. Its also time for my water change so I think I will do a 20% change. I've been running my temp between 76 - 77 degrees. Thank you for the help.
crpeck
Premium Member
In my only experience with Ich, I found the stress part to be definitely true. My tank had been up for over 4 years at the time and none of my other fish have ever had Ich.
I got a fairy wrasse that was big and healthy when he came. He was eating well. No one was chasing him. Over the course of 4 or 5 weeks, he started getting sicker and sicker and presented with Ich that just kept getting worse and worse. Finally he disappeared/died.
Very shortly after, I found a BIG hairy crab hiding in the rocks in my tank. Wrasses coccoon themselves in the rock at night to sleep. That crab must have been picking at the fish all night and not letting him sleep.
So the stressed fish showed ich and died and not one of my other fish every got the ich.
If you have multiple fish with ich, then you need to treat the whole tank. The hypo-salinity/temperature thing Barrett describes is used a lot with some success.
But if it's just one fish, then look to see what might be stressing that fish and see if you can trap it out to quarantine and treat with copper or something more aggressive.
I got a fairy wrasse that was big and healthy when he came. He was eating well. No one was chasing him. Over the course of 4 or 5 weeks, he started getting sicker and sicker and presented with Ich that just kept getting worse and worse. Finally he disappeared/died.
Very shortly after, I found a BIG hairy crab hiding in the rocks in my tank. Wrasses coccoon themselves in the rock at night to sleep. That crab must have been picking at the fish all night and not letting him sleep.
So the stressed fish showed ich and died and not one of my other fish every got the ich.
If you have multiple fish with ich, then you need to treat the whole tank. The hypo-salinity/temperature thing Barrett describes is used a lot with some success.
But if it's just one fish, then look to see what might be stressing that fish and see if you can trap it out to quarantine and treat with copper or something more aggressive.
crpeck
Premium Member
p.s. If you're coming out this way, you're welcome to borrow/use what you need of the following stuff I have on hand:
- unopened CopperSafe if you pull the fish out to treat him
- opened bottle of Garlic Guard by SeaChem. It's a garlic supplement to soak the food in. It's a little old but doesn't say anything about an expiration date.
- a bottle of AminOmega - a Amino & Omega 3/6 HUFA food booster. It is just an immunity booster that won't make a difference on it's own but could help strengthen the fish.
You're welcome to try them and just return what you haven't used at the next meeting at Jay's. If you use them and they help, just keep them.
I'll be at U of M around 2:30 if that's closer. PM me if you want any of this stuff.
- unopened CopperSafe if you pull the fish out to treat him
- opened bottle of Garlic Guard by SeaChem. It's a garlic supplement to soak the food in. It's a little old but doesn't say anything about an expiration date.
- a bottle of AminOmega - a Amino & Omega 3/6 HUFA food booster. It is just an immunity booster that won't make a difference on it's own but could help strengthen the fish.
You're welcome to try them and just return what you haven't used at the next meeting at Jay's. If you use them and they help, just keep them.
I'll be at U of M around 2:30 if that's closer. PM me if you want any of this stuff.
gflat65
New member
Agree fully with Barrett's statements. All fish seem to carry the potential for ick. I've been luck and have had only 4 fish in 12 years develop (fish were only a minor part of the obsession for me initially). I think it has to more to do with conditions in the tank than the actual fish (though an already stressed out fish will likely show signs quicker). Using Garlic and cleaner shrimp may be what has worked for me over the years. I keep cleaners in every tank (usually shrimp). Of course, this can add stress if the fish is already in that state, but seems to have worked for me. That won't help against nasty crabs/oter fish that might cause stress, etc., though (an open mouth glass jar standing upright with some big meaty morsels in the bottom usually gets the crab nasties out pretty easily over night). Good luck with it.
Rendos
New member
Metronidazole works very well to treat ich. It can be mixed into fish food along with Focus and fed directly to the fish.
As far as Kick Ich being snake oil - I disagree strongly. I have used it on MANY occassions in my tanks and in customers' tanks with great success. I did not raise the temp in the tank, I did not lower salinity or any other changes - simply added the Kick Ich as per the bottle directions. After the full treatment (about 2 weeks) - the ich is gone.
I do agree that quarantining is good practice. Using cleaner shrimp is good practice. Garlic - I have my doubts. I use it as an appetite enhancer (getting new fish that won't eat to get interested in their food), but not really sure if it would do anything to combat ich or any other parasite.
As far as Kick Ich being snake oil - I disagree strongly. I have used it on MANY occassions in my tanks and in customers' tanks with great success. I did not raise the temp in the tank, I did not lower salinity or any other changes - simply added the Kick Ich as per the bottle directions. After the full treatment (about 2 weeks) - the ich is gone.
I do agree that quarantining is good practice. Using cleaner shrimp is good practice. Garlic - I have my doubts. I use it as an appetite enhancer (getting new fish that won't eat to get interested in their food), but not really sure if it would do anything to combat ich or any other parasite.
Doris M
New member
I also puts drops of selcon on my foods such as krill, mysis and brine shrimp or any frozen foods before feeding.I feel like that Im giving them their vitamins to keep their immune system up so that they will remain healthy. you can get selcon at memfish when you go today. Its not expensive.
I want to thank everyone for all the awesome advice and incouragement. This situation had me on the ropes for a second. I'm definately heading in the right direction now. Question.. If some fish food was bad (meaning spoiled) would this possibliy lead to the fish getting sick and cathching ick? It smells a little more fishy than usual.
ducklabdad
New member
If you have any doubts about your fish food:
"When in doubt throw it out" there are two many possible problems from spoiled or contaminated fish food to risk saving a few dollars for all we invest. Hang in there!!! This is a hobby that at time can be full of frustrations but the satisfaction of getting past them can be rewarding.
"When in doubt throw it out" there are two many possible problems from spoiled or contaminated fish food to risk saving a few dollars for all we invest. Hang in there!!! This is a hobby that at time can be full of frustrations but the satisfaction of getting past them can be rewarding.
bshumake
New member
As far as Kick Ich being snake oil - I disagree strongly.
I should have stipulated this as being my opinion. Sorry about that. I've tried it twice with no effect either way and Personally, have written it off as a waste of my money. No offence to anyone else.
Garlic - I have my doubts. I use it as an appetite enhancer (getting new fish that won't eat to get interested in their food), but not really sure if it would do anything to combat ich or any other parasite.
The garlic i'm suggesting because it will stimulate the fish to eat and as an ick deterrant helps them maintain their health. I don't know if the garlic would work as a "cure" because I've always used it in conjunction with everything else. With your fish being sick I can imagine its not eating much if anything. The garlic will help with that and once its eating feed your fish garlic to keep their immune systems healthy.
LOL, everyhthing today is looking pretty good. My 6 line is out and very active. Hes not taking much of the frozen food, but has be cruisin round the live rock.. I think hes taking care of all the pods. LOL.. all the corals are looking awesome and I actually got a change to see every one of them eat today. It was too cool. I think I over fed a lil just to watch..MY first time. I think it was the food as this is the first time they've eaten and I just bought all new food.
