Ich issues

[hondadude2k5]

My 2 black onyx clowns have developed ich as a result of a fish dying and staying in the tank for the weekend. I went out of town and said fish died causeing my params to get very out of whack. I came home removed the dead fish and then did water changes and the such to get the parameters back into shape. I have fixed that problem but now I need to cure the Ich on my clowns. What is the best way of doing this? i have corals so most ich meds are out of the question. I was told that a cleaner shrimp and food dosed in garlic guard would fix the problem. Is this so? Please help.

 

[TippyToeX]

Some people just stick with fortifying their foods and keeping water quality high. You are not cueing the ich, more keeping it a bay.

If you want to cue it, you need to remove the clowns (and any other fish) to a quarantine tank. Either treat them with hypo or copper. I prefer hypo but that is up to what you think it best.

Also, there is no proof that cleaner shimp will remove ich.

 

[hondadude2k5]

My water quality is usually pristine but now I seem to be playing catch up due to the fish dying in the tank.

 

[stykthyn]

put the fish in qt for a month if you can. without a host the parasite will die in the main tank. i just had the same thing happen with my tang. I was working with some wc clowns I just got and I guessed it hitched on my hands or something into my reef. poor guy not happy in his qt box

 

[Freed]

Have you added anything new to the tank recently?

 

[rrome]

>Also, there is no proof that cleaner shimp will remove ich

Cleaner shrimp will eat the parasites off the skin of the fish in many cases. They are helpful, although they will not cure the ick on their own. Unless there is a reson not to, I'd add one. They are very cool creatures.

this is useful info

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichart2mar.htm

From what I read, ick maybe present in just tank, but if the fish are happy and stress free, their slime coat protects from the parasite. If they get too stressed (new enviroment, you moved the rocks around, water chemistry going off) they will get weak and the parasite can attack.

 

[hondadude2k5]

The tang was the new fish added. He had Ich from being chased by a damsel. So, I removed the damsel from the tank. Took it a day at a time with the tang and finally cleared it of Ich. Then out of nowhere it died while I was gone for the weekend thus destroying my water quality. I came home removed the dead Tang and did a water change and got my parameters back under control. I believe the Ich my clowns have came from the dead tang and water conditions. I added a cleaner shrimp yesterday and i think the clowns will come through nicely but it is just not good to sit and watch your fish be unhappy.

 

[Steve Cuddeback]

I had the same problem in my tank when I added a yellow tang. The yellow and the scopas fought all week and all the fish came down with ich, even the pinktail trigger. I bought 2 cleaner shrimp and have been adding 2 drops of garlic extreme to their food and the fish have recovered.

Steve