ich on hippo tang

[wooden_reefer]

Again, try some reading. Take it from someone with a degree in environmental microbiology from USF.

Stress matters more than you know. That's why the best treatments for ich have nothing to do with copper. Copper is easy and popular. Study the life cycle or the organism. Hypo salinity or tank transfer is the best way to beat marine ich(it's too labor intensive for most).

Stress matters a lot in selective situations and many pathogens.

Diseases like internal fungal and internal bacterial infection, higher order internal parasites, are stress related.

There are two situations when stress is a non-factor at all.

The first is ich and some protozoans. Ich really is not a disease in the ocean because the parasite's survival characteristic is severe population control. Ich leaves the fish as a part of its lifecycle and infestation is by design extremely low and the host has no need to quickly develop immunity against ich to improve its life. Such relation (indifference) will be the dominant factor and hence fish is not required in the ocean to enhance immunity. This is not going to change in the tank. And, no enhancement is going to deter ever increasing greater waves of attack.

The aquarist should completely disregard the whole idea of stress and immunity as far as ich is concerned. Eradication is the only practical approach.

The second situation is a pathogen (often bacterial) to which a fish has no previous exposure. In a situation like this, a fish relies on general defense like WBCs since it has not yet developed antibodies. In such a situation, the concentration of pathogens is a critical factor; thus the closed nature of a tank is decisive until mild exposure and antibodies.

Stress is additional and excellent water quality is necessary but insufficient.

The closed nature of a tank is a decisive feature.

Those 5 walls! Often the decisive consideration.

 

[stiky]

ich on hippo tang

Hippos are little balls of stress. I've written numerous articles about these guys for other reefers. In my experience. Hippos are just like dori from nemo. Oh yes I just made that reference. Meaning, Ellen plays that part perfect. A hyper paranoid skitzo. No matter how good of a hobbyist you are, 95% of the time a new hippo will develop ich. Or any tang for that matter. That's just how it goes. You can lessen the severity by a few factors. I have treated and not treated but a qt is the way to go. Even a simple transfer 1 mile away seems to induce an ich outbreak. Qt the fish and it's your choice if you want to use medications. I have found that sometimes medications put an undo stress on them and further complicate the problem but if found in the very early stages medication is effective. You are talking about a very juvenile fish here and the medications may overwhelm the fish to the point of death. But if you have already started the treatment it would be pointless to stop use now. The most effective way to treat ich, in my experience, is to get the fish eating and eating well frequently. I have used a newer product called new era frozen food enrichment. Soak the food in this while it's detawing and feed once a day. If you can keep the fish eating it will pull through 90% of the time. Garlic helps increase appetite and helps with the infection. DO NOT GO OUT AND PURCHASE CLEANER SHRIMP OR A WRASSE OR NEON GOBIES. I've made that mistake. Ich is subcutaneous and they won't do much but help you think they are fixing the problem. I know this is pretty much hindsight information at this point but for future purchases think of what I've pointed out. Do not worry about your display yet. Just because one fish had ich does not mean the entire tank has it although it's a high probability. Do not treat something that is not exhibiting symptoms and don't fix it if it's not broken. The 10+ years of doing this I've tried it all. Just some thoughts for you. This was unnecessarily lengthy but I hope it helps lol. Good luck!

 

[wooden_reefer]

True, but most quarantines in the those cases are 2-3 weeks. That is no where near long enough to see a full life cycle. If QT is done correctly, 60 day minimum, not treatment is ever needed as a just in case. Some strains of crypto can have life cycles over 40 days. A 3 week or 4 week QT would not prevent anything in those cases.

I always do QT for fish 90 days, and the first 30 of that being hypo salinity.

A proper QT will insure nothing ever makes it into the diaplay. It can be done, we must understand the life cycle and needs of the parasite.

Those who like TTM choose a shorter treatment to eradicate ich (IME this is not QT, just a part of QT)

Those who choose slow drug treatment to eradicate generally agree that 2-3 weeks is not enough.

I do at least 12 weeks of QT during while I eradicate ich (proper way to phrase it); some do as few as six weeks. I tend to think that few suggest fewer than six weeks.

 

[bryn.sessums1]

Those who like TTM choose a shorter treatment to eradicate ich (IME this is not QT, just a part of QT)

Those who choose slow drug treatment to eradicate generally agree that 2-3 weeks is not enough.

I do at least 12 weeks of QT during while I eradicate ich (proper way to phrase it); some do as few as six weeks. I tend to think that few suggest fewer than six weeks.

I agree. Proper QT is essential. Not many do a proper QT. I also think when we use the term QT very few have the same idea of what that means or involves.

 

[bryn.sessums1]

Those who like TTM choose a shorter treatment to eradicate ich (IME this is not QT, just a part of QT)

Those who choose slow drug treatment to eradicate generally agree that 2-3 weeks is not enough.

I do at least 12 weeks of QT during while I eradicate ich (proper way to phrase it); some do as few as six weeks. I tend to think that few suggest fewer than six weeks.

Also agree, that is not QT but a part of the whole. Well put.

 

[Jonnypro]

ich on hippo tang

I got that stuff called ick kich. I bought a yellow belly hippo from my lfs. I knew he was healthy, he has been in there tank for 2 months +. I put him in my tank and in about a few days he started getting white spots all over him. I didn't know what to do so I spoke with the guys at my lfs. I got the ick kick and used garlic in my tank. I now use the garlic every day. It helps with there immune system. Well long story short I followed the directions and it was gone

within a couple weeks. He and my other tangs that i have in the tank are all healthy and fine. I always put in a veggie strip in every morning. He is very happy now in the tank and ick free because his immune system can fight it. I know ick will be in my tank but my fish can fight it off.

 

[reeferstace]

:facepalm:

 

[snorvich]

:facepalm:

What she said. More eloquently than I could. Garlic does nothing, Kick Ich does less.

 

[Lanman08]

thanks for all the help guys. just an update- the hippo seems to be doing fine in the QT tank. I have not treated him with anything so far and he has been in there for 5 days now. got him to start eating. no signs of ich actually right now. i plan to keep monitoring him and if it permits, i will treat with copper if i see any ich pop up. he looks great so far though!

as far as the display tank, is there anything I can use to kick out the ich? I know normal die off phase takes about 12 weeks, but I wanted to see if there was anything that i could add to it to eliminate the ich faster. I have corals and one anemone in the tank so far.

Thanks guys, I feel lucky to have so many people to help me!!

 

[rabbitrun]

You should return your fish it is apparent you have not done the necessary research to keep your fish alive and well someone needs to be blunt with you

 

[Lanman08]

You should return your fish it is apparent you have not done the necessary research to keep your fish alive and well someone needs to be blunt with you

Thanks ive been in the hobby for years on and off, I think I have a general idea.

You should keep your rude comments to yourself :bdaysmile:

 

[snorvich]

thanks for all the help guys. just an update- the hippo seems to be doing fine in the QT tank. I have not treated him with anything so far and he has been in there for 5 days now. got him to start eating. no signs of ich actually right now. i plan to keep monitoring him and if it permits, i will treat with copper if i see any ich pop up. he looks great so far though!

as far as the display tank, is there anything I can use to kick out the ich? I know normal die off phase takes about 12 weeks, but I wanted to see if there was anything that i could add to it to eliminate the ich faster. I have corals and one anemone in the tank so far.

Thanks guys, I feel lucky to have so many people to help me!!

Unlike fresh water ich, raising the temperature has no effect on the life cycle. Otherwise, wait 72 days with no fish.