ICH.... Thoughts

[hammerfrog]

Hello,

I had a 187 gallon set up in my basement that developed a major leak while I was away for work.

I took everything apart and found 4 large cracks in my sump. I lost all my fish and corals... was not a good day.

So, i set up my 40 gallon breeder quarantine tank as my new temporary main display while I wait to fire up the big tank again... I'm not sure when that's gonna happen.

I've had the 40 gallon up and running since early March. I added fish after cycle with out quarantine. I added a perc clown, royal gramma, azure damsel fish, flame angel and juvenile yellow tang. I lost the gramma and the clown to ich in may... the 3 remaining fish did have white spots on them but they have been clean and looking very healthy since the white spots left them 3 months ago... the tank is in great balance with the 3 fish left. I am asking for advice on if I should add a six line wrasse and 2 pajama cardinal fish. Is ich still present in my tank? The new additions would not be quarantined... I know I'm rolling the dice but I am curious to hear your thoughts.

Thank you.

 

[OhsCC]

Ich is still in the tank. The tank has to be free of fish for 72 days.

 

[albano]

Regardless of Ich, forget about the 6line...they're not worth the hassle

 

[hammerfrog]

Appreciate the feed back... the more diggin i did, the more I found.... ich is still in the tank and 6 line is an A hole... thanks again.

 

[Rover88]

Appreciate the feed back... the more diggin i did, the more I found.... ich is still in the tank and 6 line is an A hole... thanks again.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1992196

The above is the big one to read.

Short and quick: Ich is a parasite that gets in fish where we can't see it. WHEN you can see it its typically because the fish has degraded to the point its losing the fight, or has become stressed and its immune system is lowered, etc. But even when it looks perfectly healthy ich is still there on its gills or other parts of it. If the fish with ich showing dies, the others still have it until treated.

Best method is to leave the display tank 'fallow' without fish for 72-76 days based on where you look, and to treat the fish themselves with one of the three methods that actually works. Hyposalinity, copper based treatment, or tank transfer method. You can read up on each one of those.

If any company suggests some magic bullet cure to ich that is reef safe, or sounds too good to be true, it is. I just went through all this myself and am on the last 7 days of treatment. Hypo, TTM, or copper are the only ways. (I used cupramine, a copper based treatment).

 

[hammerfrog]

Thank you

 

[Uncle99]

There are two things which seem to lead to an Ick outbreak.
1. Stress, fish bothered and chased excessively and without break.
2. Poorly feed or fed inappropriate foods.
3. Both at same time.

Even if the parasite gets into your tank, many times you will not know because the fish fought it off.....not unlike humans....the weak get sick easier.

Fish who are healthy, strong and live in a peaceful coexsistent with others rarely get any diease.