Ick and QT help!!!
- Thread starter raen
- Start date
ramdan1000
New member
I cant seem to rid my display tank of ick . Is there anything safe/effective as I have corals and plants? Im considering bleach or yelling very loudly!
ramdan1000
New member
O.K. Thanks for the reply.I have a makeshift qt but I`m worried that when the fish return to DT the cycle will repeat. Also trapping some fish is almost impossible even empty. I tried some expensive liquid , all natural but only seemed to lose mangrove plants and money.
Jerry W
Active member
The size of the QT should depend on the size/type of fish you have. Any fish exposed needs to be treated, even if maybe only a couple are showing symptoms. By removing the fish from the DT, and leaving it fallow for 6 weeks, you will allow the parasite to die off in the tank. The fish need to be treated too in the quarantine tank. If this is done correctly, you'll be reintrodicing healthy fish to a parasite-free tank and shouldn't have a recurrence. You have to be sure to then quarantine any new fish you get before adding it to the display tank so as not to risk re-introducing ich back to the system. Any fish can be captured and removed from a tank. Some are trickier than others. Just takes patience and persistence.
ramdan1000
New member
Thanks again.Do I need to remove invertibtates?
Jerry W
Active member
Is it fish only or FOWLR (with live rock)? In a Fish only tank, you could simply perform hyposalinity in the display. It works well and if you have multiple fish, negates the need to set up a large quarantine tank or multiple Q tanks. If the tank has live rock, I'd remove it to another holding bin (large rubbermaid trash can/bin/etc.
I think if it is in the tank - it is there to stay - without a tank treatment.
I moved a hippo tang from my 75g reef to a 210g reef where there had been no signs of ICH for over a year, had a 20+watt UV running during that time, multiple cleaner shrimp in the tank, etc........ a week later after being harassed by my purple tang, the hippo tang had ich............because it was in there once and never goes away (IMO).
I tried Ruby Kick Ich in the past, no luck. I heard "No Sick Fish" would work in a reef system, just started treating my tank last night.
I moved a hippo tang from my 75g reef to a 210g reef where there had been no signs of ICH for over a year, had a 20+watt UV running during that time, multiple cleaner shrimp in the tank, etc........ a week later after being harassed by my purple tang, the hippo tang had ich............because it was in there once and never goes away (IMO).
I tried Ruby Kick Ich in the past, no luck. I heard "No Sick Fish" would work in a reef system, just started treating my tank last night.
paulamrein
New member
Sorry package but both the theory that it's always present and the use of kick ich are both proven to be false. It is both possible and true if you follow strict QT procedures and guidelines. Kick ich will at best do nothing, at worse kill your inverts. 2 PROVEN methods of treatment. period.
No need to apologize to me, I said nothing about either of the theories you are referring to.
I did not say "it's always present". What I did say was - "IF it is in the tank, it is there to stay", therefore removing and treating fish may not be effective - - - - - if it is in the tank - meaning it had been introduced at some point.
I also said that I tried Ruby Kick Ich with "no luck" and my inverts did die - crabs/shrimp, so I am not promoting that method either.
I for sure believe that you can QT and keep your tank ICH free.
I also believe that once it is in there, you may very well see it again when introducing new fish or from time to time on the existing fish, that is my theory.
I also said that I heard good stuff about "No sick fish". I do not know if it works either although I am trying it at this time.
I did not say "it's always present". What I did say was - "IF it is in the tank, it is there to stay", therefore removing and treating fish may not be effective - - - - - if it is in the tank - meaning it had been introduced at some point.
I also said that I tried Ruby Kick Ich with "no luck" and my inverts did die - crabs/shrimp, so I am not promoting that method either.
I for sure believe that you can QT and keep your tank ICH free.
I also believe that once it is in there, you may very well see it again when introducing new fish or from time to time on the existing fish, that is my theory.
I also said that I heard good stuff about "No sick fish". I do not know if it works either although I am trying it at this time.
paulamrein
New member
"IF it is in the tank, it is there to stay" was what I was referring to. If there is no fish to host, the parasite will die, if it is put into a display that once had it, and it was cleaned off the fish, and the display was left without fish for a period of time of 6 weeks or more where the ich had no host and died, than it is not there to stay. I was wrong about posting kick ich, I meant to comment on the no sick fish which also falls into the same category. The reason why you may see no spots after treatment is because of the life cycle of the parasite, not from it's removal.
Ick can't survive without fish to host. 35 days is how long it takes to die out, people say 6 weeks to be safe.
In addition, even with fish to host nobody has ever successfully propigated ick in captivity for more than a year....
Treatment for ick is to remove all the fish to a QT tank, run hyposaline for 2-3 weeks then bring salinity back up and wait out the full 6 weeks, then return them to main tank followed by living happily ever after.
Ich can come back in on live rock and new fish. Quarantine tank recommended.
Links:
Frugal Reef Ich Treatment Summary
Excellent Reefkeeping Article on Ich
In addition, even with fish to host nobody has ever successfully propigated ick in captivity for more than a year....
Treatment for ick is to remove all the fish to a QT tank, run hyposaline for 2-3 weeks then bring salinity back up and wait out the full 6 weeks, then return them to main tank followed by living happily ever after.
Ich can come back in on live rock and new fish. Quarantine tank recommended.
Links:
Frugal Reef Ich Treatment Summary
Excellent Reefkeeping Article on Ich
ramdan1000
New member
I purchased Chem-Marin Stop Parasites all natural solution.This set me back about 60.00 and filled me with such mythical hope.I was quite dissapointed when this green putrid liquid killed some of my mangrove plants.Although this product didnt seem to harm my reef or its inhabitants it also didnt harm the parasites.Shame pet shop crooks and suppliers! Has anyone had any succes with this or any other product in dt? The removal of all of my coral and live rock in order to catch all fish is ....well ... my wife will disown me and my hobby!
raen
New member
a quick update.....qt going strong, all fish that I could catch in it and thriving!!! I couldn't get my Chromis, watchman goby, or cardinals. they are SO freaking fast, and get super stressed when I have tried to net them. They are showing no signs of ich, however I do know that they can carry it. What are your recommendations for them?
Ich is usually not a very big deal for healthy fish unless conditions cause it to breed to plague proportions. My tang shows signs of carrying it for over a month now but he's fine, and the other fish in his tank show no signs.
Ich usually leaves the fish and encysts where it sleeps to reproduce, then gets back on the fish when the next generation is ready to feed. I reduced it's impact significantly at one point by fresh water dipping the rock he liked to sleep in.
That being said, you probably need to catch your fish or the problem will be ongoing for the next year.
Here's a thread on catching fish in displays, lots of good tricks in here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707656
Ich usually leaves the fish and encysts where it sleeps to reproduce, then gets back on the fish when the next generation is ready to feed. I reduced it's impact significantly at one point by fresh water dipping the rock he liked to sleep in.
That being said, you probably need to catch your fish or the problem will be ongoing for the next year.
Here's a thread on catching fish in displays, lots of good tricks in here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707656
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