ick

[bpeugh]

It looks like there is starting to be an outbreak of ick among my fish and I was wondering what I could o to stave it off without hurting the corals.

 

[crny1]

Your best bet IMO is quarentine and hypo or copper treatment and leave the display empty (of fish that is) for a length of time. I think its something like 8 weeks but might want to double check that.

 

[crny1]

Did you just add something to the tank?

 

[bpeugh]

I got a chromis from a friend's tank that had been in there for months without a problem about a week ago. Crap. I have to leave tomorrow morning for 36 hours and there is no way I can set up a quarantine tank by then with 4 hours of sleep from last night.

 

[Vitaly]

The Chromis (and other fish in that tank) may very well have been been infected, but the infection could have been sub-clinical. The clinical infection (large visible lesions) may have occurred following the stress of the move to a new tank.

If your schedule is too busy, you can leave the fish in the display...keep feeding and watch the fish hoping that they will recover on there own. However, the parasite will persist in your tank...and there will always be a chance that it will re-emerge.

If you want to try and wipe it out, then as crny1 one said...get all your fish into a hyposalinity treatment tank (.010 using a refractometer) for 8 weeks. Personally, I advise against dosing with anything until you believe the fish are unable to resolve the infection on their own. In my experience the hypo will kill the free swimming parasite and by reducing the kidney burden on the fish, makes them better at resolving the infection.

Some reading...
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

There is also a great 5 parts series by Terry Bartelme called, "News from the Warfront with Cryptocaryon irritans." I cannot seem to find it online...but if you can it is a great overview of the life cycle and treatment strategies.

 

[bpeugh]

I have not had the time yet to set up another tank but had been adding liquid garlic to just about everything they eat in addition to upping the amount of times they are fed and bought some new dried food that is 2% garlic.