Instant Ocean Lifegaurd for ich

[Decadence]

I got this stuff to treat a small icy outbreak in my tank. I currently have a 20 gallon long aquarium. It is a mostly SPS tank with three fish in it. My filtration is a 15 gallon sump with with a turboflotor T1000 skimmer (modded beyond recognition) and I am on an incredibly strict husbandry regimen which includes vodka/vinegar dosing in two stages throughout the day and replacing 1/5th of the sand bed every week along with a 5 gallon water change. Needless to say, my water is perfect. I do not quarantine new fish, never have in ten years.

That said, I have an ich outbreak for the first time ever! I have had fish come in with ich before but it has never spread to another fish. The first fish in this tank was a Copperband Butterfly. He came in to the LFS with lymphocystis so I took him home and put him in the 20 to cure it before he goes into the 120. He got a little skinny at first but I was able to get him on a diet of live black worms and he loves them, fattening up (seriously fat) and finally rid of lymph within about three months. I have had a Royal Gramma in the tank for a little over a month and a Yellowfin Flasher Wrasse for a little over a week. The Flasher Wrasse came in a little pale and started showing signs of ich a couple days ago but I thought for sure it would go away as I dose garlic daily and feed very well (live black worms, live brine, Spectrum, frozen mysis and flakes all daily). It did not take very long for ich to show up on my Royal Gramma so I immediately transferred the Wrasse and Royal Gramma to a hospital tank.

I decided to give Instant Ocean Lifegaurd a shot because they claim it offers a quick solution. I am on day two right now in the hospital tank and both fish are showing no signs of stress, lost all of their cysts and are coloring back up seemingly over night. I will keep this thread update on the progression of things but these fish are going back into the tank on day six as per the instructions as long as there are still no cysts. I'm hopeful that this will be an effective remedy but I will let everybody know how it goes.

 

[MrTuskfish]

What you're seeing is normal with the ich life cycle. This stuff claims to cure everything, in 5 days, I think. Let us know what happens (weeks from now) and please have a 'Plan-B".

 

[snorvich]

Give us a report in 9 weeks! Have a plan B available.

 

[Decadence]

Plan B = tank transfer

I have never had one fish give ich to another in captivity so hopefully being in a stress free environment will be the ticket to success.

 

[snorvich]

Plan B = tank transfer

Works without fail

I have never had one fish give ich to another in captivity so hopefully being in a stress free environment will be the ticket to success.

Stress does not cause ich, ich causes ich.

 

[Decadence]

Stress does not cause ich, ich causes ich.

I guess I should correct my statement. I have never had an ich outbreak in my tank. I am positive that it has existed as I have had it come in on new fish but I have never had it spread to other fish and never lost a fish from it.

BTW, day three and the two fish in the hospital tank are doing great and have ravenous appetites.

 

[snorvich]

Talk to us in 9 weeks.

 

[Decadence]

I'm on day five and the fish are still showing no signs of ich. I have been doing 20% daily water changes with DT water. The fish are still showing a ravenous appetite. I am going to hold them in QT for a few days after treatment is done so that I can treat my tank for a slight case of dino which just showed up on a frag with a black out. I will put them back in the tank on the last day of the black out which will be the eighth day in quarantine so if there are any new cysts to pop up, hopefully I will see them.

 

[snorvich]

Unfortunately visible signs of ich, quite honestly, are irrelevant.

 

[Decadence]

I'm aware. All of the cysts fell off inside of the hospital tank (technically tank transfer method) and no new cysts have shown up so I decided to follow the instructions on the package and introduced the fish back into the display tank today. I will keep this thread updated. I'm not exactly optimistic that this new treatment is a miracle cure for ich but if it doesn't return on my fish then I will most likely use it in the future.

 

[Reefzen1]

Hey Decadence i hop i can be of a little incite into this matter.I have tested Instant Ocean Lifeguard on ich and other fish deceases. It seems to do to a ich what niquel(spellcheck) does to a common cold. It temporarily provides relief in truth none of the active ingredients are antibiotic agents. In truth alone they are harmful to fish and human consumption together they form C7H13ClN2O. Interestingly enough that chemical composition has been patient as a disinfectant much like those used in dish detergents( which is why i suggest it not be used in display tanks and it could harm your biological filtration.

But back to your question if it cures ich or not. Simply it provides relief but does not cure ich. I suggest copper or other treatments. Also if the fish was in your tank with ich you should leave it empty of fish life for a minimum for 6-8 week 8 weeks being better.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Hey Decadence i hop i can be of a little incite into this matter.I have tested Instant Ocean Lifeguard on ich and other fish deceases. It seems to do to a ich what niquel(spellcheck) does to a common cold. It temporarily provides relief in truth none of the active ingredients are antibiotic agents. In truth alone they are harmful to fish and human consumption together they form C7H13ClN2O. Interestingly enough that chemical composition has been patient as a disinfectant much like those used in dish detergents( which is why i suggest it not be used in display tanks and it could harm your biological filtration.

But back to your question if it cures ich or not. Simply it provides relief but does not cure ich. I suggest copper or other treatments. Also if the fish was in your tank with ich you should leave it empty of fish life for a minimum for 6-8 week 8 weeks being better.

I agree with your summary. But, don't look for antibiotics to do anything for ich or the common cold. Ich is a protozoan parasite and the common cold is caused by a virus. Neither is a bacteria and won't be affected by antibiotics. Using antibiotics for colds has been a big part of the emerging "super bugs"; bacteria that have become immune to most antibiotics.

 

[Reefzen1]

Yes Mrturskfish you are exactly correct!!!

 

[Reefzen1]

ohh sorry for misunderstand the antibiotic part was referring to other fish diseases i have tested instant ocean on and not ich. I feel that either copper hypo or tank transfer methods are the only full proof methods. And then there is still a chance of re infection if not careful.

 

[Decadence]

You could chock in up to coincidence or tank transfer but I'm at almost two weeks without ich returning. I'm beginning to cross my fingers that I may be in the clear with all of this.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I'm lost. When did you do a tank-transfer procedure? You've mentioned seeing cysts and cysts falling off in a couple of posts. Are you referring to the white spots as cysts? The white spots are not the ich parasite, in any of its forms; but simply scar tissue/secretions. You cannot ever see ich and its normal for an ich infected fish to have no visible spots. The cysts that fall off the fish and produce the next generation can't be seen or detected until the next generation attacks your fish. That could be today, or 6 weeks from today.

 

[Decadence]

I was referring to the white spots, I have never dealt with ich and assumed the white spots were the cysts. None of the fish are showing any signs of stress at least. Durring the ich outbreak, all of my fish visited the cleaner shrimp throughout the day and scratched on the rocks, there is none of that activity anymore. I'm aware I am still not out of the clear as the parasite still exists in the tank but right now my fish are happy and healthy and I believe their immune systems will do the rest.

 

[snorvich]

So, did you do tank transfer?

 

[Decadence]

I'm not 100% sure on all of the details pertaining to tank transfer but I allowed all of the dots to fall off and then moved them to a new body of water, so if that counts then yes. They went to the hospital tank when they started to show signs, the white spots fell off in two days and then at the conclusion of day six, they went back into the display tank.

 

[snorvich]

I'm not 100% sure on all of the details pertaining to tank transfer but I allowed all of the dots to fall off and then moved them to a new body of water, so if that counts then yes. They went to the hospital tank when they started to show signs, the white spots fell off in two days and then at the conclusion of day six, they went back into the display tank.

No, that is not tank transfer.