Just got ICK... how do you deal with it when you have a big tank?

L

LOTUS50GOD

Active member
Just got ICK... how do you deal with it when you have a big tank?

Catching the fish is not an option without draining the tank.
I cant put copper in since its a reef
I dont have a quaranteen big enough even if I did catch them all.

How should I proceed?
 
From the best of my understanding fish can naturally heal from ick all on their own (provided they are not stressed, the water quality is good, and they are well fed). Now that being said, I've also read that once you have ick in your tank it never goes away, but if the fish are healthy enough their immune system can continue to fight it off.
 
How bad are your fish?
picture.php

This is what my Goldrim Tang looked like before I trapped him and gave him two RO baths for 5 minutes each.
After feeding him garlic food and a week later he looks like this.
picture.php


This is NOT the end of your tank/fish with any luck!

Maik1
 
That is good news. I lost my Achilles this morning. He was eatting well till yesterday. He looked alot like your 1st pic. My powderblue is doing well, with only a few spots. He still eats like a pig. My anthisis are showing some spots, but are hanging out at the cleaning station.

I continue to feed and only some fish are showing signs of ick
 
+1 with garlic, and while it won't kill active ich on a fish a good UV sterilizer will help prevent future outbreaks.
 
From my understanding you need to fight it on multiple fronts 1) very good water quality 2) low stress levels 3) Uv sterilizer and ozone use in reactors 4)immune stimulants in food garlic and beta glucan and 5) if the fish dont start to get better gel medicated food using Chloroquine phosphate- cant vouch for this but have heard of it.
 
IMHO after being through it a few times... 1. Overfeed with alot of variety in the diet. 2. Soak the food in heavy garlic. 3. Make sure you overskim to take care of the overfeedings and keep you water quality in check and it should be fine if the fish are big enough.
 
Buddy of mine got it. Did water change. Fed with garlic. Kept away from the tank to avoid any stress. I think he either raised or lowered his salt level and temp and almost his whole stock died. I was shocked and kind of laughed at him (I know, I know its not funny) Week or two later BAM my tangs have ich. What the heck??? Everyone is against this but I didnt want to chance it. I ran to the store and bought Ick Attack. Made sure it was the organic one cause I have a reef tank. Says reef and invert safe. I dosed my tank for the first 4 days (bottle says a couple of days after ich is not present) and then left it alone for the next 3 days. I also threw in API Stress Coat. I got real lucky and didnt lose anything except one coral. After that I did a 75g water change. Call it luck I guess but Ick has a mind of its own. I wish there was a product out there that really took care of it cause I am not backing up Ich Attack cause of what everyone says. I just didnt want to sit and wait to see what happens
 
Live with it. Feed lots of garlic and nori for tangs. Keep water parameters good, stress down, and keep everyone well fed and most fish will be fine.

Ps. Obviously a huge qt procedure would be best but terribly impractical.
 
All my fish were QT for at least 2 weeks. My LFS actually does a GREAT job about QT.
After the fish got out of QT, then I watched them for at least another 2 weeks at the LFS..

I lost my Powder blue today... A few of my anthesis are showing signs. Hope they make it..
 
this is what i use protomarin coral it's reef safe & made in germany it's not as effective as copper but helps in the aid to control it down a bit while your fish are trying to overcome it most important is to due a couple of large water changes & feed with lots of garlic,selcon & i even use a pure garlic clove i cut it in half and put in the cup with the food but not throw it in the display and one important piece of equipment is like others stated a good uv sterilizer
 
If I lose my anthesis in the morning, then I will leave the tank empty of fish for 2-3 months while this passes. I have some fish that are exempt from ick... ie.. manderins...
 
LOTUS50GOD said:
All my fish were QT for at least 2 weeks. My LFS actually does a GREAT job about QT.
After the fish got out of QT, then I watched them for at least another 2 weeks at the LFS..
Click to expand...

The 2 weeks + might be a problem, when I was reading up on QT for ich it was 6-8 weeks in QT as the ich life cycle can sometimes take that long to show. When we see the ich we're only seeing 1 stage of the life cycle. Also ich likes to hide in the gills, so a fish that's not showing symptoms even after 2 weeks in QT can still have it.

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

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/marine-ich-myths-facts-27003/

Here's the QT process I plan on using for my next fish, I trust my LFS but it just takes 1 fish to slip through to cause havoc. I'd rather do it myself just to be sure.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/quarantine-process-27022/
 
bmkj02 said:
... I also threw in API Stress Coat...
Click to expand...
+1...Extra garlic and Stress Coat...and hope for the best. I do not treat for ick. Keep fish healthy to start with.
Had ick in 450DT about 8 months ago...out of 60 fish ... 59 SURVIVED, only lost original fish with ick (Achilles)!


***adjust skimmer for stress coat!
 
You could attempt to lower salinity. I'm not talking hyposalinity, but the lower you are able to go without killing off corals helps your fish. Fish would expend less energy in a tank that is 1.022 than 1.025. There would be more oxygen inthe water, which would especially help any fish having trouble breathing. Ick would still be there, but it may also help with controling their numbers. Definatelty some type of UV would help with your situation.


I personally believe if you are attempting an "no treatment" situation or "fish immunity" method (my own description) I would lower temperature of the tank. As we all know when they raise the temp of a tank to shorten the life cycle of ich, well I imagine if you lower it to some degree then it would prolong the cycle, giving the fish more of chance to fight off the ich numbers. Just a theory....

The only other "treatment"choice is to seperate the fish from the corals and inverts in another tank.
 
Last edited:
ick

ick

i had breakout in my 600g,all it is is stress related to quality of water,check and balanc eyour water and ick will go away,also some time only new fish get it cause of stress of transportation
 
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