Kole Tang and Ich

[bandr1002]

Awhile ago, I purchased a Kole Tang for my 60 reef. Within one week, he got ich bad and didn't make it. LFS said a UV sterilizer would kill the ich. Is it possible to own a UV sterilizer in a reef? Does a UV sterilizer kill off food that is necessary for my corals?

The last two times I have tried to get a tang, they have ended up with ich. I would really like to have one, but I am also tired of throwing my money away. I am not getting one at the expense of my corals either. None of my other fish have been affected.

Thanks for your help!

 

[JHemdal]

bandr1002,

I think what you may need to do is invest in a quarantine tank, and keep your new tangs in there for six weeks before adding them to the display tank. Conversely, in SOME areas, dealers will quarantine new fish in copper (in the basement or off-site) and then sell them. While not as good as a full quarantine, its better than nothing.
I don't rely on UV sterilizers to control protozoans - ever.

Jay

 

[Patrick12]

First, if you do not quarantine or cannot quarantine, then you will have this problem nearly every time. If the tang got crypt, then rest assured, your other fish have it now. They may not show the effects the same and may not die, but surely any tangs you add will get it and die.

Secondly, a UV sterilizer will do nothing to control protozoan parasitic infestations. The flow rate required to kill them is really low. They have to be exposed to the UV radiation for a long enough time so as to kill them. This leads to the main reason they do not work....what are the chances that all the parasites will go thru the UV sterilizer chamber? Answer, not likely. They are better for killing waterborne algae spores and bacteria, but that is really about it. Ich (really crypt) is best killed by using either hyposalinity, copper or fallow tank for at least 6 weeks at an elevated (80-84 F) temperature.

Good luck. The LFS is giving you newbie info that will cause you to kill many fish if their true cure to "ich" is a UV sterilizer. There are some that will claim this has "worked for them", but it was most likely coincidence and lottery winner type luck.....because if you look at the lifecycle of the parasite, it is difficult to eradicate with such a method.

 

[Stuart60611]

I agree that a UV will not erradicate ich, but is an excellent way to control the seriousness of an ich outbreak. If you get an oversized unit so as to allow you turnover total tank volume twice per hour while at the same time keep the flow slow enough to remain in the slow flow rating for the unit required to kill parasites you will find that UV is an effective way to control, but not eliminate ich. The ich at the stage in its life cycle when it is water born will be killed by the UV. It is true that not all of the ich that is in a waterborne state will ultimately pass through the UV and ich living in the rocks and substrate will survive. But UV is a great tool to control the degree of the outbreak so that the fish do not die from the ich because it will materially reduce the total number of parasites in the system Over time, the fish will hopefully develop a partial or full immunity to the ich which generally happens after they have been exposed to the parasite but do not die from the infestation. Moreover, after about 11 months of the ich being in the tank (a.ssuming you add nothing new during the interim which adds further parasites to the system), the ich will die from the system on its own. As such, the UV, combined with good diet, garlic enhanced food, and overall good husbandry (particularlly paying attention to maintaining good water quality) can be the necessary tools so that your fish can live with the ich until it ulimately dies off on its own about 11 months after its introduction.