life after ich

[bullitr]

life after ich

I have always had ich in my tank and have done everything I could do to try to eradicate it. I do QT all of my fish for at least 3-4 weeks before it goes in my display. Even then they get infected. So what I did around March I took all my fishes out and put them all in quarantine for 4 weeks. Treated and waited.. Put them all back in and all was well. I bought a Regal, QT for 3 weeks, all look well until bam, infected, after 1 week in the main tank, caught him and QT'd again, but didn't go well and it died. So I said the hell with it, I bought Ozone Reactor, from Glen, one he had lying around and a generator from Sam. Got tired of Glen preaching in my ear, about Ozone, I was like :hmm5:. but I tried everything else, aside from breaking it down and starting all over. My verdict, I love it! Been running for close to 2 months. The true test was when I bought a Achilles Tang from Aqua Life, and we all know Tangs are VERY prone to Ich, and you know what, I didn't quarantine, I just acclimated and threw him in, he scuffled with my purple Tang for a few days, couple of war wounds..but never got infected with Ich (knock on wood), also bought Toms's Gold Flake and Melanurus wrasse was in QT while I was setting up the Ozone, maybe a few days before I put them in the DT, Leopard Wrasse from exotic I bought 3 weeks ago, was not QT'd either. I don't know, maybe I got lucky with these fishes, but I know the Tang was not luck, everytime I buy a Tang, I would QT, but they would always get Ich once in the DT. I would always roll the dice with Tangs and I would feed heavily in hopes they would generate immunity and get fat. Worked 80% of the time. I still do recommend QTing a fish, from Damsels to Angels, but this Ozone thing has giving me a peace of mind, for now... since I have not had a outbreak.

I do the same way but your achilles will get ick sooner or later. Ick prone fish like achilles, moorish idol, pbt will have ick if its in your system i been using ozone for about 5 years.
I sold my achilles to my friend 3 days ago because i am tired of seeing few spots on the achilles, I even removed my hybrid pbt and white tail because i dont want to see fish scratching themselves on the rocks or sand.

http://youtu.be/INYN3ijBi9M

My achilles few days ago.

To sum this up
OZONE DOESNT CURE ICK AND IT WILL NEVER WILL BUT IT HELP CONTROL OUTBREAK IF APPLIED PROPERLY.

 

[psykobowler]

I think our area has more problem with water quality that is killing corals than anything else. I am away on a business trip so I can't post pictures of my two systems that I nuked due to marine velvet, brookenelia and a third mistake on biopellets. They are in my personal laptop. I have experienced failure multiple times despite forum suggestions that I have read and I did quarantine fish. I even did the 1.009 hyposaliny treatment. I did copper. None of the options worked as good as an outbreak preventative ozone treatment. If I put new fish with ick it does spread slowly in a few days but completely goes away after a week. Fish can fight it off. I am not here to taunt anybody or try to sell you on ozone but aside from good husbandry ozone is the only equipment I know that solves common issues such as ich or coral chemical warfare easily. It is just one of those things that you do not have to worry about and give you a peace of mind. I never had any visitor that personally saw my tank that ever complained about my fishes' Heath. I am sure I have posted enough pictures to prove it. Whether you believe me or not is fine with me. I am only preaching what I know works. It does not involve catching fish or tearing out your rock work. Just a preventative equipment that gives me a peace of mind.

 

[HV1990]

Yall are great.

 

[robert s b.]

I do the same way but your achilles will get ick sooner or later..

Wow, thanks for giving some well wishes! I have been in the hobby, since 96. From my past experience. Tangs will get ich within a few days of introducing it in the DT. Especially the stress it gets from other fishes and being in a new environment. My PT harassed it for days and gashed it pretty good in a few places. But now he's fat and healthy and have no signs of Ich at all. You maybe right and maybe wrong, but I hope the latter. Like everyone says it's not a cure, but a way to control and that's what I am doing, so far so good

 

[bigswaug]

Psyko you are fighting a losing battle trying to convince people.. I have never used ozone but Im as strong of a believer in my UV sterilizer.. Its the only way my powder blue doesnt get spots.. I get the same arguments when I suggest on these boards.. I know it works and its all that matters...

 

[psykobowler]

I know I am losing the "battle." It is cool with me. I am not trying to win anything. They are all good people just with different perspective with reefkeeping. John Coppollino was in our mars meeting and he did stress the importance of uv. His sterilizer was bigger that him. I agree it is a preventative measure. I have both power blue and white cheak tang. No problem with outbreak at all. Some sterilization is good for the system.

 

[psykobowler]

I do the same way but your achilles will get ick sooner or later. Ick prone fish like achilles, moorish idol, pbt will have ick if its in your system i been using ozone for about 5 years.
I sold my achilles to my friend 3 days ago because i am tired of seeing few spots on the achilles, I even removed my hybrid pbt and white tail because i dont want to see fish scratching themselves on the rocks or sand.

http://youtu.be/INYN3ijBi9M

My achilles few days ago.

To sum this up
OZONE DOESNT CURE ICK AND IT WILL NEVER WILL BUT IT HELP CONTROL OUTBREAK IF APPLIED PROPERLY.

I think you failed because you have sand in the display. I am basically bare bottom, no ich larvae to grow in the sand for me. I agree with you that it controls any outbreak.

 

[79chopperdr]

I'm a UV supporter for its use as a preventative measure. Not sold on Ozone.

This quote is from Farley's article on Ozone. Is it possible that the perceived success of helping fight ick is a byproduct of over dosing Ozone?

"Ozone and its byproducts can, in high enough doses, kill many pathogens. The levels of ozone encountered in reef aquaria, however, may be inadequate to have any significant effect on total bacterial populations. Viruses are more susceptible than bacteria to ozone, and they may be effectively inactivated by typical use. Larger pathogens and parasites are much harder to kill and are not likely to be killed by ozone in reef aquaria.

Ozone also has a dark side. When reacted with seawater, ozone produces a variety of highly oxidized halogens such as BrOH and BrO3-. If the ozone produced oxidants are not largely removed with activated carbon, they may enter the aquarium and be hazards to the most sensitive organisms in the aquarium (which are likely eggs or early stage larvae)."

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php#19

 

[fishnerd]

Guys, I am not totally against using chemicals as a means to an end. What I am saying is that people are misusing the chemicals and overdosing. I use coral revive to dip corals. But treating fish with chemicals is harse. I've had brook, marine velvet and other exoparasites. Yes, I had lost a whole fish system with one of these prior to ozone. I also lost another system to biopellets. I am not using a blanket statement. If the exoparasite has a free floating stage it will get sterilized. The ozone prevents outbreaks more than anything else.

Commercial systems do use ozone, even koi ponds have ozone equipment now.

People should use ozone. If it doesn't work why am I the only not complaining about losing fish? At the least use an appropriate size uv for your system.

I think you failed because you have sand in the display. I am basically bare bottom, no ich larvae to grow in the sand for me. I agree with you that it controls any outbreak.

If sand is the reason why he failed, why do they not settle in the rocks?

My intentions are not to win or loose an argument. Glenn is advocating ozone use for disease control in lieu of medications/chemicals. I simply am against that statement. There are more than 1 way to skin a cat.

We are all pretty much "friends" here and mean no ill will to anyone. This is a community of info sharing. Take every advice like a grain of saltand do what works for you. Some people have time and space to QT some do not. Just need to be correctly informed about the risks.

 

[SammyJ916]

There is nothing wrong with using chemicals and medication to treat fish when used the right way... None at all. Id even argue it is much less stressful qt new fish and treating them then throwing them into a display tank when they are infected leaving them to deal with what thy already have plus new tank mates. What joshua stated above is correct completely a preventative.

 

[bullitr]

life after ich

I think you failed because you have sand in the display. I am basically bare bottom, no ich larvae to grow in the sand for me. I agree with you that it controls any outbreak.

I failed !!
You're funny.
Ick strain doesnt settle on rocks nor corals i guess. As mention above it helps control outbreak but doesnt eliminate ick. But since that works for you congrats! A lot of people are not as lucky as you but i dont want them to give them the wrong advice.

 

[bullitr]

life after ich

I'm a UV supporter for its use as a preventative measure. Not sold on Ozone.



This quote is from Farley's article on Ozone. Is it possible that the perceived success of helping fight ick is a byproduct of over dosing Ozone?



"Ozone and its byproducts can, in high enough doses, kill many pathogens. The levels of ozone encountered in reef aquaria, however, may be inadequate to have any significant effect on total bacterial populations. Viruses are more susceptible than bacteria to ozone, and they may be effectively inactivated by typical use. Larger pathogens and parasites are much harder to kill and are not likely to be killed by ozone in reef aquaria.



Ozone also has a dark side. When reacted with seawater, ozone produces a variety of highly oxidized halogens such as BrOH and BrO3-. If the ozone produced oxidants are not largely removed with activated carbon, they may enter the aquarium and be hazards to the most sensitive organisms in the aquarium (which are likely eggs or early stage larvae)."



http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php#19

I read that a lot of times but ozone is better than UV IMO because you probably need 200-400 watts of uv to fully control the outbreak since most people that use uv properly needs a giant set up. But Ozone needs 10 watts or less and clear the water better too.

 

[jthao]

I wanna try ozone now....
But so far, I have noticed that my 57w uv has "helped" with ick. I had a blue hippo tang with spots here and there, and when putting the uv online, within a few days evrything cleared and stayed that way ever since. I honestly don't know if the UV actually was the cure here, but it seemed liked it did something.
I'm no expert, but every method has its good and bads, what's more amazing than any of the ick cure methods is the fact that this topic has brought many veterans all to one thread!! Now that's pretty amazing, we're missing Tim and mark though. Lol

 

[robert s b.]

I run UV on my 50 cube, works like a charm.

 

[fishnerd]

I read that a lot of times but ozone is better than UV IMO because you probably need 200-400 watts of uv to fully control the outbreak since most people that use uv properly needs a giant set up. But Ozone needs 10 watts or less and clear the water better too.

This is where I disagree with UV to a certain point. You can have a million watts UV system, if the pathogen never passes thru the UV it wont kill it. Most UV systems are under the stand and recirculated there. We have built a little ecosystem in our homes. And if the "ich" grows in our display detaches and settles on rock/sand then resettles on the fish. This "ich" never travels thru the UV to be sterilized. I do have to say if you have a billion "ich" bugs the UV can/may hypothetically kill some/half/majority/minority....etc. it can help control population of this "ich". Same goes for ozone, though I believe ozone may be more effective than UV.

 

[bullitr]

What are you disagreeing about?

 

[psykobowler]

I change carbon monthly which may not be enough to remove all the ozone prior to entering the system hence I overdose it. I do run it 6 hours straight at night. With Randy's larval disruption explanation this might be the case where the ozone reactor does not have to catch the pathogen. I am basically nucking my tank daily. I will post nuck pictures later.

 

[psykobowler]

I think mark quarantined his fish with his garage frag tank. I was not aware Tim has a quarantine system. Now I wonder how he does it.

 

[bullitr]

life after ich

I run UV on my 50 cube, works like a charm.

I don't disagree it help specially on small system but how many watts is it and do how have achilles or ick prone fish on your 50 gallons? Ozone, uv it doesnt matter they can only help control outbreak but it wont eliminate ick if the spores doesnt pass thru it.

 

[loup]

He's saying that you are implying that getting a big a@@ UV will eliminate ich where you are praying that all the ICH prior to settling into the sand/rock and before infecting a fish decides to hop over into the overflow and into the sump and thru your UV.

What are you disagreeing about?