Need help with ich

[b0bab0ey]

Has anyone ever just let time heal the fish with ich and they cured them self up?
Or is it a for sure thing that ich with and with out a doubt spread and kill off every fish?

In most cases, Ich is introduced into an aquarium by a single fish. So the number of parasites early on are few and far between. Most fishes immune systems can handle this and fight the parasites off. However, as time goes on the parasite reproduces and grows greater in number. It's this numbers game that ultimately overwhelms a fish's immune system and kills it.

IMO this is how some hobbyists "manage Ich" and sometimes even think they've beaten it. They're able to bolster their fishes immune systems (vitamins, garlic?) and/or keep the number of Ich parasites down (UV perhaps?) The problem is this is a waiting game that ultimately the Ich parasites are going to win. It might take weeks, months or even years if you're really lucky. But as long as there's just 1 Ich parasite alive & well in your tank, the opportune time will come (power loss, sudden temp drop) and they'll spread like wildfire and attack. That's just what parasites do.

 

[mess7777]

I can feel the pain in this thread. It is amazing how foolish we can be in this hobby. I did the 8 week hypo thing, leaving my tank fallow. I lost one fish to a bacterial infection in the QT, luckily it seemed isolated to only 1 fish. The rest showed no ich symptoms for the entire time. My tank went to hell in the meantime, as the tangs were my algae control. Some of my rocks were pretty much beds of algae.

I added corals and inverts during the 8 week period, my tank was still new and I wanted it to look nicer. Either this or a bad QT(I don't think I screwed up hypo though) was my downfall. Soon after putting everyone back I had a couple white spots show up. Luckily they subsided and all was well.

Fast forward a few months, no problems and no plans to add more fish. I sold off the QT tank(I have space limitations).

Well, I decided to do the old blow off the rocks with a turkey baster trick. This apparantly released a bunch of toments just hanging around waiting to kick some ***. Now I have more ich than I have ever seen in my tank.

I also have no QT anymore and no desire to remove the tank inhabitants and do this crap all over again.

So I guess what I am saying, I feel your pain. It takes extreme dedication and willpower to do things properly, QT all inverts, corals, and fish. This is the ONLY way you will keep it out. The excitement of putting new animals on display won for me, and I now pay that price, possibly with the loss of many of my fish.

Best of luck to everyone here.

 

[b0bab0ey]

The excitement of putting new animals on display won for me, and I now pay that price, possibly with the loss of many of my fish.

I hear ya there. Back when I was a kid, I loved the thrill of finding a cool new fish and putting it right in my DT. Seeing how it looked with all the other fish. I guess back then I was (mostly) just one of the lucky ones. Not anymore... I try that nowadays and all hell breaks loose.

 

[sandwi54]

I added corals and inverts during the 8 week period, my tank was still new and I wanted it to look nicer. Either this or a bad QT(I don't think I screwed up hypo though) was my downfall. Soon after putting everyone back I had a couple white spots show up. Luckily they subsided and all was well.

This is the issue. Even though corals and inverts are immune to ich, ich can still hitchhike with them into the DT. If you add any inverts during the 8 week period, that resets the clock. the possibility of inverts carrying ich into the DT is small, but it's significant enough that we recommend quarantining them as well.

 

[mess7777]

This is the issue. Even though corals and inverts are immune to ich, ich can still hitchhike with them into the DT. If you add any inverts during the 8 week period, that resets the clock. the possibility of inverts carrying ich into the DT is small, but it's significant enough that we recommend quarantining them as well.

Trust me I know, but didn't mean to hijack this thread.

 

[Reefaddict24]

This really sucks. My oldest Hippo tang is fully covered in ich since its stressed from me having to catch another fish and taking it out.

My tank is so huge i can't get the hippo out. Only thing i can do now is watch and hopefully he gets better. :headwally:

 

[Reefaddict24]

anyone heard about this?

Dr. G's anti-parasitic Rx medicatated frozen banquet?

 

[MrTuskfish]

This really sucks. My oldest Hippo tang is fully covered in ich since its stressed from me having to catch another fish and taking it out.

My tank is so huge i can't get the hippo out. Only thing i can do now is watch and hopefully he gets better. :headwally:

Your tang is covered with ich because you have ich in your tank, not because it stressed. ; possibly as a result of not using a QT? Stress doesnt cause ich, ich does.

 

[MrTuskfish]

anyone heard about this?

Dr. G's anti-parasitic Rx medicatated frozen banquet?

This stuff has been mentioned on this forum, I believe. I've never heard of it working on anything; although it claims to cure everything. If, and when, a reef-safe parasite remedy shows up, it will be common knowledge in no time. Copper, tank-transfer, or hypo; all done in a QT. That is the list of ich cures that work.

 

[bperau]

Well I'm heading back to town and should arrive tomorrow. Iv been updated all the fish are still alive. I plan to take out all the liverock, coral, and uncertain and place them in a couple qt tanks since thereafter so much rock, then do hypo in my 180g. Should I hook up a filter capable of being used for a 180g since ill be taking out all the rock?