Possible to kick ich in a reef tank?
- Thread starter MarkO
- Start date
Whats making me laugh over this is that a scientific study was done on this and garlic was not proven to cure anything....Not saying you're wrong about garlic, but doesn't hurt for him to try something that's far easier than pulling all the fish and only takes a day or two. That being said, curing something is far different from clearing it up. I take pseudoephedrine when I have a cold and it makes my sniffles go away, but I'm not cured. No, not the same as garlic, but just putting it in perspective. Perhaps garlic may not cure the fish, only aid or repel. To add to this, there have been many shall wel say, "not too scientific or useful" scientific studies. I'd love to see this study cause I'm sure it'd be great info on the subject.
or perhaps the allicin in the garlic helps fend off other infections (bacterial or other...which it has been known to do, scientific studies and all). Thus, helping the fish fight off ick. I'm done with this conversation. I can understand some noting the lack of reliable information and saying that it may not work. However, some of the comments here insinuate that the itellegence of individuals that believe it can help is lacking, this is insulting.
Here are some things worth reading, no, they don't prove garlic does anything, they also prove it's not proven to NOT do anything.
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/h_cortes-jorge.html
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php
Bartelme, 2003 and and Cortes-Jorge, 2001
Terry Bartelme wrote:
Herbal remedies (i.e. garlic)
Using herbal remedies to combat Cryptocaryon irritans or ich has become more commonplace over the past few years with marine aquarists. Garlic, in particular, has become popular. The foods are soaked daily with garlic prior to feeding the fish for several weeks to combat ich. Unfortunately, evidence to support garlic's effectiveness or lack thereof, for the treatment of Cryptocaryon irritans is anecdotal (Bartelme, 2003a. Cortes-Jorge, 2000). It seems to work in some cases, especially with light infections, and not in others. However there is some evidence to support garlic as a treatment for some other types of parasites.
An extract of garlic, allium satiyum, has been reported to eradicate trichodinids (Madsen et al. 2000). It has also been demonstrated that garlic extract kills Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, at the theront stage within 15 hours. Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is the freshwater parasite that causes an infection that is often referred to as ick.
The extract was prepared by crushing fresh garlic cloves. The juice was then added to the aquarium at a dosage of 62.5 mg/L to kill theronts.If more than 50% of the theronts died the concentration was recorded as effective ((Buchmann, et al., 2002). A dosage of 570 mg/L was required to kill 100% of the tomocyst stage of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Preliminary tests using allium satiyum indicated that it has no effect on trophonts in the skin of fish (Buchmann et al., 2002). The amount of active compounds varies widely among the different varieties of garlic and the use of garlic, by adding it to the water, may prove to be unrealistic ((Buchmann, et al., 2002).
The mechanism of host location for Cryptocaryon irritans is unknown (Colorni & Burgess, 1997). It has been suggested that garlic, when administered orally to fish, may interfere with the parasites ability to parasitize by camouflaging the chemical attraction of fish (Cortes-Jorge, 2000). Chemical attraction requires further investigation (Colorni & Burgess, 1997).
Just a quick search, and I'm sure there's more to refute garlic and to support it. But it would be stupid to outright say it can't work and doesn't work. Perhaps there are other things in play, but we don't know. I'm done.
Here are some things worth reading, no, they don't prove garlic does anything, they also prove it's not proven to NOT do anything.
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/h_cortes-jorge.html
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php
Bartelme, 2003 and and Cortes-Jorge, 2001
Terry Bartelme wrote:
Herbal remedies (i.e. garlic)
Using herbal remedies to combat Cryptocaryon irritans or ich has become more commonplace over the past few years with marine aquarists. Garlic, in particular, has become popular. The foods are soaked daily with garlic prior to feeding the fish for several weeks to combat ich. Unfortunately, evidence to support garlic's effectiveness or lack thereof, for the treatment of Cryptocaryon irritans is anecdotal (Bartelme, 2003a. Cortes-Jorge, 2000). It seems to work in some cases, especially with light infections, and not in others. However there is some evidence to support garlic as a treatment for some other types of parasites.
An extract of garlic, allium satiyum, has been reported to eradicate trichodinids (Madsen et al. 2000). It has also been demonstrated that garlic extract kills Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, at the theront stage within 15 hours. Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is the freshwater parasite that causes an infection that is often referred to as ick.
The extract was prepared by crushing fresh garlic cloves. The juice was then added to the aquarium at a dosage of 62.5 mg/L to kill theronts.If more than 50% of the theronts died the concentration was recorded as effective ((Buchmann, et al., 2002). A dosage of 570 mg/L was required to kill 100% of the tomocyst stage of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Preliminary tests using allium satiyum indicated that it has no effect on trophonts in the skin of fish (Buchmann et al., 2002). The amount of active compounds varies widely among the different varieties of garlic and the use of garlic, by adding it to the water, may prove to be unrealistic ((Buchmann, et al., 2002).
The mechanism of host location for Cryptocaryon irritans is unknown (Colorni & Burgess, 1997). It has been suggested that garlic, when administered orally to fish, may interfere with the parasites ability to parasitize by camouflaging the chemical attraction of fish (Cortes-Jorge, 2000). Chemical attraction requires further investigation (Colorni & Burgess, 1997).
Just a quick search, and I'm sure there's more to refute garlic and to support it. But it would be stupid to outright say it can't work and doesn't work. Perhaps there are other things in play, but we don't know. I'm done.
Thales
Active member
Possibly. However, there are still issues about how this happens and if feeding it to fish is an effective delivery system - ideas that are covered in the articles you linked.
Thats too bad. I thought it was a nice conversation.
I don't see any of that. Sorry if anything that I wrote made you feel that way - that certainly was not my intent.
I don't think anyone in this thread said it has been proven to not do anything.
Paul B
Premium Member
Gobie, I know, no one believes this. I have been trying to find out why this happens for years. I know a few doctors and authors in the field and we still have no clue. If it is because the fish become immune (which it seems) why do new fish not get infected. I know there is ich in my system, for 35 years I have been putting fish in there, three this week from a dealers tank that was infested with ich, most of the fish in the tank where I got a blue stripe pencil fish were dead from ich. I would love to know the answer to help the people whose fish have this disease. When I started in the early seventees all fish had ich and most of them would die in the dealers tanks. We diden't even have copper then. I had very bad problems for the first eight years or so, no matter what I did, there was ich everywhere. We had to keep copper in the water continousely to keep anything alive. Those rocks and gravel are still in my tank by the way.
As for garlic, I am not an expert on it's use since I have no ich but I love it in linguini and clams.
Good luck guys (and girls)
Paul
:beer:
tangreef68
New member
maybe a new heater is in order, that could cure the temp fluctuations
