Preventing the dreaded "ICK"

T

Texastravis

New member
I plan on upgrading soon an adding fish. I was wondering if a UV sterilizer on a reef tank is ok and if that would in fact help prevent "ick".

The reason im saying this is because our local fish store has NO ICK, none at all and they mix all kinds of fish. The reason being I believe is because they have 3 giant UV sterilizers that all the water from their systems run through.

What is yalls opinion on UV sterilizers and ICK
 
The UV sterilizers at your LFS probably work better in their system than it would in your DT because their tanks are probably barebottom- no sand for the ich to dwell in at that stage of its lifecycle. UV does kill ich but it need to pass through the sterilizer first. This does not happen in most people's systems for obvious reasons.
I am currently in the midst of a massive ich outbreak in my 400 gallon system. Its my fault for not quarantining my fish. I have tried the cleaner shrimp, selcon and garlic soaked food route. I even spent close to $1000 adding a second Emporer Aquatics 80W high output UV sterilizer. Nothing is working. I am pulling out all 450 lbs of liverock, moving my fish to a used 240 gallon that I purchased for copper treatment. My DT will have to run fallow for 8 weeks. Big tank = big problems. Just quarantine. My fish all came from very reputable sources, mostly the Diver's Den section of Liveaquaria.
 
I still dont see how quarantine really works. It seems as though the best way to put fish in a tank is all at once as opposed to gradually putting them in. I dont think you could quarantine that many fish. Also with quarantining fish there will still always be ick in the display right? To my knoledge ick exists in all water usually.

However I guess if it doesnt have a host in the tank it will not exists. I just dont see how QT tanks prevent ick from getting in the tank. The lfs fish have no ick at all, and i mean none, so with this in mind couldnt I just put them strait into the display?

Im just trying to get the best plan of action for when I set up my 200 gallon reef with 100 gallon fuge and a 100 gallon agressor tank plumbed to the reef and fuge.
 
Read up on ich. Their is a wealth of information of Reefcentral. It is possible to have an ich free system. If you quarantine every new fish for 6 weeks you will have enough time to observe if your fish develops ich symptoms and treat it before it goes in your display. It is also not a good idea to added too many fishes at once to a newly established system. Using quaratine actually forces you to slow things down a bit.
 
Fish should be added slowly over a period of time in order to allow your live rock or bioballs to build up additional capability to break down ammonia and nitrite.

QT'ing doesn't prevent the QT'd fish from getting ich. It keeps it from entering your display tank. I've had dozens of fish break out with ich in QT, but I can treat them directly in the QT with copper without affecting any other fish or killing corals.

UV will kill some, but not all of the ich parasites regardless of whether you're running a barebottom tank or not. UV has its limits.

Cleaner shrimp and goby cannot remove ich from your fish. The parasites are buried under the skin of your fish and are protected.

If you browse the Fish Disease Treatment forum a bit, you'll see that the only 2 proven methods for killing ich is hyposalinity and copper. Neither method can be done in a reef tank as they will both kill your corals and inverts.

There are 2 ways you can implement the treatments. 1) move all of your fish to another tank and do hyposalinity or copper 2) move all of your coral and inverts to another tank and treat your display tank directly. In either case, you should put a few pieces of live rock with your fish to handle ammonia.

This is the best article on understanding ich.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php
 
I guess ill just QT all my fish and gradually put them in. I refuse to use copper and the water change/2 tank method is to muych work and requires a lot of money spent on salt for water changes. Ill just do what I have done in the past and Hypo my fish. When I get a new fish I will place him in the QT tank (bare bottom with just pvc in it) should I then just obaerve the fish to see if he sprouts ick within a month? Or should I go ahead and start the hyposalinity when I get the fish to make sure that no ick will get in my display.
 
I now prophylactically treat all incoming fish with cupramine for ich. Since you don't want to use copper, then consider doing hypo for 4-6wks (personally i do 6wks). You'll need to lower salinity over a 2day period and when you're done, raise it over a 7day period. Fish can tolerate rapid drops in salinity much better than hikes.
 
Just keep in mind that hypo is only good for ich and not velvet or flukes. IME flukes and velvet kill more fish than ich.
 
dear god what the heck is velvet or flukes? Is something like that contagous to other fish like ick? I just want a big reef with lots of fish that are all disease free!!

Back to my other question. If quarantining fish do you just stick them in and see if spots sprout in a month or so? Or go ahead and start something like hypo (or other forms of ick killer) to be sure that ick is dead before putting fish in displays. I only ask becuase of fish such as clownfish. I dont think I have ever had a clownfish that has sprouted ick (from what I have seen) but even if they dont show spots in a month of QT cant ick still be on them? Thus spreading to your display wants you put them in?

Sorry for all thequestions, I just want to be perfect when it comes to my fish that ill be getting. Expecially since the majority are tangs. Anyone have any thoughts on Saltwaterfish.com? There prices are pretty decent.
 
Personally I treat ALL fish in QT with Prazipro (flukes and internal parasites) and Cupramine (a very affective and least toxic copper medication for velvet and ich.) Fish can appear healthy and still carry ich, velvet or flukes into the main tank.

Flukes are nasty oval jelly like creatures that can't be seen on the fish unless they move onto the eyes at which point the eye will look cloudy. Search for "flukes" and you will come up with a few threads on it. Nasty little creatures that do spread and kill.

Here is some good reading on ich and velvet (Amyloodiniosis.)

http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/treatments.html
 
Well if yall say I should QT all my bought fish and use prazipro and cupramine on them then thats what ill do. Im looking for the best and i mean THE BEST method to get a disease free reef tank yet having several tangs/angels, etc.
 
Whats best type of filter to put on a QT tank that you plan on dosing with infection medication such as copper, prazipro and cupramine
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13244685#post13244685 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Texastravis
Whats best type of filter to put on a QT tank that you plan on dosing with infection medication such as copper, prazipro and cupramine
Click to expand...

Sacks of "seasoned" bioballs/ceramic-rings from your existing sump
 
I have several large bio wheels, would that work? What media bags to put in. Just foam stuff to catch debris? I know I cant use carbon.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13254890#post13254890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Texastravis
I have several large bio wheels, would that work? What media bags to put in. Just foam stuff to catch debris? I know I cant use carbon.
Click to expand...

Yes, biowheels are fine, but are they seeded with live bacteria? ie have they been running on your display? Cuz you'll need bacteria to have populated the biowheels so that ammonia can be converted to nitrites>>nitrates.

You can also use a poly filter to catch detritus.

QT's don't need to be complicated. Just a simple hang-on filter and some PVC on the bottom for fish to hide.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BigEZ77
Urgent Help Requested - Wrasses Won't Come Out - CB Blue Tang Arriving Today (NO QT)
Replies
8
Views
578
rrrrob
rrrrob
Z
New lps frags - 1 day not doing well
Replies
16
Views
2K
Reefing102
Reefing102
Paul B
The Benefit of Parasites
Replies
4
Views
1K
kelly_12
K
rrrrob
Blue Damsel
Replies
7
Views
2K
rrrrob
rrrrob
NancyT3
Just looking for a shoulder to cry on -- Velvet....
Replies
5
Views
1K
monkeysee1
monkeysee1
Back
Top