Reef Ich Problem - Need Advise

[RiversideGator]

I have 75 gallon reef tank with fish and coral. I added a new fish last weekend and my Chevron Tang developed Ich spots three days ago. I have not performed any treatment yet and no other fish show any signs of Ich.

• I cannot transfer the fish out into a copper-treated tank
  
• I cannot go hypo salinity due to the corals
  
• I cannot raise the temperature due to the corals
  
• I want to treat using a "reef safe" Ich medication

Should I use Kick Ich or Ich X or do nothing?

Please advise.

Thanks

Matt

 

[Aznreefer]

Option is very slim in a reef tank. I'd lower my SG down to 1.018-1.020 and raise temp to 82f w/out any ill effect to my reef($1000 worth). I haven't use any of the product you mention so I couldn't say about its effectiveness. I would suggest you run UV sterilizer too. It's all worked for me, GL!

 

[FocusFin]

I have kicked Ich, Hlle and Septacemia all with the simple use of Selcon which is simply a diet supplement.

Recently, I was shocked to see my Blue Tang was covered in Ich, he looked like he had been rolled in salt. I tried desparately to catch him but gave up.
Instead, I started using Selcon in all food going in the tank. If your Tang eats nori just use about 1 ml and let it soak in.

I used this same method 6 months ago when my Yellow tang had Septecemia and 6 months before that when he developed hole in the head.

Here is a link to a thread I posted on, scroll down to the bottom to see before and after pictures of Selcon use on the HLLE.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1998798

 

[Tang tank]

I have had success with using a UV sterilizer, along with soaking the frozen food with Metronidozole and Focus. It really worked for me. Just keep your fish eating and the water quality great and hopefully they will pull through! Good luck

 

[Sk8r]

Temperature does not affect marine ich.
There are some treatment suggestions for large tanks within the stickies.

 

[oakleyx]

What you should do is buy a quarantine tank and put all your fish in it and treat with cupramine or hypo

Your need to allow your DT to go fishless for 8 weeks

This is the only way 100% way to get rid of it.

All other stuff like kick itch will not work.

 

[sjwitt]

I've had success using Herbtana in my mixed reef system.

 

[snorvich]

Temperature does not affect marine ich.
There are some treatment suggestions for large tanks within the stickies.

Temperature acclerates the life cycle of cryptocaryon irritans (good if the tank is fallow, bad if the tank is not since there will be more ich to attack your fish) but it also reduces dissolved oxygen in the water which will negatively affect those fish with ich in their gills.

I would suggest reading Cryptocaryon irritans above.

 

[FocusFin]

I do not believe you can permanently rid a tank of Ich. You may rid the tank temporarily but at some point a fish will be introduced with it even if you quarantine. I treated my Hippo with copper and 8 weeks in quarantine before going in the tank and he still develops ich once in a while.

Ich is a fact of life in this hobby and medicating is only treating the problem once it's happened. Good nutrition is by far the best way to prevent disease in fish, a strong immune system is the best defence.

Don't get me wrong, all fish should be quarantined before going into a tank but this will by no means prevent disease. A fish can show no signs of Ich while in quarantine and develop once in the tank. By the way there is plenty of evidence to show that removing fish to a hospital tank or quarantine once infected can exacerbate the problem by adding stress to the fish.

As stated above I was in the same position as you two months ago (only much worse) and an improved diet was all that was needed to get rid of the problem.

 

[MrTuskfish]

.

Ich is a fact of life in this hobby and medicating is only treating the problem once it's happened.

There may be some anecdotal evidence that says this statement is true. However; I think it is wrong and goes against every published study I have ever seen. Tanks CAN be ich free (I have 4 of them) and tanks CAN be completely rid of ich. This parasite has a known life cycle and will be completely eliminated if a tank is allowed to go fishless. I know how touchy this subject is getting to be; but I prefer actual scientific evidence and advice from recognized experts (Fenner, Goemans, Burgess, et al.) to one person reports on the internet. Just to cover all the bases: diet, garlic, "reef safe'' miracle cures, and U.V. will not completely prevent or cure ich. Ich can seemingly disappear for a while, but will return, often in devastating numbers. The OP is looking for an easy answer that doesn't exist, IMO.
Everything in the thread, with the link posted above by snorvich, is correct.

 

[FocusFin]

There may be some anecdotal evidence that says this statement is true. However; I think it is wrong and goes against every published study I have ever seen. Tanks CAN be ich free and tanks CAN be completely rid of ich. This parasite has a known life cycle and will be completely eliminated if a tank is allowed to go fishless.

Just to clarify, I did not say that a tank cannot be ich free. I said a tank will not stay ich free if a fish carrying it is introduced to the tank. I am not aware of any foolproof method of predicting ich in fish.

 

[FocusFin]

I prefer actual scientific evidence and advice from recognized experts (Fenner, Goemans, Burgess, et al.) to one person reports on the internet.

From Wet Web Media - By Bob Fenner:


Cryptocaryon irritans is a parasite with a direct life cycle, i.e. requiring no intermediate host like an invertebrate to complete its life cycle. The time per generation is temperature dependent, ranging from a few days for tropical to a week or more. If one considers the possibility of "resting stages", marine ich can wait out weeks to months before seeking out fish hosts.

Crypt free systems

There are such things, but unless the aquarist is diligent in altogether excluding these parasites through quarantine, treatment outside their main displays, most aquariums will instead host latent infestations... with discernible populations of Cryptocaryon coming to be through environmental challenge/s to their fishes. In actual fact cysts of Cryptocaryon can stay viable for a few to several months, hence ultraviolet sterilization, use of biological cleaners, allowing systems to go fallow... only decreases the number and virulence of these parasites. Once in a system, the system itself is infested and the only practical means of control becomes providing an optimized and stable environment.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Good info above. I know that tougher strains of ich are constantly developing. The answer, like it always in these cases, is QT everything first. Nothing seems 100% anymore, but letting a tank go fishless for 6+ weeks will rid the tank of ich most all of the time. Most ich strains don't seem to be the "next" generation yet. Preventing the evolution of ich into a tougher strain is another real reason to QT. IMO, if these little bastards are able to evolve some defense against present treatment, and some (not all ) have, what's to prevent them from evolving a into a parasite that also resists the protection of good diet, water, etc.?

 

[b0bab0ey]

You could also soak your fish food in garlic, worth a shot.

 

[MrTuskfish]

You could also soak your fish food in garlic, worth a shot.

There MAY be some long-term benefit to a fish's immune system from garlic. But, like vitamins; nothing is going to change overnight. Garlic will not (in itself) either cure or prevent any parasite. If you want to use garlic, fine. But do use it INSTEAD of other treatments. If nothing else, it will keep vampires away.

 

[RiversideGator]

Thank you all for your advice. I will describe my actions thus far and will share my successes and failures (I hope there won't be any).

Matt

 

[z3r0ko0l]

any updates?

 

[RiversideGator]

Day 1

Noticed a few Ich spots on my Chevron Tang - Normal behavior and eating well. No other fish show any signs of Ich.

Day 3

I started soaking the food in Selcon and garlic juice. All fish feeding well.

Day 5

I performed a 27% water change and noticed the Chevron Tang starting to have a difference in breathing with slight jerky motions. Still eating well.

Day 6

Dosed with Kick Ich at 6:00 AM; Tang is still breathing different and still only a few spots. At 10:00 PM he was hiding and breathing heavy but came out to eat. I see a few new spots. Still no sign of spots on other fish. Some Pulsing Xenia are withered and do not look well.

 

[Sk8r]

I fear it's in his gills. Certain of the ich cysts have fallen off and headed to the sandbed to develop in greater numbers. Read the life cycle sticky above. I fear it may get worse before it gets better.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I fear it's in his gills. Certain of the ich cysts have fallen off and headed to the sandbed to develop in greater numbers. Read the life cycle sticky above. I fear it may get worse before it gets better.

I agree. Ich loves a fish's gills. Ich, and similar parasites, can kill without being very visible (or not visible at all). This is good example of why why knowing your fish and its normal behavior may be the most important skill to learn in this amazing hobby/addiction. (IMO)