Resistance to Ich

[skibum9884]

Hello, I have a Butterfly that is an ich magnet. He constantly has ich in varying degrees however is always active and eating well. It's been 4-5 months of this now. Will he eventually develop a resistance to the ich as I've read before?

I'm trying to figure out the best way to combat this, however since he's otherwise healthy, eating, and active I don't want to complicate things.

Also, treating with copper is out of the question because it is a reef, and while I might be able to remove the butterfly, I don't want to/can't remove all fish for 6 weeks.

Any suggestions?

 

[MikeandNicole]

What are you feeding the fish? I have found good success with feeding a varied diet and dosing garlic, selcon, and amino acids. For a butterfly you can also try adding black worms to their diet as well, won't cure ich but I have heard they love them.

 

[skibum9884]

I'm feeding PE Mysis with Selcon and Elos SVM 2 Pellets mainly (unfortunately the Butterfly doesn't eat the pellets, but others do).

 

[Kieth71]

This is something i am not sure of.If it is the case that the fish develop immunity after a time my sense is that it has to be in a tank with no new additions as far as fish and be very stable with nothing going wrong with the tank for at least a year and that just a guess on my part IE:heater failing or power going out.I myself would not take the chance and would remove all fish and treat in a qt but it doesnt sound like thats an option for you.

 

[Stuart60611]

There has been one scientific study which seems to indicate that if you do not add any new strain of ich to a system for a period of 11 months from when the initial strain of ich was introduced, then the ich will ultimately die off on its own because it can only reproduce a certain number of times. This finding occured by accident when the scientists were experimenting with ich and could no longer breed it after 11 months. Therefore, it is not conclusive.

 

[skibum9884]

This is what I was referring to. I hope that it is true.....

 

[Chris27]

This is what I was referring to. I hope that it is true.....

Even if it is true, Crypt can be introduced into a system from anything that is wet - this includes water, live rock, inverts with shells and corals on plugs or rock - so just because another fish isn't added, it's still possible to introduce another strain of the parasite.

 

[jt09]

dosing garlic

can someone elaborate on this? do i simply mince up a fresh garlic clove as much as possible and add it in w/ the rest of the food?

 

[MikeandNicole]

We use Brightwells garlic and just drip it on our food while it thaws. It is supposed to boost the immune systems of the fish helping them fight disease.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Brightwe...ts-Brightwell_Aquatics-BW01021-FIADAG-vi.html

 

[Kieth71]

I would say for me anyways the only thing that garlic does is get some fish that are not eating to eat sometimes.Their is no scientific proof that it actually boosts the immune system although my father who has been taking garlic pills for a long time would im sure argue with meThe point though is that letting fish fight this parasite on their own is a gamble and its a gamble with your fishes health and well being.You basically need nothing to go wrong with your tank for a very long time including no fighting between fish or equiptment failures and even then its just speculation.This is a parasite not a disease or virus so if they are living with it and doing well it doesnt mean it doesnt make it harder to breath for them it just means they are living with it.I for one qt and treat all fish and i do not go away from this method.Anything else including reef safe medications are bandaids that do not address the problem.

 

[jt09]

hmmm...

have a new atlantic tang that i'm pretty sure has ich. i have a cleaner shrimp, but he's really young/small and the two haven't found one another just yet. tang is eating like a champ, very social and active, but the 2 spots on him look terrible.

 

[skibum9884]

[/QUOTE]have a new atlantic tang that i'm pretty sure has ich. i have a cleaner shrimp, but he's really young/small and the two haven't found one another just yet. tang is eating like a champ, very social and active, but the 2 spots on him look terrible. [/QUOTE]

I'd be a little concerned about 2 spots that look bad. Normally Ich just looks like little salt specks, and 2 spots shouldn't be that bad.....Could it be something other than Ich?

On another note, I'm seriously considering starting Kick-Ich to see how it does. I've heard that with a small outbreak it can work. I'm skeptical, but it's worth a shot before tearing my tank apart as I see it.

 

[jt09]

i'm sure it could be something other than ich, but i'm fairly ignorant on fish diseases.

i'm trying to get a picture of the spots, but he's being difficult!

 

[skibum9884]

Well, I'm going to give Microbe-lift Herbtana a try before I use more drastic measures. We'll see how it goes.

 

[reefboarder]

FWIW I have a 9 month old 120 reef and am going to qt all 8 fish and restack 150 lbs live rock one last time and position corals again in hopes of perfection and continue qt for 6-8 weeks. After everything I have read I would rather just do it instead of trying this and that with no guarantee. Hope this works out for you

 

[wooden_reefer]

I don't doubt that fish has some fixed immunity or defense against ich.

I don't even definitely refute that imminity can be augmented sometimes, to some degree of academic importance.

But I believe very strongly that relying on augmenting immunity against ich is very foolish as it is very chancy, as the confinement effect of a tank can be and often is dorminant and decisive, leading to death and destruction.