Started Ruby Reef Kick Ich 4-11-2010 ( 4 weeks)

[jdthomas24]

i emailed Ruby Reef to ask about their product and why some say its no reef safe or doesn't work and here is the reply i got from them.

Hello Jason,



Ruby Reef: Kick- Ich was developed to fill the need for a safe and effective treatment for "Ich", (a ciliated protozoa) in both fresh and saltwater. There are those in the aquarium hobby that have not used Kick-Ich or have not used it as directed and claim that it does not work. Some reef tank enthusiasts are steadfast in the belief that no medications used to treat infections are reef safe. Some hobbyists misdiagnose "ich" and some wait too long before using Kick-Ich. Kick-Ich is created to treat I. mutifiliis and C. irritans (freshwater and marine "ich") without harmful side effects on bio-filtration, live rock, corals, invertebrates or planted freshwater aquaria. Kick-Ich binds the cilia of the "ich" parasite during the vulnerable tomite stage and renders the tomite unable to swim or attach itself to a new host, thereby curing the problem. The infested tank itself must cycle through the life stages of "ich" and completely remove the parasites, thus the multiple treatments over the two week period. This science has been thoroughly tested and proven over many years and is used by many successful hobbyists and scientists. Organizations such as SeaWorld, The Smithsonian Institution, The Georgia Aquarium, and others use Ruby Reef products. Many large livestock and aquarium maintenance companies also use Ruby Reef products.



Thank you for your interest in Ruby Reef products. I have attached some literature for you to read. Please contact us again for any questions you have or information you may need.



Best regards,



Don Miller

Ruby Reef, Inc.

 

[bertoni]

Fish can get better on their own, with no medication. Their immune system often can fight off the disease, for example. You have no way of knowing what caused the ich to die off, even if you can show that it's truly gone, not just present at low levels. As far as the advertising from Ruby Reef, there's no evidence that it works, and you can read lots of threads where it obviously failed here on Reef Central.

 

[Jacuzzi]

This thread has been great to read as I am battling ich now in my tank. I went to LFS and was told NO Ich worked and was reef safe. When I got home I researched about it and saw that many said it did nothing while some said it worked. I feel that there is really no difinitive answer here. I have posted about treating ich and gotten all kinds of different responses. Garlic works to defend the fish but doesnt cure and it hurts their liver in the long run. Fish can kick it on their own if fed well and stable. Only copper or hypo salinity works and keep the tank fallow for 8 weeks.
I have never battled marine ich but from the answers I recieved I am going to return the no ich to the LFS and continue to feed with garlic and do 5 gallon water changes ever 2-3 days on my 40 gallon. What I am hoping for is to keep the fish strong enough that I dont have to remove him as I just moved my entire tank two weeks ago which brought on the ich. Worse comes to worse I can always remove him but I am interested in trying other ways to keep the tank stable and not disturbing my corals by pulling them all out to catch him. I'll keep everyone updated on progress but it seems one mans snake oil is another mans aspirin in this hobby.

 

[Toddrtrex]

i emailed Ruby Reef to ask about their product and why some say its no reef safe or doesn't work and here is the reply i got from them.

Hello Jason,



Organizations such as SeaWorld, The Smithsonian Institution, The Georgia Aquarium, and others use Ruby Reef products. Many large livestock and aquarium maintenance companies also use Ruby Reef products.
Best regards,
Don Miller

Ruby Reef, Inc.

This part caught my eye -- it states that those places use Ruby Reef products, but didn't mention the Kick Ich specifically --- I find that interesting.

 

[returnofsid]

The reason it isn't reef safe is because, if it's strong enough to kill Ich, it'll kill beneficial bacteria and other crustacean in your tank. If it won't harm any of that, it's not strong enough to kill Ich, plain and simple.

 

[jdthomas24]

This part caught my eye -- it states that those places use Ruby Reef products, but didn't mention the Kick Ich specifically --- I find that interesting.

AHH you caught that. i did as well and wanted to see if anyone else did.

The reason it isn't reef safe is because, if it's strong enough to kill Ich, it'll kill beneficial bacteria and other crustacean in your tank. If it won't harm any of that, it's not strong enough to kill Ich, plain and simple.

well it states that it does not harm that bacteria but we will see. I have started and no use in stopping now. I have purchased 5 liters worth to run 5 weeks. we will see.

 

[bertoni]

There are a lot of definitive answers, if you want to do some reading. Garlic doesn't help marine fish, and seems likely to cause liver damage, but some fish seem to like the taste, which might encourage a sick fish to eat.

 

[wickedfish]

I used both ruby and kick along with higher levels of salinity and garlic extreme and a buffet of food 2 a day. I only used the skimmer a few hours a day and the uv. and I did not lose one fish or coral, but the bout was 3 weeks long.
Good luck I am new and know didley but be patient.

 

[RegalAngel]

How is KICK-ICH™ different from other “reef safe” ich products?


What’s in it? KICK-ICH ‘s safety has been widely proven in hobby and commercial applications. KICK-ICH contains precisely blended reagents, of certified pharmaceutical purity, whose specific methods of action have been identified and confirmed in research and clinical laboratories around the world. It was therefore possible to develop KICK-ICH as a product focused specifically on ich, without unwanted side effects and secondary activities. No previous manufacturer has been able to provide 5-nitroimidazole reagents in a neutral aqueous solution, nor in any aqueous solution that confers stability upon dissolved nitroimidazoles
---------------

Kick Ich and No-Ich(fishVet, Inc) both use the same active ingredient:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php
"Treatment Option 8: 5-Nitroimidazoles

There is another class of products on the market that are alleged to be a reef-safe, alternative, anti-parasitic medication for Cryptocaryon irritans. The active ingredient of this category of treatments is 5-Nitroimidazoles. I have only used this type of product a few times, but never in a reef tank, so I cannot speak to those claims. I found these to be moderately successful against Cryptocaryon, although it required twice as many applications as the manufacturer stated on the instructions to affect a complete cure. My biggest complaint is how expensive it was, in particular accounting for the amount and time needed to affect a full cure. Anyone who wishes to try one of these products should perform a search on several of the online message boards to get additional feedback prior to purchasing. Based on my own experience alone, I cannot recommend them."

 

[jbird69]

well it states that it does not harm that bacteria but we will see. I have started and no use in stopping now. I have purchased 5 liters worth to run 5 weeks. we will see.

As always, different tanks react differently to similar treatments. I will be interested to see your documentation of the process and hope it works for you. :thumbsup:

 

[jdthomas24]

This AM everything looked good. did not do ay testing last night but i will today when i get home to make sure all parameters are in line since the skimmer and UV are both turned off for now. Fish ate well except for the hippo which is still hiding. when should i become concerned about the hippo not coming out to eat?

 

[jbird69]

Are you offering any seaweed? Do you have a cleaner shrimp?

My hippo was very "hidey" during the ich episode. He came out rarely for a few nips at the nori and mysis. As long as I saw him with the cleaner shrimp I knew he had the will to live. I dont think the cleaner shrimp is an "ich physician" or anything, but as long as the tang was with him I figured he hadnt given up yet. He was in hiding for 2 full weeks. He is now in perfect condition with the exception of a light film over his eyes that is clearing up also.

One other interesting obsevation was both my clowns got it so bad they looked like sugar cookies. But they never showed one sign of discomfort. They played and swam and ate and stayed super fat thru it all.

 

[javimarino]

good thread, keep it up jd.

in the short time i have been in this hobby i have seem that there are topic in witch no matter what people wont agree, ever. sometimes with out a good explanation, just repeating the same answer over and over with out real exprerience or conclusion. like
the garlic issue, reef safe ich med, cleaner shrimp beneficial curing ich, reef safe invert like pepper shrimp, emerald crab and even blue legged hermit. so no matter you result wont change this people mind. i guess you do what works for you.

on the ich issue i believe that the fish can figth it alone w/o med, feeding small but frecuently, keeping good water quality and a cleaner shrimp that can help the fish discomfort.

but hey, new to the hobby! i dont know the first thing. i have battle ich only once with one fish, so i could have be lucky. fish was eating so i didt med.

 

[jdthomas24]

Are you offering any seaweed? Do you have a cleaner shrimp?

My hippo was very "hidey" during the ich episode. He came out rarely for a few nips at the nori and mysis. As long as I saw him with the cleaner shrimp I knew he had the will to live. I dont think the cleaner shrimp is an "ich physician" or anything, but as long as the tang was with him I figured he hadnt given up yet. He was in hiding for 2 full weeks. He is now in perfect condition with the exception of a light film over his eyes that is clearing up also.

One other interesting obsevation was both my clowns got it so bad they looked like sugar cookies. But they never showed one sign of discomfort. They played and swam and ate and stayed super fat thru it all.

I have two large cleaner shrimp and i see the hippo around them when it comes out from hiding. i also offer nori and mysis but if it will not come out then the other fish eat it. i stuffed some nori up under where it hides but who knows if it ate it or not. My Vjaminji eats everything and doesnt care how much you put in the tank. if i feed 5 cubes it will eat until she looks like she will explode!

javimarino- Thanks i will keep everyone informed on the outcome and daily progress.

 

[jdthomas24]

another treatment was done tonight. all fish and coral look healthy so far. The hippo came out to eat a little tonight but wasn't very much.

 

[jdthomas24]

treatment done Saturday morning. Today my blonde Naso is giving up the fight. she has been laying on her side off and on for the majority of the day. I am not sure she will make it through the night. she has been moved to the sump and i tried to hand feed her but she isn't having it. Still pressing on with treatment.

 

[jdthomas24]

Naso has seemed to ne a little mroe sick than the others with ich but is still alive in the sump. No treatment will be done tomorrow. Will skip treatment until Tuesday. I treated for a severe outbreak and only had a mild one so im good by skipping the day. Vlaminji attacked the blonde in the DT, not sure why but she was swimming around a little but then had to put her back in the sumo to stay for now. Anyone ever see a Vlaminji attack a sick Naso?

 

[capnfritz]

+1 Bertoni...
Product did'nt work for me either.

 

[jdthomas24]

Blonda Naso died this morning.

 

[jdthomas24]

email to Ruby Reef

I have treated my tank with your product for 8 days and have now lost a blonde naso and have noticed stress on other fish, I tried your product against others advise stating the product was not reef safe. I purchased several liters of the product for a 5 week treatment and have now found out what all others have stated. This product has caused others to stress and show signs of ich that have never shown signs before in the past.
SeaWorld, The Smithsonian Institution, The Georgia Aquarium, and others use Ruby Reef products.
In assumed this would be you kick-ich brand but i noticed you did not state it but only Ruby Reef products.

I can honestly tell you that out of all the reviews i have read about this product it does not work as stated and the consumer public knows of its false promises. If i was sick with the flu and got medicine that helped me get over it but i died form it who would be at fault? A good fish died today and your product did not help and caused more harm than good.