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

[monicaswizzle]

Well, I doubt that we will "solve" the issues here, but in the interest of letting others know my experience--

I have used "Kick ich" a number of times (maybe 7 total?) on my reef tank. The first few times the infections were pretty light and they cleared up during treatment without any obvious harm to any of my other tank residents. I have no proof that Kick Ich had anything to do with that, but I wouldn't have had "proof" if I had been using a less controversial product either.

Given that it is a HUGE hassle to catch fish in a reef tank, and my previous experiences with Kick Ich, I used it a few more times. I didn't keep detailed records, but I know I had one instance where it didn't seem to impact the ich at all and another where I needed to do two full cycles of the required dosing before the ich subsided.

Somewhere in there I had a bad experience where a number of my corals died or got very sick looking during treatment. Again, I have no proof that it was "Kick ich" that did the damage, but it caused me to look online and find that others have reported similar experiences.

Given that I have much nicer and older corals in my tank than I did the first few times I used Kick Ich, I am very unlikely to risk using it again. I am very good about QT of incoming fish (don't add them anyway, in most cases), and generally hesitate before adding anything living to my tank. I don't do a good job of QT on corals or other high light organisms that I add because I don't have high light on my QT.

I haven't had any ich in any of my tanks (salt or fresh) for over a year, so I don't really know what I would do if it showed up in my reef.

Good luck! It is very disturbing to have a problem and not know if the cure is going to help or make things worse.

 

[yaridong]

ich article

ich article

http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/the-marine-ich-epidemic/


just as an FYI i have a friend where ruby reef kick ich worked following this format:

1. do a 20-30% water change and and add a double dose of marine ich.
2. wait three days and then do another 20-30% water change and a single dose of marine ich
3. do this process up to 5 times.
4. even if ich has fallen off the fish before the 5 treatments has been executed, continue on with the process to ensure the eggs in the sand or rock have been killed.



OR

move all your fish into a quarantine tank for a full 30 days so the ich cannot attach itself to anything (in the article it describes how if you can leave your tank fish free for a full month all the ich will have died off)

 

[redsea2012]

I am a physician and we use the same ingredients (Metronidazole eg: Flagyl, Nidagyl etc.) in humans all the time and honestly, I don't see any reason why it won't work on the fish, but the problem is not with the treatment it's by the source of the infection, let's say we human get infection from eating bad food and we treat this infection and we go back and eat from the same food then most likely will get the same infection again, I think by using the Kick-Ich we use the treatment but we don't remove the source of the infection which is where ever the tank water goes, and it's really hard to sanitizes the tank because we need a lot of beneficial bacteria. Stress on the fish makes her weak and that's when we see the signs and the symptoms of the ich.

 

[f3honda4me]

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.

Exactly. And that's because they don't use kick ich because it doesn't work. My cousin is a biologist at sea world. She said they treat ich and other stuff proactively and use extensive QT with copper or hypo before a fish is put into a main tank. She stated emphatically "kick ich does not work to kill or rid a tank of ich".


To the OP. there is no point. If your ich goes away it had nothing to do with kick ich. Fish can naturally survive ich. And if the fish die, the company blames you and will say that you didn't use their product correctly.

 

[shredmaster]

Just remember the visible signs of ich will clear up on its own in 8-10 days (roughly) if the fish continue eating. This can give you a false sense of success with treatment products. Because the parasite would have gone away anyway.

I just got thru a nasty bout of ich by feeding heavily. I did lose 2 fish, but 5 others that had it bad are now 100% cleared up.

From my experience, It may show up again when the cycle is complete but if my fish are strong and unstressed, it will be mild and easily fought off. After that, If my fish continue in good health, it wont show up again. Tho I also know it will always remain in the system unless I go fallow.

I tried kich-ich many years ago and it did nothing but stress corals, some of which never recovered.

you aren't going to kill a parasite by feeding your fish heavily! you need to starve the parasite by removing all your fish and placing them in a QT for at least 6 weeks. with no food source the ich will die. ich never just goes away.

 

[snorvich]

If you bathe with a rubber ducky when you have chicken pox your chicken pox will go away.

Now, you tell me!!! :beer:

 

[snorvich]

you aren't going to kill a parasite by feeding your fish heavily! you need to starve the parasite by removing all your fish and placing them in a QT for at least 6 weeks. with no food source the ich will die. ich never just goes away.

Well, not exactly. Tank transfer of fish will eliminate ich on fish in 12 days. Copper or CP may work in 30 days (most of the time). The fallow period (no fish in the tank) to guarantee the removal of ich in the tank is 72 days.

 

[apercele79]

what's the final consensus on this product? Just started using it this week myself, hopefully it works

 

[jason2459]

what's the final consensus on this product? Just started using it this week myself, hopefully it works

It will not work. At least it wont work for killing cryptocaryon irritans ("ich").

 

[kmbyrnes]

The only thing it will do is lighten your wallet.
Please do some reading and get your fish some proper treatment.

 

[mjc0760]

The response from the company clearly states, "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..." So if the ich cannot attach to a new host, I assume it will starve. Interested to see how this plays out.

 

[jason2459]

The response from the company clearly states, "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..." So if the ich cannot attach to a new host, I assume it will starve. Interested to see how this plays out.

It's played itself out many times over the many years. It does not work for cryptocaryon irritans (marinen ich). What else it may do other then add organics in your water that may feed cyano or empty your wallet I do not know.

 

[snorvich]

It's played itself out many times over the many years. It does not work for cryptocaryon irritans (marinen ich). What else it may do other then add organics in your water that may feed cyano or empty your wallet I do not know.

Exactly

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Not to kick up an old thread, but I have to laugh at reviews and people automatically stating this doesn't work or whatever. This product, dosed as directed will NOT impact or cause death to any fish, unless severely overdosed in my experience. There is no reason why this couldn't work if directions are followed. The ingredients are proven to kill ICH. Yes, it's a 'watered" down version, however, formalin at anything less then 1% will not kill parasites, which is why this is slightly stronger then that. Even a 2% solution is proven to kill external parasites. I am not saying this works or doesn't. I'm simply stating, if you followed the recommended dosing, including shutting down UV's and skimmers and it doesn't work, then by all means let everyone know.