Treating Ich in display tank...?

[Jdbrine]

Well unfortunatly it looks like I am having another run in with Ich!!! I have a 90 Gallon mixed reef with a 40 gallon sump. My question is that instead of moving all 12 of my fish to a hospital tank, I was considering just removing all my corals and inverts to a 40 breeder and treating my DT 4-6 weeks with some type of non- copper medication (Maybe Paraguard)?... I was wondering if it would be safe to add corals and inverts back after I have done several water changes and carbon to remove medication. I know this will kill some of the things on my LR in in my sand bed and that I will have to watch out for ammonia spikes. But has anyone ever took this route or had any success? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Chris27]

While on the surface it may seem like an easier option, I assure you it's not. Removing the fish to a QT, and allowing the DT to lay fallow for a period of time is the best medicine for your situation. Copper, hypo and formalin dips are used to break the lifecycle of the parasite and all of these will kill inverts. While hypo may seem like an option in a reef devoid of corals and inverts, there are still inverts in there that you can't see. Everything on the rock and in the sand bed can be killed off by hypo, and there is a good chance of an ammonia spike as a result.

Total eradication is difficult to appreciate until you've achieved such a situation, but put in a little hard work for a month or two and you'll end up a much happier reefer with nice big fat healthy fish.

12 Fish in QT can be done, provided you take the time to set-up a QT with a good bio-filter. Pre-cycle the media in advance and you'll find that ammonia is kept at bay and you won't find yourself doing water changes daily to combat it.

 

[wooden_reefer]

There are at least two ways that any treatment in DT can cause problems.

First, direct impact on nitrification bacteria that cause ammonia to accumulate.

Second, direct impact on inverts (that have to be left behind, too numerous and fixed on rock to remove) whose death then cause ammonia surge even when the nitrification bacteria are not affected.

The second one seems to apply here.

 

[DJPB]

I'm going to get flamed for this, but I would recommend a product called herbtana. I used it in my DT and it did what it said it would, and caused 0 harm to any inverts or corals.

Of course, this is not the best method. The best method is to remove your fish to a QT and treat them with stronger meds. However if you don't have a lot of time to deal with this today or this weekend, stop stressing yourself and give the herbtana a try. Worked for me in the past.

 

[Chris27]

I'm going to get flamed for this, but I would recommend a product called herbtana. I used it in my DT and it did what it said it would, and caused 0 harm to any inverts or corals.

Of course, this is not the best method. The best method is to remove your fish to a QT and treat them with stronger meds. However if you don't have a lot of time to deal with this today or this weekend, stop stressing yourself and give the herbtana a try. Worked for me in the past.

It's hard to flame-ya when you put a disclaimer in there :furious::spin3:

 

[RBU1]

This site only contains constructive critisism no flaming.....LOL

 

[RBU1]

I'm going to get flamed for this, but I would recommend a product called herbtana. I used it in my DT and it did what it said it would, and caused 0 harm to any inverts or corals.

Of course, this is not the best method. The best method is to remove your fish to a QT and treat them with stronger meds. However if you don't have a lot of time to deal with this today or this weekend, stop stressing yourself and give the herbtana a try. Worked for me in the past.

LOL....But that stuff is a waste of money. I assume your talking about that microbe lift stuff. Not a reef safe treatment on the market that works. Just a waste of money......

 

[rkelman]

+1

lol....but that stuff is a waste of money. I assume your talking about that microbe lift stuff. Not a reef safe treatment on the market that works. Just a waste of money......