Treating to ICH

[bif24701]

I will start treatment for ICH of all my fish very soon. My first choice was copper but now with some information about all the testing required not sure that is going to work. I am going out of town for 2 months and hoped to put all my fish in a HT before I left and they could be treated there by my wife. Im not sure she will be able or willing to keep up with that. Would you suggest hypo instead? I think that may be the best bet for her. were to I find a good guide on hypo? How quickly to reduce salinity, how long to keep it there, and how to raise it.

Hope to start tomorrow.

 

[MrTuskfish]

IMO & IME, hypo is much more demanding than copper. Hypo requires frequent exact SG measurements with a good, well-calibrated hydrometer and perfect attention to water levels (evaporation, etc.).

 

[NautilusQ]

Try getting some cleaner wrasse. My tangs got Ich once in a while and my wrasse is happy cleaning them up, gone in a few days. I got 3 tangs and 1 wrasse. Even if you decide meds, wrasse still a good prophylaxis for an outbreak.

 

[spieszak]

cleaners do nothing for ich... the parasites they can't get too (the ones in the gills) are the ones doing the real damage... the stickies in the disease forum will explain it thoroughly.

OP - I've never done hypo, because I feared the idea that I would let it slip too high for too long, and never really know if I eradicated it. Copper was simple and easy, and while there are no guarantees, I was pretty confident at the end of the treatment that the ich was gone.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Try getting some cleaner wrasse. My tangs got Ich once in a while and my wrasse is happy cleaning them up, gone in a few days. I got 3 tangs and 1 wrasse. Even if you decide meds, wrasse still a good prophylaxis for an outbreak.

Cleaners do next to nothing for ich. The actual parasite is well under the skin and can't be reached by the cleaner. The white spot is not the actual parasite.

 

[b0bab0ey]

I'd be more concerned about the tank maintenance side of this equation, regardless of whether you go hypo or use copper. What size HT is this? How many fish? Any biological filtration to keep the ammonia in check?

I've got 4 fish currently in a bare bottom 29gal QT, and I'm using copper to treat Ich. I'm using an AC 50 HOB filter w/ a seeded sponge and even then I find myself siphoning fish crap off the bottom every 3-4 days. Is your wife gonna be cool with that? Mine wouldn't be!

 

[MrTuskfish]

I'd be more concerned about the tank maintenance side of this equation, regardless of whether you go hypo or use copper. What size HT is this? How many fish? Any biological filtration to keep the ammonia in check?

I've got 4 fish currently in a bare bottom 29gal QT, and I'm using copper to treat Ich. I'm using an AC 50 HOB filter w/ a seeded sponge and even then I find myself siphoning fish crap off the bottom every 3-4 days. Is your wife gonna be cool with that? Mine wouldn't be!

Train her! (probably explains why I'm single.)