what is THE BEST non copper ick treatment?

[PuffersKick]

I'm really battling ick in my new tank. ALL my fish have it. I really DO NOT want to put copper in my tank with my LR and crushed coral b/c it will be ruined forever.

I have no means of a QT tank. So I need a treatment for the display. I have read and read and read and they say the same thing.

Has anyone actually used anything that has worked? Please help!

 

[TerryB]

I am surprised that you haven't heard of hyposalinity. It would be better to move the live rock when you treat with hypo and you cannot use it on inverts.

Terry B

 

[Psionicdragon]

You can always catch all your fishs and put them in a rubber maid from Target. That can be your QT tank while things settle. Interlink two rubbermaids and make it a tank with a sump . Instant noodles!

 

[PuffersKick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6835525#post6835525 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TerryB
I am surprised that you haven't heard of hyposalinity. It would be better to move the live rock when you treat with hypo and you cannot use it on inverts.

Terry B

Yes I've read of hyposalinity, but it will also kill off my LR. I've put in a whole bottle of "Marine Max" over the past week.... little results thus far. And I'm feeding with garlic EVERY feeding...

 

[TerryB]

There really isn't any consistently effective treatment that can be used in a tank with live rock or inverts. If you cannot treat with hyposainity or copper then about the only real choice is to use garlic with a powerful UV light. It may not work, but I think it is the best method other than the proven effective treatments. The third proven effective treatment is the transfer method. The transfer method requires two quarantine tanks that the fish can be moved between every third day.

Terry B

 

[PuffersKick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6835795#post6835795 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TerryB
There really isn't any consistently effective treatment that can be used in a tank with live rock or inverts. If you cannot treat with hyposainity or copper then about the only real choice is to use garlic with a powerful UV light. It may not work, but I think it is the best method other than the proven effective treatments. The third proven effective treatment is the transfer method. The transfer method requires two quarantine tanks that the fish can be moved between every third day.

Terry B

I have a HUGE UV on my tank already. I thought it was supposed to kill off any parasites in the tank? Could it be installed incorrectly or something?

 

[TerryB]

UV lights are actually more effective when placed between tanks in a multi tank system. That way all the water has to flow through the UV before it passes to the next tank. In a single tank system a UV is not as effective. The problem is that the parasites can easily attach to the fish before they pass through the UV light. To maximize the effectiness of your UV you need to make sure the bulbs are new (probably have to change every 6 months), the bulbs are clean and free of materials that build up on them, the wattage has to be high enough for the size of the aquarium and the water flow must be at the right rate. Water flow that is too fast does not allow enough exposure to the bulb. Water flow that is too slow does not expose as much of the water as needed per hour. A powerful UV that is used correctly can help, but it is tough to cure the fish of ich. Tomonts usually hatch at night when the fish are settled close to the bottom making them easy targets. Some people claim that garlic works while others have tried it and said that it had no effect. There isn't any hard evidence that garlic is effective as a treatment for ich

A quarantine tank isn't really optional if you want to be successful in this hobby for long. Failure to quarantine is one of the top reasons that people quit the hobby IMO. You could use a large Rubbermaid container, a heater, some PVC pipe for hiding and an air driven sponge filter for biological filtration.

Terry B