I get to deal with Ich already?

[gleconte]

Well, it looks like my clown has ich. I've already set up a quarantine tank and will be transferring my clown to it today. I plan to treat the clown via hypo salinity. I know that my corals and cleaner inverts will not survive hypo salinity, so do I need to set up an additional QT for them, or will the ich leave the main tank with the inverts and corals in it, as long as the tank is fishless.

[niqiri]

Ich cannot survive without a fish host to feed on. Inverts and corals are not affected by the parasiate BUT can carry it in shells, water, etc, so it is always a good idea to QT inverts for 6 weeks, eight is best. Leave your display fallow for 8 weeks and you will not have any more ich parasites. As for the hypo, make sure you're using a properly calibrated refractometer otherwise you will most likely be at a higher salinity which will allow ich to live. If I were you, I would use cupramine for 4-5 weeks. It's much more simple to monitor.

[gleconte]

I thought of that, but I'm very weary about introducing copper into any of my tanks. Also, just to clarify, in my specific situation, should the inverts and corals be moved to the QT are stay in the main tank?

[Palting]

Inverts and corals stay in the main tank, so long as there is no fish in that tank.

As far as simplicity, cost, and whatnot, I think its a wash between the hyposalinty and copper treatments. Copper requires you monitor copper levels closely, so you need a reliable copper test, and test frequently. You also need to purchase the copper. Hyposalinty you need to purchase a refractometer, and also monitor frequently and have to stay on top of evaporation. Same same as far as I am concerned. The big deal is the reputation, undeserved in my opinion, that you now have a copper tank and cannot be used for anything else. As I said, undeserved.

[Nanz]

Hypo is easier and cheaper IMO.

Everyone in this hobby should have a refractometer.

[Lynnmw1208]

I have always had a lot of luck with coppersafe to treat ich. it works great and doesn't stress the fish out. maybe use this in QT. but I would leave your inverts and coral where they are.

[gleconte]

Great. Thanks for the info everyone.

[rayn]

You will or should by now learn that you need a QT or HT. So if you use copper it won't be that big a deal. Cupramine also balances out with cuprisorb or carbon. SHOULD be able to be taken out. I've used cupramine in mine and after carbon and water change no copper on test. You can always clean the tank and use it for another QT or HT in the long run.

[gleconte]

Yeah, I've got a QT I just slacked on QTing my new livestock. I've using an organic ich treatment right now, and I'll leave the clown Qted for at least 6 weeks, so hopefully this will help me avoid having to use any copperbased products.

[rayn]

You are treating or are going to treat ALL your fish, right. Not sure how many you have, but if one has ich they all have ich. Seen or not.

[Nanz]

Originally Posted by rayn

You are treating or are going to treat ALL your fish, right. Not sure how many you have, but if one has ich they all have ich. Seen or not.

Agreed! Treat all the fish and leave the display tank without fish for 8-12 weeks.

[gleconte]

Yeah, this tank currently only has one fish in it, so its the only one QTed. I left my Coral Banded Shrimp, Snails, and Hermits in the main tank.

[rayn]

Eight weeks here you go

[awilliams4806]

Good luck hope everything turns out well. Just make the 8 weeks if possible, I tried 6 weeks and it didnt get everything out.

[Dwyer]

If you keep the fish eating and happy, is it better to let their immune systems do the work and build itself up to fight off the ich?

[Nanz]

Originally Posted by Dwyer

If you keep the fish eating and happy, is it better to let their immune systems do the work and build itself up to fight off the ich?

Why risk the fish immunity system and keep the ich in your tank rather than eliminate it completely.

Prevention is better IMO.

[Palting]

Originally Posted by Dwyer

If you keep the fish eating and happy, is it better to let their immune systems do the work and build itself up to fight off the ich?

Until you get a power outage, some unexpected change in the tank, or bring in a new fish that is stressed from transport. Then the fish may succumb. Better in the long run to rid the Ich when you can.

On how long to treat. 4, 6, 8 ,12 weeks. Anyhow, before we all get too far with anectdotal reports, just wanted to put out what is known. The Ich life cycle is reported as 28 days or 4 weeks. However, there are caveats that one can not be precise on how long the Ich actually stays encysted in the fish or on the substrate, so these are unknown variables. Hyposalinity kills the Ich in the encysted stage on the substrate, so that can be removed from the uncetainty since they would be dead once they encyst. Its the cyst time within the fish that remains variable.

Increasing the temp to 80-82 degrees reportedly speeds up the cycle, and the temp is well within what fish, coral and inverts will tolerate.

Ok. Now that that's out of the way, my anecdotal report. I kept my QT/HT at SG 1.009 and temp 82. I could not complete 28 days of 1.009 hyposalinity, as one of my prize fish developed anorexia around the 24th day. I started bringing salinity up on the 26th day. DT was fishless for almost 8 weeks. All the fish are back in the DT, and it has been over a month. No Ich. Fingers crossed, no Ich ever again.

[Dwyer]

Just throwing it out there. Wanted to know what others thought. Good points.