best way to treat ich

[Jalgar]

Established Quarrenteen tank and copper.

[bertoni]

I don't believe that every tank contains marine ich. That disease is caused by a ciliate, and it usually can be killed by hyposalinity and copper. Likewise, there's no reason that a healthy fish can't get marine ich if exposed.

Lots of animals recover from an ich infestation without treatment. The tank might or might not continue to harbor the parasite. The reason they recover is most likely acquired immunity. That's the same idea behind vaccination. Like vaccination, sometimes it works, sometimes the immunity is permanent, and sometimes it fades.

[manderx]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
...and chances are you won't get an outbreak if you use a quarantine tank properly for all new additions.

...and remember that the vast majority of quarantine tanks are a 10g with a whisper hang-on that has been sitting dry for the past few months in a closet that is setup that day (but it's ok because they fill it with water from their display tank )

which is why i believe hospital/quarantine tanks kill more fish than they save.

[jthao]

ok, this is just my experience. I've lost many fish from ich, and have learned everything there is about ich. So now, I don't lose any fish to ich anymore. I once was asking questions about ich, and people gave me links to read. It's helpful, but after you read everyone's opinion about it, you sit there and say "huh"??? so here's what works for me. Copper is complicated, too much and the fish dies, too little and it doesn't really work. UV sterilizer doesn't really do anything to ich besides kill a few that just hatched. Different fish will do better with different treatment. as far as tangs go, hyposalinity works great!!! If you do what you're suppose to do, and you do it correctly, the ich should start disappearing from your fish within a few days. I'm not going to go into detail about hypo because that's what you're suppose to research on how to do(follow people's links). But the treatment goes beyond the hypo. I feed my fish with flake food that has garlic in it, omega one usually (feed small portions like all day long, as long has he keeps eating, keep feeding). And I use these "all natural reef safe" chemicals. all it's suppose to do is help the fish build up his immune system, and help with his skin to heal from the ich burrowing into it (I don't know if these "chemicals" help, but I use it anyways). The stuff I use is called Biotic something, it's cheap though (under $10) That treatment always worked for me for tangs. other fishes, well I don't want to say too much because I haven't had enough experience with treating other fishes. But as far as tangs go, I know what I'm doing (since losing my sohal, I've promised myself not to lose another tang). Also for those that believe all tanks have ich, hahaha, go read more about the ich cycle!!! once your tank is ich free, it's ich free!! unless you introduce a fish that has ich into it.

[Randall_James]

Originally posted by bertoni
I don't believe that every tank contains marine ich. That disease is caused by a ciliate, and it usually can be killed by hyposalinity and copper. Likewise, there's no reason that a healthy fish can't get marine ich if exposed.

Lots of animals recover from an ich infestation without treatment. The tank might or might not continue to harbor the parasite. The reason they recover is most likely acquired immunity. That's the same idea behind vaccination. Like vaccination, sometimes it works, sometimes the immunity is permanent, and sometimes it fades.

I would agree with this for sure..
Following Ich outbreaks is funny business for sure and it can pose a real problem for experts trying to figure out what really works. From "accurate" diagnosis to eradication.

[Aquarist007]

I see this all in three strategies:
1. how to handle new aquistions--very few people who disagree that you shouldn't use a quarantine tank.

2. how to treat new aquistions who break out with ich in your quarantine---the norm of experienced seems to lean towards hypo salinity--very convienent when the fish is in the quarantine tank to begin with

3. how to handle a break out of ich in the main tank---and surmizing from the reading and info on this site---the only safeguard is to use quality foods with and without garlic and hope that they build up their health to handle the situation or hope that they have aquaired an immunity with doing the above.

[bertoni]

Personally, if I got an ich outbreak in the main tank, I'd move the fish to a hospital tank and run hyposalinity.