can you kill ick inbetween its cycle with UV?

mattnano · 01/05/2008, 09:23 PM

I have a 180 gal set up with a powder brown tang and a tomato clown that both have ick. Its still in the first initial stage where you think oh that dosent look bad but we all know that the parasite multiplies rapidly and comes back 10 fold. I was wondering if adding a UV light now ( b4 the ick breed) would be helpfull in preventing the disease from coming back and killing my fish. I also have a lemon peel angel who does not have ick at all so I want to protect him. The reason I ask is becasue the fish are all still doing great, eating well and showing no signs of the disease.

Ehaze · 01/05/2008, 09:26 PM

there is no hope, unless they eat. Just QT everything. if it is not a reef/coral tank dose it with copper, or do hypo.

mattnano · 01/05/2008, 09:31 PM

thats what I was afraid of, If they keep eating the way they have been I might be ok, has anyone had luck with fish surviving from ick outbreaks or should I yank then asap and QT

Roy G. Biv · 01/05/2008, 09:39 PM

Ich live and reproduce in the substrate. A UV will only kill the free floating ones looking for a host. It will certainly knock down the population but never get rid of it totally.

mattnano · 01/05/2008, 09:43 PM

Thats what I was hoping for it to knock down the population that just breeded so that my cleaner shrimp has more time to polish off the remainig parasites.

01/05/2008, 09:23 PM	#1
mattnano Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 184	can you kill ick inbetween its cycle with UV? I have a 180 gal set up with a powder brown tang and a tomato clown that both have ick. Its still in the first initial stage where you think oh that dosent look bad but we all know that the parasite multiplies rapidly and comes back 10 fold. I was wondering if adding a UV light now ( b4 the ick breed) would be helpfull in preventing the disease from coming back and killing my fish. I also have a lemon peel angel who does not have ick at all so I want to protect him. The reason I ask is becasue the fish are all still doing great, eating well and showing no signs of the disease.

01/05/2008, 09:26 PM	#2
Ehaze Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Thornton, Colorado Posts: 1,259	there is no hope, unless they eat. Just QT everything. if it is not a reef/coral tank dose it with copper, or do hypo. __________________ 75g SPS tank, 30gal sump/refuge. Melev RO/DI, Coravue duel calc reactor, MSP 200 skimmer, 2 Vortech MP40, Mag drive 9.5 return, autotopoff.com ATO, 2 CoralVue 250W SE finished pendants(with 20k Radium bulbs), powered by 2x Icecap ballasts, controlled by a ACJR.

01/05/2008, 09:31 PM	#3
mattnano Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 184	thats what I was afraid of, If they keep eating the way they have been I might be ok, has anyone had luck with fish surviving from ick outbreaks or should I yank then asap and QT

01/05/2008, 09:39 PM	#4
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	Ich live and reproduce in the substrate. A UV will only kill the free floating ones looking for a host. It will certainly knock down the population but never get rid of it totally.

01/05/2008, 09:43 PM	#5
mattnano Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 184	Thats what I was hoping for it to knock down the population that just breeded so that my cleaner shrimp has more time to polish off the remainig parasites.