Ick Question

Eric45 · 05/11/2010, 12:28 PM

In an otherwise healthy tank, with otherwise healthy fish, is it possible for the fish to cure themselves of Ich? Is there anything I can do to help them do so w/o resorting to removing them from the display tank. I don't want to lower the salinity to the levels required for fear of killing my corals. But is there anything else I should consider? Iodine?

sslak · 05/11/2010, 12:35 PM

I've seen fish have a couple spots and recover just fine without intervention from the owner.

My angel had one white spot (not sure it was ich) the day after I introduced it to the display from QT and it was gone 2 days later.

A healthy fish should be able to recover IMO...if it eats well and swims normally, my opinion is hands-off. Let "nature" work. If it continues to get worse you may need to take action.

Maybe someone who keeps tangs would have more experience with ich...I just hate treating fish for anything if they are behaving well/eating. I feel that anything I do to them has more of a chance to hurt than help.

Eric45 · 05/11/2010, 01:01 PM

Yeah they are all eating and look fine - including the achilles tang that brought it in to the tank. I'm not sure there is much I can do anyway. But so far so good -- it's been about a week since I first noticed the tang had it. Seems to come and go on him. A few spots on the others but nothing at the moment.

Jacuzzi · 05/11/2010, 01:12 PM

My coral beauty had an ich issue after a move but was fine for months before that. I decided that taking him out and into a qt would stress him out more than anything so I didn't. I have just fed him well with high quality foods done water changes every few days and just kept a close eye on him and today about 4 weeks later there has not been a sign of ich on him for at least the last week.

sedor · 05/11/2010, 02:22 PM

I have had many fish contract ich and after some time it went away. The thing is its not necessarily going away, but the fish is just building its immune system to fight it. Ich is kind of like a virus, once its there its pretty much there for good unless you go to the extreme of using copper on all the fish and leaving the tank empty for 6 weeks.

My motto is if the fish is eating then let it ride it out on its own, if its not eating and getting more and more lethargic, then intervene.

05/11/2010, 12:28 PM	#1
Eric45 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 725	Ick Question In an otherwise healthy tank, with otherwise healthy fish, is it possible for the fish to cure themselves of Ich? Is there anything I can do to help them do so w/o resorting to removing them from the display tank. I don't want to lower the salinity to the levels required for fear of killing my corals. But is there anything else I should consider? Iodine?

05/11/2010, 12:35 PM	#2
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	I've seen fish have a couple spots and recover just fine without intervention from the owner. My angel had one white spot (not sure it was ich) the day after I introduced it to the display from QT and it was gone 2 days later. A healthy fish should be able to recover IMO...if it eats well and swims normally, my opinion is hands-off. Let "nature" work. If it continues to get worse you may need to take action. Maybe someone who keeps tangs would have more experience with ich...I just hate treating fish for anything if they are behaving well/eating. I feel that anything I do to them has more of a chance to hurt than help. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

05/11/2010, 02:22 PM	#5
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	I have had many fish contract ich and after some time it went away. The thing is its not necessarily going away, but the fish is just building its immune system to fight it. Ich is kind of like a virus, once its there its pretty much there for good unless you go to the extreme of using copper on all the fish and leaving the tank empty for 6 weeks. My motto is if the fish is eating then let it ride it out on its own, if its not eating and getting more and more lethargic, then intervene. __________________ Ryan

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05/11/2010, 01:01 PM	#3
Eric45 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 725	Yeah they are all eating and look fine - including the achilles tang that brought it in to the tank. I'm not sure there is much I can do anyway. But so far so good -- it's been about a week since I first noticed the tang had it. Seems to come and go on him. A few spots on the others but nothing at the moment.

05/11/2010, 01:12 PM	#4
Jacuzzi Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bay Area Posts: 278	My coral beauty had an ich issue after a move but was fine for months before that. I decided that taking him out and into a qt would stress him out more than anything so I didn't. I have just fed him well with high quality foods done water changes every few days and just kept a close eye on him and today about 4 weeks later there has not been a sign of ich on him for at least the last week.