ICH: how to cure it, id it, understand it.

[freefallen4key]

Originally Posted by Cflynn62

All valid points another options that I'm surprised has not be discussed is the Hypo salinity method. I have had a 75 reef for a while and in the beginning I had to battle the dreaded ICH. However, after talking with my LFS I did a little research and decided that this was the least aggressive treatment with a relatively high success rate. All that is required is multiple water changes over 2-3 days to lower your tank salinity to around 1.009-8 range. This level must be maintained for roughly 1 month or until all signs of spots are gone (beyond the initial die off as this is simply a stage in the ICH life cycle.) Being that ICH is a simple parasite it can't adapt to the swing in salinity as your fish can and will die. Once your fish have been spot free for around a month you can slowly adjust the salinity back up to the normal 1.025-26 level and observe. This method will save the heartache of losing fish and the pain staking process of removing fish to QT.

do you take your fish out for this or do you do the hypo salinity with them in it... and they can live in a so low salinity without dying?

[ProudSoonersFan]

In reference to the thread in the first post (link), I have some questions about some of the Observations, Claims, and Common Myths as I'm new to this and haven't even purchased any livestock yet (or even have an aquarium up and running).

8. Aquariums always have Cryptocaryon irritans. This is untrue. Cryptocaryon irritans can be kept out of an aquarium. Just quarantine all fish, rock, sand, sponges, and filter medium and don’t let non-quarantined livestock get into the aquarium.

Q: I've read that the inverts don't need QT but do they need a dip of some sort? What about buying some chaeto for my refugium?

13. If the Cryptocaryon irritans can't always be detected, then why bother with a quarantine procedure? In the confines of a small quarantine and being there for no less than 6 weeks, the Cryptocaryon irritans parasite will make itself known because the fish is weakened and the fish can't get away from being re-infected by multiplying Cryptocaryon irritans parasites. In other words, the quarantine procedure instigates a 'bloom' of the parasite which will make it visible to the aquarist. When this happens, treatment is appropriate with one of the three proven treatments.

Q: In reading this long thread, it appears as though some people observed that putting their fish in QT that ich never appeared until they put the new fish in their DT. Perhaps they didn't leave the fish in QT long enough but for argument's sake, is it possible that putting a fish in QT for 6 weeks or even a little longer, that you can fail to invoke a noticeable infestation of ich even if they are "carriers"? If so, what is the probability of this happening?

Last question: Where I live (north Alabama), there aren't very many good LFS unless I travel a couple of hours to the nearest large city. With that said, is there a highly reputable source for purchasing fish online with minimal possibility of coming with ich (perhaps Live Aquaria)?

[rayr18]

Live Aquaria is good. Also check out REEF2g, I read many good things about them.....they are also reasonably priced

[shellsea]

Good read. I am once again fighting ich w/ a new hippo tang. I have learned quite a bit from the first post here. Long time reefer but stuck my head in sand about QT for years. I am now convinced to set up a QT for future. That will help new additions. What about DT?
Can I use the hypo salinity method on my DT with 100 lbs live rock, various mixed coral, huge derasa clam

[FastUno]

I had lost a fish or two years ago to ick. This time I figured to play it safe and setup a quarantine tank. So I sacrificed a tank, heater, & pump, since afterward it is useless because of the chemicals.

I used Quick Ich Cure & by the time I got to the 3rd day at least 3 of my angels looked like crap. Their skin was peeling & they were not responding as well. They had come to me perfectly healthy shipped & I stressed the hell out of them by putting them in a quarantine. Two died already. So I am out of fish & out of the wasted dry goods.

This is sickening and after reading this thread and talking to some local reefers, I am more confused than ever. Don't do this because it only stresses them out further, but setup a QT tank. Set one up for what then, if it is going to stress them further and nothing seems to really work 100%.

You risk killing the fish regardless.

[amlights]

Originally Posted by freefallen4key

do you take your fish out for this or do you do the hypo salinity with them in it... and they can live in a so low salinity without dying?

Hypo salinity can benefit fish in that is allows for water to hold more oxygen. The amount of "stuff" that can be dissolved in water is finite. This includes the amount of oxygen. When dissolving more salt in water the salt takes up some of the "room" that could hold oxygen. Remember, oxygen (O2) is different from the oxygen in water (H2O).

If you've even watched a fish with ich (crypto) they will often almost pant. Ich/crypto also affects a fishes' gills. With their gills affected they can't breathe as well and they end up panting like a hot dog. Give them more oxygen and each breath becomes more efficient. What it ultimately does is gives that fish more oxygen (for function), makes them more comfortable, and gives their bodies the strength they need to fend off the infection.

The reason [most] freshwater fish can't live in salt and most marine fish can't live in fresh is because of fluid balance. They have different mechanisms to regulate fluid balance based on weather or not they've evolved in fresh or marine environments. Their oxygen exchange systems is much closer in design, so marine fish can live in lower salinity environments as long as their's enough salt for them to regulate fluid.

[7391eidde]

I had a Blue Tang that had it. Nothing would work. I tried Garlic Extreme and it cure it. Put the the drops directly into the aquarium.

[gtmow00]

My tank is 9 years old now and I haven't seen ich in a long time. I do remember back when I first started, I tried a product called Ich Attack with great success. I know some people may disagree, and that is ok, but it did work for me. I had coral in my tank as well, and they were not affected by the Ich Attack treatment. I just followed the instructions with many treatments and water changes. I found my QT to be pointless, so I eventually turned it into a breeding tank for saltwater mollies. Lol

[amlights]

Originally Posted by gtmow00

My tank is 9 years old now and I haven't seen ich in a long time. I do remember back when I first started, I tried a product called Ich Attack with great success. I know some people may disagree, and that is ok, but it did work for me. I had coral in my tank as well, and they were not affected by the Ich Attack treatment. I just followed the instructions with many treatments and water changes. I found my QT to be pointless, so I eventually turned it into a breeding tank for saltwater mollies. Lol

+1

I've used Ich Attack. It worked OK. I liked it because it's 100% natural and safe for inverts. I used it with shrimp in the tank and they were fine. There was no way I was going to catch fish out of my tank and wasn't going to take all the rock out.

It's not as good as copper. But, you can leave the fish in. Pulling fish to treat them in quarantine can add to the stress. It's a decent first step if you catch ich early. But, you have to keep up with it, dose it regularly, and hope for the best!

[robert s b.]

I have used regular garlic paste from the grocery store, I just mix it with the food in the water cup while the frozen food thaws out, and let it soak for a few minutes. I still use it once in a while for prevention. I have not had ich for quite some time.

[cklayko]

OK I'm off to a bad start, but I kinda thought this might happen... I recently started a new tank, its a 100g shallow reef. The tank has cycled and is ready for fish. In parallel I have been QT'ing a powder blue tang and hippo tang separately for 4 weeks. No sign of ich, so yesterday I made the move and wouldn't you know, I wake up this morning to my powder blue covered in ich. So at this point I have no corals in my display, a couple of clown fish and these 2 tangs. Is the consensus that I should lower my salinity level for 6-8 weeks and feed well? Or is there a medication I should just add to the tank since there are no corals? If I add medication, what should I make sure I do before I start introducing corals to the tank in the future? Thanks in advance for the guidance.

[Tevosyan]

I have cryptocaryon in my tank and yesterday my blueface angel died.
So I decided to move all my fish and corals to LFS so they will cure them but now I need to fight with this ich that are still in my tank.
Please advice me what can I do to get rid of this ich but without harming my live stones and sand and also I have some hermit crabs and doctor shrimps in tank.

I have read somewhere that if I will keep my tank without any fish for 4 weeks it will eliminate all cryptocaryon, so will this help? or I need to do something else?
Thanks in advance

[ifarmer]

from my experience, sometimes it's cheaper to tosh the icked fish out rather than try to qt the fish. Sometimes it's not worth it.

[deadlycombo82]

This is the reason I don't buy Tangs. It feels every time I buy one I have to treat the Ich

[amlights]

Copper based medications are the best (in my experience) for treating ich. I highly recommend Cupramine.

[MTF7]

When I first started my tank and added my diamond goby he had a small sign of ich just a few noticeable white specs the only reason that I did not quarantine him because I just picked him up and had to leave immediately and did not have time to prep my quarantine tank ( change water add water, change filter and all that) so I acclimated him for 15min luckily the place I bought him from is 10 min from my house. So I added him into my tank knowing that he possibly would have started ich in my system. When I got back a week later ( I had someone attempt to feed him they said he ate a little but mostly sifted the sand), A deal for a pair of two snowflake clowns came up 2 for $60 I could not pass this up! So I setup my quarantine. Placed them in the quarantine and went to work on my tank with the goby in it. Like I said there was only a small amount of white spots 3-5 so I bough some garlic extract and mysis shrimp and soaked them in there and fed them to him he gladly ate them, about a week later I added my snowflake clowns to the tank, and a set back and heartbreak happened one ( now the male) had some white spots on him so I went into overhaul changing 10 gallons right away and buying all garlic formula 2 pellets with garlic I believe and it is their favorite now the will peck at the flake kinda and eat some mysis when I feed mysis to the tank but will readily take the pellets! And also adding drops of garlic to my tank just 2-4 not many and continued the feeding patterns with garlic and weekly 2-4 drops after a water change and luckily enough it was beaten! I read all these things saying it was so hard and I am so thankful that this worked for me! Guess just catch it early and garlic is your best friend! 6 months later my clowns are in great color! A nice deep orange and hopefully by my predictions by May 2014 they will be mature enough to lay eggs! I then plan on trying to breed a black snowflake with the offspring or the original pair!

[wezfish]

Originally Posted by Blinkgyrl2987

I agree 100% and it seems others agree as well. Ultimately everyone makes a different choice, but I've vowed to never use chemical treatment for Ich again. The damage that it causes to the fish is just not worth it. I commend you on your new outlook!

Does a freshwater dip actually cure it? I thought it causes a temporary relief. Also, can it go away on its own?

[E Rosewater]

Originally Posted by wezfish

Does a freshwater dip actually cure it? I thought it causes a temporary relief. Also, can it go away on its own?

Fresh water dips do nothing for ich.

Ich is a parasite, it will not go away on its own as long as it has a fish available to act as a host. The outbreak may settle down to the point where you don't see visible signs of ich, but that does not mean it's gone.

[Jrbutitta]

is this ich? I picked him up from the LFS and as soon as I placed him in the tank I noticed a white dot on his tail fin... I've never dealt with ich before so forgive me if it's blatantly obvious. It's only the one spot and he doesn't appear to be in distress. He's been in my tank for 8 days and still has it.

[billsreef]

Picture isn't sharp enough for a proper ID, however, it that spot looks a bit too large to be ich.

[Reel North]

I have read to page 2. I am going to comment assuming that the last 3 pages are the same. Good diet, clean water and garlic and whatever else makes my fish healthy. They get it only when I add fish. When the power goes out. etc etc. At the end of the day, ITS IN THE TANK. Your fish may have a resistance to it. But they still get irritated by it.

Just take the fish out. CURE THEM. KILL THE PARASITE. And then make sure to leave the tank EMPTY for 72 days. NO FISH. Keep you fish in the QT for that long. MAKE SURE ITS GONE.

Then you don't have it in your system any more.

Anything is feel good for the aquarist and a ticking time bomb for your fish.

Ick is like russian roulette. Some people just get to play the game a little longer, but everybody loses eventually.

[Reel North]

Originally Posted by ifarmer

from my experience, sometimes it's cheaper to tosh the icked fish out rather than try to qt the fish. Sometimes it's not worth it.

SERIOUSLY?!

That fish is a living creature. Its ALWAYS WORTH IT. My LFS told me that and I don't buy anything there anymore.

[Mael]

Well my Mocha clowns showed signs of ich last night, so I did a quick QT setup got them moved over and started with a half dose of the copper treatment before going almost full dose by tonight. Problem is I am away from home 9-10 hours a day for work so I dont have the time to do multiple water changes throughout the day.

I am hoping we caught it early, and I got lucky as they were the only two fish in my tank except a firefish and the spots were almost not visible, only when they turned while swimming could you catch a glimpse but Id rather be safe so into a hospital tank they went. Filter(no carbon), heater and since I didnt have any PVC i put one of my coffee mugs in there so they had a place to hide and feel safe.

Will test my copper levels when I get home and adjust accordingly.

[Randyvan1]

I had an ich problem until I started soaking the food in garlic guard. The ich cleared up and I continue to use the garlic with every feeding. I know the ich is probably still present but by keeping the fish's immune system in good order they fight it on their own. They seem to love the garlic now.

[Ambrosiad]

I just noticed the white spots all over my clown goby. There were none 12 hours ago! He's still eating. I have a baby anemone, feather duster, two coral frags, and two hardy clownfish in the tank as well. My question is...Is there ANY way to treat this without quarantining the fish and killing everything else in the tank? I don't know how I'll catch him, or get all of the live rock out of the tank, or honestly have time with three kids and the 12 hours shifts I work. I purchased him about 4 weeks ago, but my clowns are a year and a half old. I really don't want any of them to die. I'm worried about the corals and anemone so much. Can they get this as well? I've read a few comments on here mentioning the product "Ich Attack", is that an option? Please help me save my tank