All Known Info On Ich Treatment Please

[eric4usa]

I have gained some usefull knowledge from this board regarding fish illness and marine parasites.
However, I believe this is such a large and commonly mis-understood subject (including myself ) that a master FAQ thread about the subject should be created by the most knowledgeable about the subject.
I Am aware of Hyposalinity, Copper and other treatments.
This is to consolidate all of that info.
Please post information regarding the SUCCESSFULL TREATMENT of common parasites, speciffically ICH.

 

[beth]

Hyposalinity and copper treatments are the only really reliable treatments for ich.
Hyposalinity is the safest, thus we simply recommend that here when someone is asking for an ich treatment. The info for they hyposalinity treatment is in FAQ section.

 

[eric4usa]

Thanks for the info.
I currently have a sick Powder Blue tang and Picasso trigger both with ICH.
I have them in a hospital tank with *slight* hyposalinity and copper treatment.
Like anyone else, I want to do anything possible to make sure my fish live when they get sick.
I'll look foreward to any new information that may be helpfull to this mennace of the hobby.
Thanks again.

 

[eric4usa]

O
Thanks again for the help.
The salt level is 1.019, so just slightly lower than my main tank.
Should I slowly bring it up a point or 2 over a few days?
I just dosed the first treatment of copper the day before yesterday (It says to wait 48 hrs before bringing copper levels up to .5mg/l).
Still looking out for the health of my fish so any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[eric4usa]

I decided against the copper treatment and did not bring levels up to effective levels.
My fish went downhill real quick (Powder blue, Picasso trigger and Volitan lion).
I panicked and did a 25-30% water change.
I refilled with fresh RO watter.
This definately eased their situation, however I was convinced that they would not make it through the night.
They made it, however my Powder blue was definately on his last leg.
At this point I am so frustrated with seeing my fish go down that If I honestly thought of quitting and getting out of the hobby.
I cannot stand to see them die.
I did another 25% water change with fresh RO as a last ditch effort before bed.
Salt level was/is 1.011.
Another "they won't make it through the night".
Next morning was a DAY and NIGHT difference.
I can't even explain the difference.
Powder blue went from gasping for breath, basically dying in front of me, to happily swimming and 1000% difference in apperance.
Lion had a whole film of crap come off of his eyes and body, now his eyes are much clearer and he's acutally swimming now.
I sat in front of that tank for a good half hour just amazed.
I realize that hyposalinity is a long process, but I still can't believe the difference after less than 24 hours.
Also, Powder blue ate some garlic treated food (He hadn't eaten for a week untill now)
I am not an expert in this hoby and I realize the way I went about this is entirely wrong, But If it wasn't for this message board, I wouldn't have a clue what hyposalinity is.
THANKS SO MUCH
I have a hydrometer coming in the mail (should be here tomorrow) so then I can accurately bring the salt down to 1.009 calibrated for tank temp.
I will follow All advice you may have on this treatment and I want to treat this for at least 30 days.
As you have said, hyposalinity is the way to go and I really want to thank Terry B and Beth for the help

 

[eric4usa]

Temp is steady at 80
I am now lowering the salinity in my main tank and will probably leave it like that for quite some time.
It takes more water changes than I thought, about 4 30gal water changes (10%) each so far and still not there.
I also have PH buffer to keep that constant.
From reading most of these posts, It sounds that people might be raising the salinity too soon, so I want to give it ample time.
I still don't have the hydrometer, should get it today, so I have kept my 55 QT around 1.012-1.011 with my stupid swing arm thing.
All my fish are now greatly improved.
Lion is eating out of my hand again and eyes are almost all clear.
Powder blue is completely clear of anything now and is the poster child for this treatment. I should have taken before and after photos, Seriously.
All spots clear on Trigger.
Orange sholder is the only one still really effected, he started a day later in the QT after I saw improvement with Lion and Powder blue. He has white clumps now that look like they're about to fall off.
And it's still been less than a week!!

 

[sbubandit]

Will hyposalinity harm corals. We don't have a QT, just the main tank. We have a bunch of coral, and a few fish. A lawnmower blenny, 2 black perculas and three blue-green chromis. Through all our ICH problems, the chromis and the blenny have been fine, without so much as a symptom. Everything else, including clowns, tangs, and angel have died. The two black percs are starting to show small white specks on them. What should we do?

 

[eric4usa]

Well, I'm learning myself obviously.
What I believe the ideal solution is to quarantine no matter what, mainly because you have coarl.
Hyposalinity will kill/hurt all corals and inverts.
I am starting to believe that time/patience is the key.
People will either not treat the ich long enough, increase the salt too soon, or not let their main tank remain fishless for at LEAST 30 days.
I was very skeptical about hyposalinity and now that I'm almost a week into it, I wouldn't reccomend anything else, mainly because it's somewhat natural, no chemicals.
I would recomend getting a cheap tank at least 20gal, nothing smaller (they're not too expensive)
It will allways come in handy for whatever,
You can throw some rock with aptasia in there, or if you ever get other fish you will have to quarantine them for at least 3weeks anyway and you'll want them to have some room to breathe.
It could also turn into a refugium or someting in the future.
This hobby can get obscenely expensive, but a second tank is a necessity.
The cost of the second smaller tank will pay for it's self with the money you will save from replacing dead fish.

 

[eric4usa]

Update and question.
I still have my main tank and QT in hyposalinity at 1.009sg.
Everyone seemed to make a full recovery.
My question is on my Powder blue.
He recovered, regained color and seemed completely normal.
Now after a week and a half, he seems be loosing some ground.
His color is faded, he is erratically swimming and scratching, but mainly I am concerned about red sores right where his side fins meet his body.
Not sure if it's a bacterial infection or what, but it just looks like an open sore.
He had this before he developed full blown ICH, so I'm wondering if there's another wave of ICH ahead, or if it will just go away again.
I put a dose of Melafix antibacterial stuff in there.
Let me know what to do please.

 

[eric4usa]

I received my Hydrometer but failed to read that it only measures between 1.018 - 1.028 before I ordered it.
I used this to "calibrate" my swing arm thing. (It reads one point higer than actual)
I wish I had a refractometer, but so expensive.
The salt level has been constant at 1.009, sometimes 1.010 before I replace water for evaproation.
PH is 8.3 kept constant with buffer.
I'll try the larger watter change but I am scared that won't slow the infection down much.
I'm aware the melafix is mild, that's why I threw a single dose in there (mainly for my mental well being)
I've never dosed with Maracyn-Two or Nitrofurazone (Furacyn).
Which is better, and how much do I need for my 55QT ?

 

[eric4usa]

Well, I dosed with maracyn-two
My powder blue just went downhill faster it seems.
He started swimming around blindly bumping into things.
However his color returned.
I left him overnite, he seemed the same in the morning.
I just got home from work and found him basically dead on his side.
He is still breathing and moved his eyes when I came close.
Ripping my heart out.
I said to myself, maybe this medicine is killing him.
So i scooped him with a pitcher and put him in my main tank that's in hypo and same water perameters.
Is there anything humanly possible that I can do at this point?
Or do I have to just watch him breathe his last breath?

 

[eric4usa]

Just an update:
My Powder blue did not die
I put him in my main tank because I could not bear to flush a fish while it's still breathing.
Well, he laid there on his side for a while, I came back after a few minutes to see him kind of dragging himself on the sand sideways.
He eventually was able to swim in circles but I was absolutely convinced he was blind as he was bumping into everything and scratching himself up.
That was 5 days ago,
Now he's on another recovery track, eating, scars healing, and regained his sight.
This is the second time he's walked away from death and I'm just crossing my fingers that it's for good this time.
All my other fish are fine and none were affected by the maracyn-two except Powder blue.
He might be alergic or something wierd??
Still have the tank at 1.009 and it will remain there for some time.

 

[vitamin sea]

the fresh water bath has really worked for me
its easy if u get a big zipplock baggy and float the fresh water 4 like 20 min
get the ph the same and make sure the water is pure

 

[tarashane]

Hello. We had a hippo not that long ago. He was almost a foot long (we bought him that way). The minute we took him home, we was acting weird. "Docking" or "wedging" himself in the LR so he wouldn't have to move. We thought he was just lazy. Eating only a little bit. We thought he was fine @ the LFS because he couldn't wedge himself anywhere, they didn't have any rock in the tanks there. We later found out it's in their nature to wedge themselves so they don't have to move.
Then the problems got worse.. He started getting white bumps all over (looking like ich) and then "holes" in his body. There was like 5 of them all over. Before we could try and treat him, he passed. All of the other fish were fine and still are.
Is yours still doing okay? I hope so.

 

[eric4usa]

Another day down and Powder blue is still getting better.
He's comfortably swimming around the tank at full speed sometimes and not hanging around the output nozels of the tank. I really like salt water fish because they seem more 'intelligent' than fresh water fish.
When he had ICH, Powder blue would stick his face in the heavy stream of water I assume because he could feel those damn parasites digging into his face and was trying to blow them off.
I think it's cool that he 'knew' something was wrong and was trying to do something about it, rather than just swim around.
Anyway, I guess laying on your side 90% dead is not good for your tiny scales if you're a tang. He has some good wounds from that, but one side of his body is entirely healed.
(I'll try to post a picture)
Over the last couple days he's gone from a bite of food, to full meals.
I guess what people say about the Powder blue being a difficult fish is because of exactly what I'm going through with this guy:
- The ICH nearly killed him.
- He recovered (Hyposalinity)
- Secondary bacterial infection nearly killed him.
- Bacteria medicine blinded and rendered him "mostly dead"
- I dropped his motionless body in main tank to escape the medication - and to die peacefully.
- He pulls himself from death, only to blindly run into lion fish with his face and scratch against rock wounding himself.
- Finally he can see, and no signs of ICH or bacteria, but looks like he has brusies from a fight.
THIS DUDE IS A TROOPER!!!!!
I can only imagine the stress.
I think what helped was he was in EXCELLENT health before the sickness and was fat enough to live a good while without eating.
Still crossing my fingers

 

[eric4usa]

Ok, so it's been over 2 weeks since I've had my tanks in hyposalinity and now my Powder blue has ICH again.
What's going on?
I have my salt at 1.009, Ph and temp are constant.
Is this the final wave of ICH before the parasite dies?
Or is this a never ending cycle?
Getting real sick of this damn parasite.
Please help with any info on this situation.

 

[eric4usa]

Yeah, I figured that was the case.
I ordered one last night, and I needed more buffer anyway.
$50 just hurts the wallet, but if it saves my fish, it'll be worth it.
I guess I'll try selling my hydrometer.
I heard that higher temperature accelerates the growth/lifecycle of ICH, and lower temp slows growth.
Is there an "ideal" temperature to keep durring hyposalinity?
My tank is still at 80.

 

[eric4usa]

By the way, the hydrometer I have is a Large glass one. (Like 14" long)
This one only measures between 1.018 and 1.028 sg.
It sinks to the bottom in my tanks that are lower salinity.
It appears only a refractometer is capable to measure salt that low, unless there's another hydrometer out there that measuers lower salt levels (I couldn't find one).
Any reccomendations on this kind of hardware?