STABILITY
Kordon Ich-Attack is stable indefinitely in the 5.0% aqueous solution, providing it is kept in a cool dark place to avoid decomposition. Refrigeration is a useful way to preserve the activity of the treatment.
COMPATIBILITIES AND TOXICITY
Kordon Ich-Attack as an organic herbal treatment is focused in its effectiveness in treating protozoan, fungal, and dinoflagellate infections. It may be an inhibitor, but is not an eliminator of infectious viruses, bacteria and multi-celled organisms. Ich-Attack is compatible with the other Kordon organic herbal products, namely Rid-Fungus® and Ich-Attack®. Ich-Attack can be used with all Kordon Water Conditioners such as the NovAquas, the AmQuels, PolyAqua®, and Fish Protector™, all Kordon Water Clarifiers (Trans-Clear® and Sea-Clear®), and all AquaTru® Water Quality Test Kits.
Regarding the toxicity of Kordon Ich-Attack to fishes and aquatic invertebrates -- it is not toxic to them. It may be that fishes and aquatic invertebrates die during treatment but numerous repeated experiments at more than ten times dosages of Ich-Attack have shown that the causes of their deaths are not the Ich-Attack treatment, nor does it contribute to the causes of deaths. What has caused the deaths besides the infecting diseases, that are too far advanced to be cured by treatment, needs to be determined by the keeper.
Ich-Attack is safe for use in all kinds of aquariums and ornamental ponds, as well as on scaleless fishes (such as loaches, elephant noses, electric eels, knife fishes and catfishes), coral reef fishes, young fish and fry, reef aquariums, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates (such as snails, crustaceans, corals and sea anemones), amphibians and aquatic reptiles.
However, the success of this treatment (as with all effective treatments) is dependent upon starting treatment as soon as infections are anticipated or noted. It often can be late in the extent of infection when it is noted in fishes, which may be too late to save them. As an example, for some species of white spot disease (Ich), the infection usually starts unnoticed in the mouth, gills, and nostrils of the fish, only later appearing on the outside surface of the fish when it may be too late to save their lives by treatment.
Ich-Attack will not stain sealants, ornaments, plastic or living plants, and will not unduly affect the pH or permanently discolor the water. Ich-Attack does not affect beneficial nitrifying bacteria.
Regarding Marine Tangs (surgeon fishes, acanthurids): They are prone to have extensive infections that they bring in from the wild, and for which there is no known successful treatment when the infections are too far advanced. Always quarantine tangs before putting them with other fishes (see "The Importance of Quarantining New Fish Arrivals Intended For Community Aquariums...".
Regarding Freshwater Sting Rays: Freshwater stingrays (dasyatids) have acclimated to fresh water from marine ancestors. They are fragile in aquarium keeping and prone to infection. They need to be handled carefully. Often their survival time is short in aquarium keeping, regardless of their care, and they are prone to succumb unexpectedly. If this is during treatments for an infection, it can appear that the cause of their demise is the treatment, when in fact it is not.
Regarding Coral Reef Animals: Freshwater snails and shrimp, and the coral reef animals (shrimp, crabs, coral, anemones, etc.) are compatible with Kordon Ich-Attack. It can be that in setting up a new aquarium with fishes and coral and/or anemones, that with the fishes being infected and being treated, the coral and anemones will shrivel up, sometimes dying. The organic herbal treatment may cause an initial retraction of the coral and/or anemones, but will not be the cause of their dying. Deaths are going to be due to adverse aquarium conditions, and not due to the organic herbal treatment being used for the fishes.
For example, corals and anemones may be adversely affected by the intensity of the aquarium lighting, including in new aquariums. One of the key factors in coral bleaching on natural coral reefs is in excessive light, as well as in excessive water temperature, and other natural factors. If excessive lighting is used in marine aquariums, this can
