do cleaner shrimp help with ick?
- Thread starter rileybb
- Start date
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by rileybb
http:///forum/post/2645711
i bought 10 and 2 blood shrimp for my tank as well as garlic..... that helped over night
They pick off some of the parasites. They will not get them all. What sized tank do you have and how many fish?
http:///forum/post/2645711
i bought 10 and 2 blood shrimp for my tank as well as garlic..... that helped over night
They pick off some of the parasites. They will not get them all. What sized tank do you have and how many fish?
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by rileybb
http:///forum/post/2646193
i have a 135g and 7 fish all at 2-3 inches
The shrimp may help. They are not a guarantee though, by any means. Some people have shrimp that will not clean at all. Think about what you are going to do if the ich starts to effect your fish. Sooner or later you will have to treat them. Read Beth's Common Treatments FAQ, at the top of this forum, for info on ich and treatments.
http:///forum/post/2646193
i have a 135g and 7 fish all at 2-3 inches
The shrimp may help. They are not a guarantee though, by any means. Some people have shrimp that will not clean at all. Think about what you are going to do if the ich starts to effect your fish. Sooner or later you will have to treat them. Read Beth's Common Treatments FAQ, at the top of this forum, for info on ich and treatments.
R
rcreations
Guest
Cleaner Shrimp are hit or miss. I've had one for over 6 months now and it has "favorite" fish it cleans. It's good friends with my foxface and believe it or not the humu trigger. But I've never seen it clean any other fish. And even these two fish, not sure what it's cleaning because I've never seen any ich on them.
T
tizzo
Guest
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2645749
They pick off some of the parasites. They will not get them all. What sized tank do you have and how many fish?
One thing I've wondered is...
Do they really pick off the parasite? Or do they pick off the cyst and dead skinthat the protozoa encases itself in?
I'm thinking that it doesn't actually get the the parasite itself, it just appears to do so.
I mean, I HOPE they eat the actual parasite, them my empty DT has double ammunition during this fishless phase as i has 2 cleaners in it. But I just don't know if I buy it...
whatcha think?
http:///forum/post/2645749
They pick off some of the parasites. They will not get them all. What sized tank do you have and how many fish?
One thing I've wondered is...
Do they really pick off the parasite? Or do they pick off the cyst and dead skinthat the protozoa encases itself in?
I'm thinking that it doesn't actually get the the parasite itself, it just appears to do so.
I mean, I HOPE they eat the actual parasite, them my empty DT has double ammunition during this fishless phase as i has 2 cleaners in it. But I just don't know if I buy it...
whatcha think?
m0nk
Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2648811
One thing I've wondered is...
Do they really pick off the parasite? Or do they pick off the cyst and dead skinthat the protozoa encases itself in?
I'm thinking that it doesn't actually get the the parasite itself, it just appears to do so.
I mean, I HOPE they eat the actual parasite, them my empty DT has double ammunition during this fishless phase as i has 2 cleaners in it. But I just don't know if I buy it...
whatcha think?
I'm pretty sure they get the parasite too, when I had cleaners getting my hippo clean a while back they left little pits in her side.
Now, as for the overall ich debate, I used to be an avid proponent for real treatment such as hypo or copper or something. Plus, QT everything, etc... In reality, it didn't work for me, no matter how many times I tried. I have cleaners and feed with garlic and it seems to work for me better than QT and hypo, but that's just me. There are also others that swear by it. My suggestion is consider how much you've invested in your fish (financially and emotionally) and determine if for that investment you are willing to risk the lives of your fish. I was already wiped out in both arenas by trying hypo so many times (only 2 of the fish I started with are still alive today) so it wasn't worth any less to me to try garlic and cleaners.
http:///forum/post/2648811
One thing I've wondered is...
Do they really pick off the parasite? Or do they pick off the cyst and dead skinthat the protozoa encases itself in?
I'm thinking that it doesn't actually get the the parasite itself, it just appears to do so.
I mean, I HOPE they eat the actual parasite, them my empty DT has double ammunition during this fishless phase as i has 2 cleaners in it. But I just don't know if I buy it...
whatcha think?
I'm pretty sure they get the parasite too, when I had cleaners getting my hippo clean a while back they left little pits in her side.
Now, as for the overall ich debate, I used to be an avid proponent for real treatment such as hypo or copper or something. Plus, QT everything, etc... In reality, it didn't work for me, no matter how many times I tried. I have cleaners and feed with garlic and it seems to work for me better than QT and hypo, but that's just me. There are also others that swear by it. My suggestion is consider how much you've invested in your fish (financially and emotionally) and determine if for that investment you are willing to risk the lives of your fish. I was already wiped out in both arenas by trying hypo so many times (only 2 of the fish I started with are still alive today) so it wasn't worth any less to me to try garlic and cleaners.
T
tizzo
Guest
Bah!
It better work for me! My whole tank is in QT in hypo until the 25th at which point I can start raising the SG.
I hafta keep mine at 1.008 though cause almost overnight it goes up to 1.009.
I know if I kept it at .009 then it'd easily get up to .010 and from what I hear, that's not low enough even for one day.
I do hope they eat the actual parasite! Maybe they cleaned out my DT.
I don't know what I'll do if the ick came back.
I know I'm doing everything right, so if it comes back, I would seriously hafta reconsider hypo as an ick option.
It better work for me! My whole tank is in QT in hypo until the 25th at which point I can start raising the SG.
I hafta keep mine at 1.008 though cause almost overnight it goes up to 1.009.
I know if I kept it at .009 then it'd easily get up to .010 and from what I hear, that's not low enough even for one day.
I do hope they eat the actual parasite! Maybe they cleaned out my DT.
I don't know what I'll do if the ick came back.
I know I'm doing everything right, so if it comes back, I would seriously hafta reconsider hypo as an ick option.
confusedfishy
Member
I am in favor of hypo so far with my experiences. The first time I used it I know it saved one of my fish, ich got the rest before I could get it started but my hawkfish survived without any stress at all. He has been back in the DT for a while without any return of ich. I did leave the DT empty for 2 additional weeks for extra precaution. QT does take some work but I would much rather doing that work than watching anymore fish die from ich.
I am currently QTing others doing hypo before they enter my DT and they seem fine too.
I do have one tank that has had the same things in it for months without ever having an ich breakout. I established it before I experienced ich for the first time because now I always QT. I do have cleaner shrimp in it. I have no idea if it is because the shrimp are taking care of the problem or not, if so that is great!
I am currently QTing others doing hypo before they enter my DT and they seem fine too.
I do have one tank that has had the same things in it for months without ever having an ich breakout. I established it before I experienced ich for the first time because now I always QT. I do have cleaner shrimp in it. I have no idea if it is because the shrimp are taking care of the problem or not, if so that is great!
m0nk
Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2648856
Bah!
It better work for me! My whole tank is in QT in hypo until the 25th at which point I can start raising the SG.
I hafta keep mine at 1.008 though cause almost overnight it goes up to 1.009.
I know if I kept it at .009 then it'd easily get up to .010 and from what I hear, that's not low enough even for one day.
I do hope they eat the actual parasite! Maybe they cleaned out my DT.
I don't know what I'll do if the ick came back.
I know I'm doing everything right, so if it comes back, I would seriously hafta reconsider hypo as an ick option.
Yup, been there. I lost fish to the hypo process itself too, never to ich. I kept mine at 1.008 as much as possible in the second round, too, just in case. But even after it all, when I put my fish in the 180 in February, the hippo started scratching against rocks within a week and had a few spots. From that point, I've added 7 fish without QT and haven't had any major issues yet. It's all garlic and cleaners. I've seen the tangs scratch once in a blue moon, but no outbreaks and at present I can say that I haven't seen any scratching for a month or so.
http:///forum/post/2648856
Bah!
It better work for me! My whole tank is in QT in hypo until the 25th at which point I can start raising the SG.
I hafta keep mine at 1.008 though cause almost overnight it goes up to 1.009.
I know if I kept it at .009 then it'd easily get up to .010 and from what I hear, that's not low enough even for one day.
I do hope they eat the actual parasite! Maybe they cleaned out my DT.
I don't know what I'll do if the ick came back.
I know I'm doing everything right, so if it comes back, I would seriously hafta reconsider hypo as an ick option.
Yup, been there. I lost fish to the hypo process itself too, never to ich. I kept mine at 1.008 as much as possible in the second round, too, just in case. But even after it all, when I put my fish in the 180 in February, the hippo started scratching against rocks within a week and had a few spots. From that point, I've added 7 fish without QT and haven't had any major issues yet. It's all garlic and cleaners. I've seen the tangs scratch once in a blue moon, but no outbreaks and at present I can say that I haven't seen any scratching for a month or so.
T
tizzo
Guest
Good deal.
Yeah, I don't think I'd lose any fish due to ick being as that many many hobbyists have it in their tank will no ill effects.
But still, this treatment better work! Maybe when I raise the salinity on the QT, I'll add the cleaners, then make that tank a breeder tank, being that they are both pregnant.
Yeah, I don't think I'd lose any fish due to ick being as that many many hobbyists have it in their tank will no ill effects.
But still, this treatment better work! Maybe when I raise the salinity on the QT, I'll add the cleaners, then make that tank a breeder tank, being that they are both pregnant.
R
rcreations
Guest
I've always been a fan of the garlic and cleaner shrimp prevention myself. Back when I had my 65gal reef tank, I never QT anything and had a number of fish in there. Never got any ich outbreaks and some of the fish, like the clowns are very sensitive to it. Never had any fish die either, except a flame wrasse which jumped out of the tank at night. Otherwise no ich, no sickness of any kind and I bought my fish from two different LFS, plus online.
Just my experience though.
Just my experience though.