God!! Ich Infestation
- Thread starter zemuro114
- Start date
gasguzzler
Active Member
What I have done is just draw a 5 gallon bucket full of fresh water, with an airstone, and let it run until the temps match. Then, dip each fish in there one by one with a net for up to one minute depending on the size of the fish and how stressed they get. Repeat the process for each fish. When doing the lion, use a large glass bowl with minimal tank water. This will not harm those beautiful fins or your unlucky hands or fingers. Place the bowl near the surface of the tank, and slowly herd him in with the net. Its tricky. The main thing is to be calm and move with slow deliberate movements. It reduces the stress for you and the fish. Go ahead and dip the damsels anyway, the can live through anything and better safe than sorry. I would not advise this on the eel though. I havent heard of this being done on a moray. They are very disease resistant and when my rays had a parasite infestation, the eel is the only one that didnt get it. The life cycle of ich is probably well known by now to everyone. Just because the spots are off the fish, they are still in the tank. If possible, remove the eel to another tank and treat with copper in LOW doses with decorations, rocks, etc. removed. Do this for about two weeks and then use a copper test to check levels and insert the eel when it goes down. Not fun. HTH, good luck. -Gas
gasguzzler
Active Member
I described all of that above, but has anyone tried hypo on a moray?
saltfisher
Member
COPPER!!!!
Best thing made for Ich.
Best thing made for Ich.
leopard_babe
Active Member
Correct me if i am wrong, but I was under the imprssion that freshwater dips were not good for puffers. If you do take the puffer out, make sure it is in a bucket. You CANNOT fish out a puffer in a net. (Unless it is dead, and mine still puffed a little.)
saltfisher
Member
I net my puffer all the time.
beach bum
Member
hyposalinity on your main tank is not a terrible idea, depending of course on your filtration. Any invertebrate will suffer and/or die depending on how low you drop the salinity, so it is the worst option if you have the live rock/skimmer based type of filtration.
If you do it, make sure to keep an eye on water quality, especially Ph. Also skimmers become much less effective at pulling out waste the lower the salinity gets.
As far as puffers and low salinity, they are probably the BEST candidates for extended exposure to it. As juveniles many species live in brackish water that sometimes even borders on being just plain freshwater.
Copper is a second choice to hypo, imo, but many people have more of an affinity for it. I don't know why as it can cause very long lasting effects on whatever tank, substrate and aquascaping is in the tank when you use it - it is only for quarantine tanks.
best of luck.
If you do it, make sure to keep an eye on water quality, especially Ph. Also skimmers become much less effective at pulling out waste the lower the salinity gets.
As far as puffers and low salinity, they are probably the BEST candidates for extended exposure to it. As juveniles many species live in brackish water that sometimes even borders on being just plain freshwater.
Copper is a second choice to hypo, imo, but many people have more of an affinity for it. I don't know why as it can cause very long lasting effects on whatever tank, substrate and aquascaping is in the tank when you use it - it is only for quarantine tanks.
best of luck.
fishtanker
Member
Originally posted by beach bum
Copper is a second choice to hypo, imo, but many people have more of an affinity for it. I don't know why as it can cause very long lasting effects on whatever tank, substrate and aquascaping is in the tank when you use it - it is only for quarantine tanks.
.
i think people still suggest copper for ich is beacsue there are some strains of Ich that have proven to survive in hypo (13ppt or less). granted its not that common but it can happen. in addition copper is a much faster treatment and if you have a dedicated tank for it its actually easier.
leopard_babe
Active Member
I read that you are not supposed to net puffers, because if they try to puff, you will damage them. It is not good to their health, any comments on that?
gasguzzler
Active Member
Agreed. Use a bowl, like for a lion.
beach bum
Member
they will suck in air instead of water IF they decide to inflate - which many do not, surprisingly.
If that happens you need to cause them to puff up under water again and then expel it when they are head up, tail down in the tank, so the air will rise with the water. Use a net for this trick, not always easy, but not difficult with patience.
fwiw
If that happens you need to cause them to puff up under water again and then expel it when they are head up, tail down in the tank, so the air will rise with the water. Use a net for this trick, not always easy, but not difficult with patience.
fwiw
zephyrlily
Member
can hermit crabs survive hypo treatments?
jtutton
Member
I have a 29 gal. tank. Had set it up and cycled with LR and LS and was ready to put a fish in. Bought 2 damsels and one diesd, one had ick. Not seen in LFS, but they run copper in their system.
Asked another LFS about it as the infestation was light. He showed me this stuff called Stop PArasite. It's pepper based and won't hurt inverts or LR, followed directions, 5 days 2x per day, then 2x per week. After a month, no ick, fish lived, doing great. All inverts fine and LR fine.
I'm sold on that stuff. If you try it, get some buffer up, though as it can lower pH in your tank. I only had to add the buffer up once.
Good luck.
Jane
Asked another LFS about it as the infestation was light. He showed me this stuff called Stop PArasite. It's pepper based and won't hurt inverts or LR, followed directions, 5 days 2x per day, then 2x per week. After a month, no ick, fish lived, doing great. All inverts fine and LR fine.
I'm sold on that stuff. If you try it, get some buffer up, though as it can lower pH in your tank. I only had to add the buffer up once.
Good luck.
Jane