Help I Have Ick!!!
- Thread starter skooby
- Start date
dreeves
Active Member
What do you have in your tank as far as life goes? Inverts? Fish? What?
If you have just the fish, though other people in here will debate their personal preferences to you. My personal preference is if you have a QT, take the infested fish out, match the water temp with de-chlorinated water, put the fish into the fresh water, for about 3 minutes, keep a close eye on it during the process. If the guy is doing well, continue for another minute. This eradicates the C.irratans from the fish. Then place the fish into the QT with copper treatment (.11-.20ppm) for 2-3 weeks. A good procedure to follow is to maintain the copper level at the .11-.20ppm for an additional week after the last signs of the C.irritans were observed.
When treating with copper, there are two types, ionic and chelated. Ionic is a preferred type. Ensure whatever test kit you purchase to monitor the dosage is for the same type of copper (chelated or ionic). Also, you may treat with an anti-biotic during the treatment to prevent any secondary bacterial infections created by the tissue damage from the Ich.
Copper will remain in the tank so it is not receommended for your main tank. If you do not have a QT, now would be a good time to get one.
Remember, this is merely my own personal preference for the treatment of C.irritans.
If you have just the fish, though other people in here will debate their personal preferences to you. My personal preference is if you have a QT, take the infested fish out, match the water temp with de-chlorinated water, put the fish into the fresh water, for about 3 minutes, keep a close eye on it during the process. If the guy is doing well, continue for another minute. This eradicates the C.irratans from the fish. Then place the fish into the QT with copper treatment (.11-.20ppm) for 2-3 weeks. A good procedure to follow is to maintain the copper level at the .11-.20ppm for an additional week after the last signs of the C.irritans were observed.
When treating with copper, there are two types, ionic and chelated. Ionic is a preferred type. Ensure whatever test kit you purchase to monitor the dosage is for the same type of copper (chelated or ionic). Also, you may treat with an anti-biotic during the treatment to prevent any secondary bacterial infections created by the tissue damage from the Ich.
Copper will remain in the tank so it is not receommended for your main tank. If you do not have a QT, now would be a good time to get one.
Remember, this is merely my own personal preference for the treatment of C.irritans.
dreeves
Active Member
You need to locate the cause of the Ich as well and correct it. Any fluctuations in water temps, SG or other stress causing conditions, i.e..amonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc. Without locating and removing the stress causing condition, basically you will be "shoveling against the tide.."
skooby
Member
It is a year old 55 gal. Lost a new tang, and then my dominos had salt specks on them. They went away and reapeared now 1 of my perc has it. I have some soft corals, mushrooms, and bubble coral. I also have 90# of LR so it is vertually impossible to get them out. My parameters have been great. Phosphates were up but I brought them down with phosguard. I lost my manerine goby no site of ick, scooter bleeny has been missing, lost sailfin tang in QT tank last night
dreeves
Active Member
Well, either way you go, you will have to remove the fish from the tank. The hypo stuff as well as the copper will usually kill all living, non fish life in the tank (inverts, LR, etc).
I had ich one time in my 90, which generally, err, "irritated" me to the extent that I sterilized the tank, equipment, LR (now base rock), and substrate. Saved the herms...everything else was a casualty...
I had ich one time in my 90, which generally, err, "irritated" me to the extent that I sterilized the tank, equipment, LR (now base rock), and substrate. Saved the herms...everything else was a casualty...
dreeves
Active Member
How long did you have your Mandarin? They are sometimes tough to keep.
As for the treatment, a preferred treatment is a treatment which works for you. There seems to be many advocates of the hypo method, and it probably works well for them. But, treatment methods vary as do the varieties of fish, and is usually a personal preference based on previous experiences with such treatment method.
Research is the best way for you to go while treating your fish pals. You owe it to them and yourself. Good luck.
As for the treatment, a preferred treatment is a treatment which works for you. There seems to be many advocates of the hypo method, and it probably works well for them. But, treatment methods vary as do the varieties of fish, and is usually a personal preference based on previous experiences with such treatment method.
Research is the best way for you to go while treating your fish pals. You owe it to them and yourself. Good luck.
S
simm
Guest
Naa stay away from putting meds in the tank. Especially kick ick. It killed most of my stock. Hypo in a qt is the way to go. Actually the hypo level is 1.009. I learned this the hard way.