Ich in show tank

[beth]

Wow, Scuba, haven't seen you around in awhile. Nice to still see you are here!

Pretty much a big risk using reef meds, IMO. If you try that and it fails [likely] then you will need to proceed with a viable treatment such as hyposalinity.
Take a look at the FAQ Thread in the Disease Forum for info on ich and treatment. There is also a post there with links to topics about reef safe meds. I suggest you review those before taking that option.

 

[mikeyjer]

Personally I don't like using those meds to treat for ich period! Hypo would be a better choice like what Beth mentioned!!! :happyfish

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
mystic, there's no reason to get another thread of yours closed again because of sarcastic and offensive comments. I am not saying this to purposely attack you, but for the sake of the original poster. If you and ScubaDoo want to fight about cleaner wrasses, take it somewhere else, please.
Like stated, the best way to really get rid of ich is a quarantine tank with hyposalinity, allowing your main display to run fishless for 6-8 weeks.
Also, if you are going to get an animal to remove ich from your fish, I would STRONGLY recommend to stick with the neon gobies or cleaner shrimp. Cleaner wrasses should not be removed from the wild, as this could have very severe long term effects if it continues. Neon gobies can be born in captivity, and do just as good of a job, if not better. Mystic, I am glad yours is living well, but most do not. Just because yours is living does not make it right to have hundreds of them die at the LFS.
Just so we are clear, I also said the best way to treat ich was hyposalintiy. People are going to do what they want to do though.
It's just like telling someone at an LFS that cycling a tank with damsels is wrong. They are still probably going to do it because they don't want to wait 6 weeks to see fish in their tank...

 

[stanlalee]

Just for the record I'd like to add that Stop Parasite and RxP both use pepper as its main ingredient which is suppose to cause the fish an accelerated slime coat that sloffs ich off with the slime coat giving it a "false host". RxP is suppose to use a "trade secret" plant extract that is suppose to cause the ich cell walls to explode once off the fish. Both products smell and taste like pepper (and damn hot and uncomfortable, dont ask). both can lower pH significantly if buffer capacity isn't up to par. I just mention it because people critisize RxP for being a pepper remedy and praise stop parasite not knowing its a pepper treatment too.

 

[wyvern]

Ok, I got the Kick Ich, but haven't used it yet. I started feeding frozen spirulina brine shrimp with 2 drops of the Kent Garlic Xtreme. The fish love it ( I think it smells realy bad). The tang looks alot better. I can only find one spot. If I take all the fish out for 4 weeks, the ick should die off, right? Question is, if I move the fish to the QT won't they get stressed and break out again?

 

[stanlalee]

If the QT tank is hypo ich probably wont come right back, the cells dont tolerate hyposalinity just make sure they are in there long enough for the ich to fall off and die and likewise for the main tank. Although the tang looks better that could just be the stage where the ich has fallen off. Im not a believer in Garlic at all as a treatment. For the most part I think garlic does the same thing for fish as it does for people. Suppose to help prevent a few ailments and makes food taste better. Same for vitamin C (or "stabalized vitamin C for fish). We take it when we get cold symptons but there is still no cure for the simplest or colds of common viruses. Yet people even M.D.s swear by it.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by wyvern
Ok, I got the Kick Ich, but haven't used it yet. I started feeding frozen spirulina brine shrimp with 2 drops of the Kent Garlic Xtreme. The fish love it ( I think it smells realy bad). The tang looks alot better. I can only find one spot. If I take all the fish out for 4 weeks, the ick should die off, right? Question is, if I move the fish to the QT won't they get stressed and break out again?
Personally I would just leave'em in the display tank and feed garlic food 3-4 times daily until the symptom goes away. It took mine just a few days to show signs of recovery, second week it regains it's strength and eats better, and it took almost a month for it to fully recover. Some people don't believe in garlic, but I do because that's how I treat all ich covered fish and it works everytime. :happyfish

 

[wyvern]

I started using the kick ich yesterday. Should I put some cleaner shrimp in now or after the treatment?

 

[unleashed]

i would avoid the cleaner shrimp just for now add them at a later date but i do reccomend feeding your fish thera+A non medicated antiparesitic formula pellets by spectrum 3 times per day plus a normal pm feeding of your normal foods you use.plus daily dosing of garlic extreme and selcon directly to your tank water will also help boost nutrients for your fish and inverts

 

[wyvern]

Wow that kick ich is exspensive. I need 2 more bottles to finish treating. If I stop using the kick ich now, will it hurt anything (I could use the $50 to set up a QT).

 

[wyvern]

I put kick ich in the tank on the 19th. On that day, the pH was 8.2. Yesterday it was 8.4. Tonight it's 8.8!! I'm not going to use the kick ich tonight. I don't have a Alk or Ca test. I will get them tomorrow. If someone could let me know what I need to get to fix this problem. I just picked up 10 gallons of ro water today, but haven't put salt in yet.
Any help would be appreciated.
8 month old 100 gallon FOWLR
sg 1.022
pH 8.8 (now)
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

 

[lion_crazz]

We need to know your alk and calcium before you attempt to fix your pH issues.

 

[fishtk75]

I am doing what all this site and all the other sites right now they all say take out all the fish to a QT and HYPO it and let QT and main set that is fishless for 6-8 weeks.

 

[wyvern]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
We need to know your alk and calcium before you attempt to fix your pH issues.

Thanks for answering. I'm off to the not so local LFS in a couple of hours (hour drive). Could you let me know the names of some of the Alk & Ca test kits I should be looking for? The pH is back down to 8.2. The lights had been on for ~11hrs, is that a factor? I didn't know that I was suposed to use buffers and everything. I've just been putting the salt in the ro water and airating it for 24hrs. I'm so new at this that i'm still shiny. I think that I had better order "The conscientious Marine Aquarist" unless you can recommend one that is written in crayon.

 

[fishtk75]

Originally Posted by wyvern
Thanks for answering. I'm off to the not so local LFS in a couple of hours (hour drive). Could you let me know the names of some of the Alk & Ca test kits I should be looking for? The pH is back down to 8.2. The lights had been on for ~11hrs, is that a factor? I didn't know that I was suposed to use buffers and everything. I've just been putting the salt in the ro water and airating it for 24hrs. I'm so new at this that i'm still shiny. I think that I had better order "The conscientious Marine Aquarist" unless you can recommend one that is written in crayon.

You have to look and see if they carry Redsea,Seachem,Salifert,tropic Marin,Hagen and so on.
Alkalinity & KH test for ALK
Calcium test for CA
PH test for buffer
Amnonia
Nitrate
Nitrite
Phosphate

 

[wyvern]

I went to the LFS today to pick up the test kits. I took some of the tank water with me. I explained the pH jump. They said maybe the test kit was bad or I wasn't testing it right. Nope, thats not the problem. I had them test the Ca, KH, they tested fine. They couldn't hepl me, they had no idea what the problem was... " are you sure your testing the water right?". I paid for the test kits and ran out the door. I bet they are still there scratching their heads saying "she's doing it wrong"
Anyway, I tested the water when it got home:
Ca 320ppm ( suggested range for the test kit 400 - 450ppm)
KH 200ppm ( suggested range for kit 105 - 125ppm)
pH 8.2 at time of this test.
so, the Ca is low and the KH is way high. What do I need to do to fix things? Thanks for any help.

 

[mrdc]

Yep, when one is out of whack it will mess something else up. Your alk is depeting your ca. I prefer to use seachems alk and ca products. Water changes would help balance things out depending on what salt brand you use. I had the same problem as you and I tried a lot of products to get my stuff in order and I ended up using the seachem products and water changes and that has fixed my problem. Now I just dose some here and there.

 

[wyvern]

Thanks, I'll have to order the stuff online. Not going back to that store for a while.
Do I add the stuff to the tank now, then add it to the new water when I do a change? Which one should I work on, the Ca or the KH, or work on both until they even out? If I lower the KH, shouldn't the Ca go up? Oh, I'm using Instant ocean salt.

 

[mrdc]

I'm no expert on the matter so I will tell you how I did it and maybe that will help. My ca was very low and alk high. I tried several products (mainly ca products) and nothing seemed to help (got nothing but ca precipatation). Finally I tried the seachem products and it worked. I added the ca each day for about a week when I added my topoff water. I didn't add any alk during this time. Once things got about right, I started doing water weekly changes and then added ca and alk as needed. I only dose one a day. A lot of people swear by the two part system like B-ionic and it may work but I don't think it will until things are in balance. Maybe once things are in balace, a two part system will work.

 

[fishtk75]

Originally Posted by mrdc
I'm no expert on the matter so I will tell you how I did it and maybe that will help. My ca was very low and alk high. I tried several products (mainly ca products) and nothing seemed to help (got nothing but ca precipatation). Finally I tried the seachem products and it worked. I added the ca each day for about a week when I added my topoff water. I didn't add any alk during this time. Once things got about right, I started doing water weekly changes and then added ca and alk as needed. I only dose one a day. A lot of people swear by the two part system like B-ionic and it may work but I don't think it will until things are in balance. Maybe once things are in balace, a two part system will work.
mrdc
Which seachem ca and AK that you use?
I buffer the makeup R/O water do you do the same?