Ich

[grouper42]

Can anyone clarify the various ways in which Ich presents. My Sailfin Tang has taken lately to sratching himself on the rock and sand/coral. A new behavior for him. I have heard that could be a sign of a fish beginning to come down with Ich. I don't see anything on him or any of the other fish. My Threadfin Butterfly died last night unexpectantly. I added some buffer yesterday and maybe overdid it. Possibly totally unrelated. Should I treat just to be safe and how? I am spiking the food with garlic since I have read this helps. What else?

 

[grouper42]

I don't have a quarantine tank. I could take them out individually and do fresh water dips on each fish. What about any medication I can put into the general tank. I have LR but don't know how really 'live" it is. There is definitely some blotchyness of my majestic angel now that I look closer. I do have a UV filter that I have redused the flow through to increase the exposure time. At sufficient intensity I have read this can kill ich also.

 

[reefhappy]

a cleaner wrasse might help a litte.

 

[grouper 42]

Since my last message more have broken with appears to fairly classic Ich to me. Diffuse white spots with rapid breathing. The tuskfish had mucous around his gills. I have now lost a Butterfly, Majestic Angel, Lawnmower Blennie, and my Tuskfish is on life support. Very rapid in onset. I wouldn't have had a QT big enough for everyone. After a long discussion at the lfs I thought I would try a combination of copper/formilin dips and using a preparation called 'Kick Ich" in the tank. The active ingredient is 5-nitroimidizole and supposedly reef safe. Wouldn't anticipate cureing the currently ill fish however, just to eventually clear the tank of the ich or whatever parasite this is. However, when I saw my prized Emperor starting to get it I caved in and began Copper. Stay tuned.