My Ich Killer 2000 - Please read!

[sw65galma]

Well since no one responded to my last question.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/133906/how-can-i-have-ich
I've decided on this idea.
I'm gonna used my huge UV steralizer and Ozone generator that was for my 300 for a while, then freshwater dip the fish.
I'm hoping that the 36' uv will kill most of the ICH, and the freshwater dip should kill whats on the fish.
my problem is two fold:
Too many inverts to treat the display
Too many fish infected to move to QT
And Yes everything was QTed before and Nothing has been introduced for 3 months!
I'd really appreciate any other ideas! :help:

 

[gasguzzler]

Any ideas on the root cause of the problem?

 

[squidd]

Possiably the 12 Damsels...??
65 gallons seems like a lot of room, but I bet they're going after each other and the resultant stress weakens their imune system allowing Ich to get hold...
The UV should be Killer but will need to be run slow enough to be effective on these "larger" lifeforms...somewhere around 100gph or they will flow right through...
It'll only kill them in the "swimming" stage of their life cycle...and while they will all "cycle" they don't all do it at the same time so the ICK may remain an ongoing problem as long as there are "hosts" avalable...
The FW dip will help in the "host" stage..but you still have the "in the gravel" dormant/encapsulated stage to contend with...
I noticed the ozone as well pushing 400-450 will kill the ick but may cause additional stress on the fish as well, kind of a "balancing act" there...Run through carbon and test for residual O3 as well, but you probably knew that..
Ick sucks...tell me about it...

 

[sw65galma]

I have no idea of the cause.
I bought the 4 types, 1 set at a time, from the same LFS that has them ALL together.
They actually all get along quite well, I have tons of rock work for them.
But for the most part they don't nip at each other...They chase each other around here and there, but it seams all in fun, As I saw for some reason 1 of the green chomis's became an outcast and they all nearly killed him withing a few hours.
So I know they can cause real harm to each other if they wanted. But like I said, they all grew up around each other so they are accustomed to it.
I have the UV on a Mag drive 3 pump with the flow cut down, so It should be going slow..
I also have the Ozone running through the Skimmer.
I just need this tank to hold up for a little while while my 300 cycles, then this tank will be dismanted, emptied and made into a refugium for the 300.
I don't want to loose all my Fish, as they were my first fish and I have yet to loose a single one (knocks on wood)

 

[gasguzzler]

I think you really need to start examining the cause of the problem. Overcrowding, temp variation, ect. All are know causes. I would hate to see a post like this concerning the 300.

 

[beth]

Overcrowding really does not cause ich. Ich is a parasite and it is caused by contamination. You introduced it to your tank by not quarantining your fish orginially. However, from the other pics, I don't really see the ich. Is ich confirmred for you ?

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by gasguzzler
I think you really need to start examining the cause of the problem. Overcrowding, temp variation, ect. All are know causes. I would hate to see a post like this concerning the 300.
I agree, I really want to know why and how.
I really doubt it's overcrowding, I can take a picture of the tank and you won't see a fish most of the time
As far as Filtration, I have an Eheim Pro II, and Magnum H.O.T and and Skimmer moving water and over 70lbs of live rock.
My house has Cental heating/Air and only changes temp a few degrees. The Tank for the past 6 Months has never changed temp, It's at 80Degrees on the DOT, I have a few thermometers that is in the tank.
But like I said before...even for whatever reason the fish were stressed, how in the world did the ICH get in there?
No ICH ever and nothing new added to the tank for 3months.
Next on ripleys believe it or not......

 

[dskidmore]

Sounds like support for the theory that ick can lay dormant until fish immune systems are down.
You havn't added anything new to the tank other than fish? For example a piece of coral that may have shared a tank with an infected fish? Used equiptment? Driftwood?

 

[gasguzzler]

I have always believed that all fish have ich. It is simply waiting for the conditions to be right- and boom! Try supplementing your usual treatments with concentrated vitamin C to boost the immune systems.

 

[biggie18]

You can't "kill off" ich with a UV. Ich is always there, you just cant see it. If you get some garlic additive at th lfs and soak the food in it that will help their immune sys GREATLY. As far as quarentine tank they are a waste of time unless they are new fish. The fish will get shock when you put them back in the show tank you will start all over again. Best thing to do is hang in there give em garlic and keep the temp stable. Also drop the salinity to around 1.019-1.020 for about 14 days at a slow rate again not to shock the fish. Goodluck hope it works for you as it did for me

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by Biggie18
You can't "kill off" ich with a UV. Ich is always there, you just cant see it. If you get some garlic additive at th lfs and soak the food in it that will help their immune sys GREATLY. As far as quarentine tank they are a waste of time unless they are new fish. The fish will get shock when you put them back in the show tank you will start all over again. Best thing to do is hang in there give em garlic and keep the temp stable. Also drop the salinity to around 1.019-1.020 for about 14 days at a slow rate again not to shock the fish. Goodluck hope it works for you as it did for me
On the Contrary. You CAN kill ICH with a UV, not ALL of it though. Just whats floating around.
I can't drop the Salinity either as I have tons of Inverts, I'm mainly concerned with my Stars which are super sensitive to salinity changes.
One possibility is to move the inverts to QT, but I don't know howd they do there.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by Beth
Overcrowding really does not cause ich. Ich is a parasite and it is caused by contamination. You introduced it to your tank by not quarantining your fish orginially. However, from the other pics, I don't really see the ich. Is ich confirmred for you ?
As i've said before. There have been No new introductions for more than 3 months.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by DSkidmore
Sounds like support for the theory that ick can lay dormant until fish immune systems are down.
You havn't added anything new to the tank other than fish? For example a piece of coral that may have shared a tank with an infected fish? Used equiptment? Driftwood?
I haven't even added a single fish for 3 months!
The only thing new in the past month was an Eheim that was used, but it was cleaned and sat for a long time till I bought it. Then I washed it, used all new filter media.
Other than that...NADA! Ich MUST be able to lay Dormant..

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by Beth
However, from the other pics, I don't really see the ich. Is ich confirmred for you ?
Beth I know it's tough, but if you look at the 2nd pic bottom right Domino, You can see some large white blurry things above his normal white spots.
Those are what I believe to be Ich, there are tons of smaller dots on him as well, but those are the largest grains of salt I can see.
I can't get them to stay still to take a better pic.

 

[biggie18]

you haveto think...every white dot that you see on the fish falls to the bottom and turns into 200 -500 free swimming anemotopes. if your fish has lets say 10 dots on it when they reproduce do the math. UV is waste of power for ich. But good luck and hope your livestock stays live

 

[gallyjh]

When I had Ich about a month ago, I went about a three days before medicating with No-Ich, two-days after that I attached a 15watt UV Sterializer to the tank. 3-4 days later the ich was gone. I have been Ich free for about 3 weeks. Though I still plan to medicate every other day for another 2 weeks, just in case. I know the UV didn't do all the work, but I'm sure it helped, as my brother had the same good result happen to him, before he told me about this method.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by gallyjh
When I had Ich about a month ago, I went about a three days before medicating with No-Ich, two-days after that I attached a 15watt UV Sterializer to the tank. 3-4 days later the ich was gone. I have been Ich free for about 3 weeks. Though I still plan to medicate every other day for another 2 weeks, just in case. I know the UV didn't do all the work, but I'm sure it helped, as my brother had the same good result happen to him, before he told me about this method.
That's what UV is for, kill parasites.
And it's not like i have a little one, they are going through a 36" super duper UV light, very slowly, I agree it's not the end all to my problems, but It's definatley gonna kill whatever it comes in contact with.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by Biggie18
you haveto think...every white dot that you see on the fish falls to the bottom and turns into 200 -500 free swimming anemotopes. if your fish has lets say 10 dots on it when they reproduce do the math. UV is waste of power for ich. But good luck and hope your livestock stays live
And those free swimming are gonna get sucked up and go through a huge 36" UV light and if they don't die that time, they'll die next time through.

 

[ericholcek]

Dont do the freshwater dips. Use the UV and Ozone. Treat your tank with kick ich and add garlic to food. After all spots are gone keep doing this for ateast 3 weeks after to make sure most of the ich had died and then slowly take off the uv and ozone. than stop medicating the kick ich. do a 15% water change and you should be golden. worked for me :jumping: :jumping: :jumping:

 

[biggie18]

But ich is always there...thats my point