Please HELP! I'm new at this!

[wayve]

Please Help!
I have a 55 gallon aquarium that is only a couple of months old. We discovered last night that my regal tang was covered in little white spots and scratching against the rocks. This morning it was worse and my mandarin had died. I went to the fish store this morning and got some kick-ick or ick-kick (not sure about the name) along with some vitamins. Any other suggestions on what to do?

 

[b_ball12_99]

Welcome to the board! You are on the right track. Follow the directions and don't use less than it calls for. If you use less it doesn't kill all the ick and it will change and become resistant. To be safe ick lives 23-30 days.

 

[playtime]

WAIT!!!!! do you have inverts and/or live rock in there. If so, most ich meds will kill them both. Are you going to quarantine in a hospital tank to treat? That is suggested unless it is a fish only tank. Do you understand the cycle of ich? Just in case you don't, once you see the spots, it is pretty bad, It isn't just the fish that has it, it is your whole tank. They life cycle of ich without a host is 23 days. That is why if you remove your fish to treat, and leave them in qt for the 3 weeks it is much better. Do you have other fish in the tank as well? Have you heard of freshwater dip? Check out in search mode at the top and search freshwater dip. This doesn't cure it but it helps the fish feel better by knocking off the icky's. Some people have had good luck with the garlic cure, you can search it too.
Hope this helps.
Playtime

 

[wayve]

Thanks for responding! To answer some of the questions....
I do have living rock, etc. in my tank but this kick-ick or ick-kick doesn't have any copper in it so it is not suppose to harm any of them just the ick, as I understand it.
I have also thought about a UV sterilizer. Any comments?

 

[playtime]

Good! Glad to hear it. As for UV sterilizer, I personally don't have one but a few members have reccommend them to help fight diseases etc. You might look into it a bit more. By your reply, I am assuming that you are directly treating your fish in the tank itself right?
playtime

 

[pufferlover]

You are correct in the fact that Kick-Ick is supposed to be safe for a reef. I have tried it and another close product called No-Ick a long time ago when I first set up my reef and had a problem. The No-Ick did not harm anything, but it also did not cure the Ick problem either (at 20 some bucks a liter). In time the tank straightened out on its own and has been first rate for over a year.

 

[pufferlover]

To Terry B's post I add a hearty amen!

 

[wayve]

Well it's now Friday morning and I lost my regal tang during the night. I tried doing a freshwater dip and even soaking the food in garlic. At least I can say I tried. I did a search on hyposalinity and from what I read, I shouldn't do that unless I want to kill my rock and inverts. Am I correct on that one??? Someone please tell me what else I can do. I know there want be a quick cure but I need to do something. Thanks for trying to help!!