Stupid Question... can ich go away without any meds?
- Thread starter traxryu
- Start date
A
alti
Guest
any idea what might be causing the ich(new fish, bad water params or harassing fish)?do you have any cleaner shrimp in your tank? if not i would get one. i had ick once and it went away by itself, but trigger fish are pretty darn hardy. i see the fish are in a reef, so most meds are out of the question, and the ones that are reef safe dont really work.i think the first thing you should do is just wait and see if it is ick or not. where in jersey do you live. i'm in bergen county.
spyderreef
Member
My fish got ich after I introduced some new fish into my tank. One thing about ich is that it has a cycle. You might think it is gone after a couple of days but then it will be back. I used Coral-Vital in my tank. I'm not sure exactly what is does but I think that it helps to add a protective coating to the fish. Definitely not a cure but at least I felt like I was doing something. The other thing that I did was to feed my fish twice a day instead of once. I made sure that they were eating well. Not everyone has or believes in a UV sterilizer but if you have one clean the plastic cover around the bulb. I'm sure someone else will have something to add. Good Luck.
The other thing I did was buy a cleaner shrimp and a couple of neon gobies.
The other thing I did was buy a cleaner shrimp and a couple of neon gobies.
traxryu
Member
Well, I had the Powder blue in a hospital tank because he had ick when I bought him. I left him in there for about 2 weeks. It all disapeared(I think). Thats where I think it have come from. I guess we will wait and see.
By the way im right near Morristown, East Hanover. Its about 30 min from the city. Good to hear from local reefers!
Wish the little guy luck for me!
Thanks all
By the way im right near Morristown, East Hanover. Its about 30 min from the city. Good to hear from local reefers!
Wish the little guy luck for me!
Thanks all
bigocubed
New Member
Hi,
My SailFin Tang developed Ich and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to make it, I too have a reef tank and I tried a product called Kick-Ich...so far so good. All signs of the Ich on the tang are gone and he has regained his full color. And all corals seem to be doing well also.
I made sure to feed twice also to be sure he was eating.
Hope that helps.
My SailFin Tang developed Ich and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to make it, I too have a reef tank and I tried a product called Kick-Ich...so far so good. All signs of the Ich on the tang are gone and he has regained his full color. And all corals seem to be doing well also.
I made sure to feed twice also to be sure he was eating.
Hope that helps.
hairtrigger
Active Member
There are a couple of things you can do for ich, without medicating the tank.
If possible, remove the fish and put them in hyposalinity. Lowering the salinity kills the ich. Do it gradually, but don't lower it too much.
If you can't do that... raise the temperature in the tank. Higher temperatures kill ich. Good luck.
If possible, remove the fish and put them in hyposalinity. Lowering the salinity kills the ich. Do it gradually, but don't lower it too much.
If you can't do that... raise the temperature in the tank. Higher temperatures kill ich. Good luck.
bang guy
Moderator
It has been my experience that Ick appears as the result of stress induced immune deficiency. In almost every case I have seen the Ick disappears shortly after finding the source of stress and eliminating it.
I've also found that Scarlet Cleaner shrimp seem to be a source of soothing, kinda like a good massage. They won't cure Ick, but they seem to put the fish at ease long enough to overcome the Ick.
Guy
I've also found that Scarlet Cleaner shrimp seem to be a source of soothing, kinda like a good massage. They won't cure Ick, but they seem to put the fish at ease long enough to overcome the Ick.
Guy
A
alti
Guest
i agree with bang guy. you really dont want to stress the fish out if at all possible. check all your water params and make sure everything is in order. go get a cleaner shrimp too. even if it doesn't help, they look good in the tank anyway.
im not too far from you. maybe half an hour drive max. im in tenafly. stay in touch. if you didn't know already there is a new jersey reefers club forum on reef central. they have meetings and do alot of trading.
good luck
rob
im not too far from you. maybe half an hour drive max. im in tenafly. stay in touch. if you didn't know already there is a new jersey reefers club forum on reef central. they have meetings and do alot of trading.
good luck
rob
nm reef
Active Member
I've often wondered myself just how fatal a minor ick out break can be....I'm aware of the treatment options and twice I've had to deal with minor ick outbreaks in my reef.
First was when I added my coral beauty about 18 months ago and the second was after adding a hippo tang(which was quarentined for 8 weeks)...both developed a minor infestation shortly after being added to the reef....each was treated with garlic soaked food for a few weeks(once a day every other day). The coral beauty never has shown signs of ick since it was treated and the hippo has been in the reef for maybe 6-8 weeks now and still shows a bit of ick now and then( I still add garlic a few times each week).The hippo has dramatically improved since I first saw sighs of ick...and appears to be healthy.I might mention that for close to two years now I've added garlic to the reefs food once a week as a normal practice...but increase the suppliment of garlic immediately whenever I've seen sign of ick.
I agree that the first course of action should be to eliminate stress and poor water conditions...plus it appears that supplimenting garlic may help.
In both instances I've not gone to the extreme of removing the fish to quarentine tanks for chemical treatment or hypo-salinity.Although I know that both are suggested treatments....I've simply eliminated the potential for stress and supplimented garlic. This process has seemed to work for the minor cases I've personally dealt with...and I in no way want to suggest that chemical treatment in quarentine or hypo-salinity are not needed in some cases.
It just seems that in the cases I've had less radical alternatives have apparently worked and the fish appear healthy without progressively getting worse.
I would like to add that in the disease & treatment forum Beth can give additional detailed info on questions of this nature...but for me the less intrusive methods have worked to deal with minor ick outbreaks...and I still wonder just how fatal minor ick outbreaks are....
First was when I added my coral beauty about 18 months ago and the second was after adding a hippo tang(which was quarentined for 8 weeks)...both developed a minor infestation shortly after being added to the reef....each was treated with garlic soaked food for a few weeks(once a day every other day). The coral beauty never has shown signs of ick since it was treated and the hippo has been in the reef for maybe 6-8 weeks now and still shows a bit of ick now and then( I still add garlic a few times each week).The hippo has dramatically improved since I first saw sighs of ick...and appears to be healthy.I might mention that for close to two years now I've added garlic to the reefs food once a week as a normal practice...but increase the suppliment of garlic immediately whenever I've seen sign of ick.
I agree that the first course of action should be to eliminate stress and poor water conditions...plus it appears that supplimenting garlic may help.
In both instances I've not gone to the extreme of removing the fish to quarentine tanks for chemical treatment or hypo-salinity.Although I know that both are suggested treatments....I've simply eliminated the potential for stress and supplimented garlic. This process has seemed to work for the minor cases I've personally dealt with...and I in no way want to suggest that chemical treatment in quarentine or hypo-salinity are not needed in some cases.
It just seems that in the cases I've had less radical alternatives have apparently worked and the fish appear healthy without progressively getting worse.
I would like to add that in the disease & treatment forum Beth can give additional detailed info on questions of this nature...but for me the less intrusive methods have worked to deal with minor ick outbreaks...and I still wonder just how fatal minor ick outbreaks are....
maryc137
Member
I think there is no way to avoid minor outbreaks of ich sometimes. I quarantined a purple tang and still when I added him to the big tank he broke out with a minor case. Only saw 2or 3 specks at a time and the cleaner shrimp seem to have taken care of it. Never spread to any other fish, and it's now been about 4 months since I've seen a trace of ich. I've never used garlic, so it seems that sometimes things can just work out without intervention.
saltaddict
Member
One more question regarding Ich. If Ich goes thru a cycle in which it is in the water column until it attches to a fish's skin. Is it posible it can be eaten by corals feather dusters which filter the water?
hairtrigger
Active Member
I third what Bang Guy said.
bang guy
Moderator
Originally posted by saltaddict
Is it posible it can be eaten by corals feather dusters which filter the water?
Absolutely. Unfortunately Cryptocaryon sp. send out thousands of tomonts. A few are bound to avoid the filter feeders (this includes UV filters) and it only takes 1.
aly
New Member
i know exactly what you are talking about because my yellow tang had the same thing. it does look like they have sand all over tehm. you can't medicate if you have any inverts in your tank, as did i, so you either have to give him a fresh water dip or wait it out. i know that my tang fought it off without any problems. but if you want to do a fresh water dip you will have to ask one of the other experts how to do it becuase i am not quite sure. hope this helps!
-Aly
-Aly
oceanaquarium1
New Member
Hi...I have a 135 reef set up about 2 months and all is going well re water parameters and the health of the corals. I have some polyphs, mushrooms and a few hard corals like wellsophyllia, favites etc. (no SPS corals)
Problem is I added a nice healthy (fat, active, great appetite) Purple Tang 5 days ago. Now he is covered with ich.and despite still eating well refuses the attention of a cleaner wrasse.
Noticed a couple of references to Kick Ich...anyone know who makes it? Would like to try it or at least see what ingredients are in it. The only other fish in tank are a Japanese Wrasse, green chromis and a Foxface.
Thanks,
Dom
Problem is I added a nice healthy (fat, active, great appetite) Purple Tang 5 days ago. Now he is covered with ich.and despite still eating well refuses the attention of a cleaner wrasse.
Noticed a couple of references to Kick Ich...anyone know who makes it? Would like to try it or at least see what ingredients are in it. The only other fish in tank are a Japanese Wrasse, green chromis and a Foxface.
Thanks,
Dom
clarkiiboi
Active Member
What type of garlic are you using? I have tried the clove thing and feel its not doing the job, still get ich and have it now with my fish in a QT which was a hard enough task period. Thanks in advance.
nm reef
Active Member
For serious infestations of ick I strongly urge consideration of hypo salinity procedure....please check with our resident experts in the disease and treatment forum. This is not an issue to take lightly and a serious infestation can rapidly overcome your fish....the point I was making is in my particular cases the problem was minor and seems to be under control via less intrusive/drastic measures.
I use fresh garlic...I crush a section and soak it in tank water for a hour or so then I add the water to the days menu...this procedure is done weekly and in two cases was done every other day to treat minor cases of ick...in my experience it has seemingly helped prevent serious infestations.
Please if you are dealing with major ick problems seek the assistance of Beth over in the disease and treatment forum.
I use fresh garlic...I crush a section and soak it in tank water for a hour or so then I add the water to the days menu...this procedure is done weekly and in two cases was done every other day to treat minor cases of ick...in my experience it has seemingly helped prevent serious infestations.
Please if you are dealing with major ick problems seek the assistance of Beth over in the disease and treatment forum.
otto13
Member
Hey Saltaddict. I tried just that very method. I had an ich breakout and was very concerned about using chemicals. I loaded up the tank with filter feeders and "debris eaters". Feather dusters, anemones, polyps with tenacles, etc....
Well, the ich got a little worse for a few days and then over the next week or so it went away. My main tank hasnt had a case of ich in years and it is loaded with this stuff. Someone should ich out a small tank and test this but it sure isnt going to be me.
Well, the ich got a little worse for a few days and then over the next week or so it went away. My main tank hasnt had a case of ich in years and it is loaded with this stuff. Someone should ich out a small tank and test this but it sure isnt going to be me.