Ick Discussion

[Jeff20147]

Here is my journey...

1) Went to Petco for an anemone (big mistake I know).
2) Saw a fish had Ich there and still got it (I know).
3) About a day or two later I noticed the PB tang had Ich.
4) Went to store and got Rid-Ich, used that religiously for about 1 1/2 weeks and notice no change.
5) Cranked up the heat to 86 degrees, didn't notice a change.
6) Freshwater bath, pulled the spots off but they would come back the next day.
7) High salinity (didn't even know my hydrometer was broken of 1.030), this seemed to work the best it got rid of the spots and as soon as I did a water change the spots came back when the salinity was lowered to 1.021-1.024. Also used Coppersafe during this period. The ich was gone for like 2-3 days.
8: Ich is back, and it's annoying!!

Any advice on what route I should take now?

 

[SkiFletch]

treat for longer than after the spots go away... you have to kill the free-swimming critters, cause if you dont, they'll come back and get ya

 

[Chac]

I would Increase the amount of times you feed your livestock feeding to around 8 - 10 times a day (but degrees the qty of food give at any time)

I now always use food with Garlic or ginger added as this (apparently) increases the appetite thereby making the fish eat more and have more strenght to fight Ich

UV Filter do a great job at getting shot of ich, I have only just invested in one and am quietly waiting to find something to ZAP

Dont bother with freshwater Dips or Lowering salinity IMO they simply dont work

 

[Jeff20147]

Raising the salinity and adding copper seemed to work the best, any idea which one it was?

 

[Navarre]

Adding copper is probably the best way but this renders the tank useless for reefing as the copper will kill all inverts and corals presently in the tank as well as any future additions.

 

[Dragonscales]

Personally I would either:

A. Invest in a UV filter and/or

B. Set up a hospital tank, move the fish into it and treat with a combination of copper, raised salinity and raised temp.

Personally I don't like your chances though as PB tangs are notorious for getting ich. On the other side of the coin though, if it manages to pull through you will have an awesome addition to your tank that would be the envy of many a tang keeper who continuously lose them shortly after purchase. Good luck and keep us informed on it's progress

 

[Aquascaper]

Any advice on what route I should take now?

Learn from your mistakes is the best way forward

Buying a fish that you know has Ich to introduce into an established system really is a no-no. You should have least have QT'd it and treated it before introduction to the main tank if you really had to have that particular fish.

What's done is done and I hope your PB pulls through

 

[Jeff20147]

I will add copper tonight for the water I took out, raise the salinity up again and hope for the best. The water is already 86deg. BTW..this is in a hospital tank.

 

[Navarre]

The increased temperature wont harm the parasite. It merely speeds it breeding cycle up. This means that you can cover its entire cycle over a period of a few days rather than a couple of weeks. If you get the temperature right then you can remove fish and the period that the parasite is free swimming and in need of a fish host is shorter. If there is no fish then it starves and dies.

 

[Homburger]

The increased temperature wont harm the parasite. It merely speeds it breeding cycle up. This means that you can cover its entire cycle over a period of a few days rather than a couple of weeks. If you get the temperature right then you can remove fish and the period that the parasite is free swimming and in need of a fish host is shorter. If there is no fish then it starves and dies.

on a side note, when i first started, i had a massive outbreak of ich. the only fish not affected was the firefly goby. does anyone know why? they must have an immunity

 

[fish_keeper2]

nope. ive seen a firefish at petco covered in ich form head to toe(or rather head to tail). the only other fish ive ever seen with that much ich was a group of clown loaches(again from petco).

 

[SkiFletch]

Certain species of fish are generally more resistant to ich than others. As a general rule of thumb, the thicker the fish's scales are, the more resistant to ich. While those without scales are very suceptible to it. Also, individuals within the same species can be more or less resistant to it based upon health, size, age, immune function, etc.

 

[Aquascaper]

Most wrasses are generally pretty immune to Ich (how's that for a non-commital comment )

 

[Navarre]

Yep im not sure what it is about wrasses but as yet i have never seen a wrasse with ich. I had a disasterous oodinium outbreak in my system and aquascaper can vouch that my silty wrasse and 6 line wrasse never once contracted the disease! Of course when i removed them along withthe rest of the fish and put them all in quarentine they promptly died after the stress of moving

 

[Jeff20147]

Is it possible for a fish to get ich in thier eye? I had a clarkii that got a huge i guess infection of his eye and he just died and his eye was gone...pretty freaky.