Organic Ich Treatment?

[Iron Man]

It seems too good to be true there's an "organic" Ich treatment out there but I was at the local Petsmart today and this is what I happened upon;

http/www.petsmart.com/global/product_det...&N=2030064&Ne=2

Does anyone have any useful info/experience on this? Does it work?

 

[Bignose]

I find it fairly suspicious that their product's webpage doesn't even list one ingredient. http/www.novalek.com/kpds.htm

I suppose you could try it, but 1) I'd have a known effective treatment on hand just in case, and 2) I'd rather just prevent ich with quarantine and other good fishkeeping habits than adding chemicals. Like with all new things, it would be nice to see a scientific study, but since there are no ingredients, we have to just take the manufacturer's word as the moment.

Also, I don't know who Dr. Michael Tierra is, but being "a well known herbalist" means very little in my opinion since most herbal treatments are completely and totally ineffective compared to a placebo.

 

[Iron Man]

Thanks for the info. I did a little research and found the active ingredient which is an ingredient from vitamin K called naphthoquinone.

I've read questions on other forums about the same thing but no one seems to have tried it.

One answer was that this ingredient indeed was powerful in killing parasites, as they use it in pesticides.

Right now I'm treating the ich in my tank with raised temp only, and its doing a good job, I'm just looking for backup in case I need it.

I also am planning on giving some of these fish to my dad once treated, as he's dying to put some in his new tank and doesn't have any for it yet. I needed a plan to give him just in case it might show back up.

I don't trust my dad with heaters. lol

 

[silverdoller]

hi there hopes this helps,i have tryed it when i frist got my tank going three years ago,be wared it does have copper in it so do not use if you have live plants,i was not told this at the time,but later found it out,i really dont care for the suff myself,do your water changes use at half the dose and be carful using it if you have teatra and loach or puffer,the meds are very hard and them,good luck

 

[andywg]

Treating through raised temp alone can be dangerous. Most Ich pathogens cannot reproduce at temperatures over 90F but if you don't bring the level high enough, all you are doing is quickening the life cycle of Ich leading to higher numbers.

That is why it is normally recommended to increase the temp and use another form of treatment (like salt or copper based meds) as the increased temperature quickens the lifecycles and thus decreases the periods between times in the cycle the parasite is succeptible to meds.

 

[Iron Man]

The whole reason I'm looking not to use salt or chemicals is I have live plants, shrimp, trumpet snails, cory cats, and a pleco in this tank. Chemicals and salt are just not a viable option for me at all.

The heat as I said is working fine. When I turned up the heat all the combined fish probably had 20 spots on them. Now I can only find 2 left and its only been 3 days. The heat goes down to 88 at night and back up to 90 during the day. It will stay this way 10 days after the last spot is gone. The water is very well aerated and the substrate is vacuumed everyday with a python along with a 20% water change until I can get this dilemma behind me.

Here's to parasites!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Iron Man

Better stock up on antibiotics because after you have finished stressing out your fish with this nonconventional method of curing ich, you will probably have a tankful of fish coming down with bacterial infections.

According to your profile, you have 8 C. aeneus. Their normal temperature range is between 69 and 78 degrees F. Do you really think they will survive 90 degrees without a problem? They don't even get ich, so why are you subjecting them to this abuse?

 

[Bignose]

According to your profile, you have 8 C. aeneus. Their normal temperature range is between 69 and 78 degrees F. Do you really think they will survive 90 degrees without a problem? They don't even get ich, so why are you subjecting them to this abuse?

Inchworm, I had never heard that C. aeneus don't even get ich. My understanding was that ich attacked most any freshwater fish it could find. Would it be too much to ask you to cite your source on this statement?

 

[Iron Man]

You need to tell my cories they're not supposed to have ich on their fins. I suppose I should have just ignored it on them because someone told me they're not supposed to get it at all?

ALL fish are doing just fine with raised temperature and high aeration. I'm being as responsible a fish keeper as I know how and abuse to me is dumping chemicals in there (on scaleless fish, etc.) you wouldn't even touch yourself without reading up on the alternatives, OR not doing anything about it at all....or even flushing them down the toilet. To say I'm abusing my fish, is unfair.

I have done this before when I had a clown loach come down with ich and never had any bacterial infections with one single fish, and have heard more than once this method works just fine without any complications later.

 

[annka5]

IMO the problem with any medication where active ingredients etc aren't listed is... you don't know whats in it (wot, really?).
If it works, it must have some kind of active ingredient, a naturally-occuring chemical in it. This i something which will kill parasites, and it might be doing something very nasty which will affect other things in the tank.
IMO: just becuase it's organic or naturally occuring doesn't make it safe or nice or gentle. There are plenty of naturally occuring toxins, and poisons, as well as man-made ones. Lots of manufacturers get away with badly-tested products on the market because they are based on naturally-occuring chemicals. Am not saying all are bad.
I think it's good to try new things, but personally, given that no-one has been able to say, "yep, it's great!" I wouldn't want to be among the first to give it a go and hope for the best.