treating ich

[michika]

I've been reading up on treating ich, which has appeared on only one fish in my tank.

Do you all agree with the recommendation in this article for treatment lasting 4 to 6 weeks?http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html.

If I have a 77g display tank, what size QT tank should I be using if the fish is about 2 inches long? My regular QT tang of 10g, isn't going to be appropriate for this procedure. I'm thinking 20g perhaps?

[guysmiley]

Hi there,

I've used hypo salinity in the past with much success. My tank was Ich free until I moved it this summer and I'm sure that Ich was reintroduced into my tank by unclean containers.

I do believe that having an Ich free tank is possible however..... I often feel that catching all of the fish, putting them in a small tank for 6 weeks is more stressfull than just leaving them with Ich.
How many fish do you have and how big are they?

Garrick.

[michika]

13 fish, from about 1/2" to about 3". Its just my tang that has it. None of my other fish have ever picked it up.

[guysmiley]

Treating just the one fish will do nothing for you. If you read the article closely, you have to leave the main tank fishless for at least 4 weeks to make sure that the parasite can't complete it's life cycle. Then the main tank will be ich free. Treat all of the fish with hypo salinity to be sure that even the fish showing no outward symptoms aren't hosting the parasite. Once both the fish and the tank are Ich free ( 4 - 6 weeks) then you can recombine the two.

What kind of tang do you have? How much distress does it appear to be in?

Garrick.

[michika]

No distress, its a regal tang.

I just wanted to QT the tang specifically at this time. While I understand the article's point is to QT all fish, I wanted to just to the tang at this moment to give it more immediate relief while I contemplate how to get ich out of the display tank.

[guysmiley]

That's fine but there is no point stressing it out with Hypo or meds because it will just be reinfected when it's put back in the main tank. Do you plan to add any more fish? The reason I ask is that if you don't add anything for 11 months or so, Ich will just die out. If you can keep it under control with good water quality, consistent tank temp etc the fish may just get better. Healthy fish can aquire "imunity" to the parasite over time. If the fish isn't distressed, isn't scratching, isn't breathing hard I'd just leave it. Try to minimize stress. If there is Ich in a tank, a Regal tang will get it.


Garrick.

[michika]

I'm not sure if we are planning on adding anymore. Its up in the air right now.

I'm just exploring the possiblities now about what to do.

[guysmiley]

I sometimes wonder if an Ich outbreak in a tank is more stressful on us than it is on the fish!

Garrick.

[michika]

LOL, I think you right...

I was just downstairs looking for the phone to call and my tang swam by a power head, and the "ich" just blew off. Silly white sand looking like ich!

I feel like a big moron right now! :redface:

[muck]

bwahahaha... thats too funny Catherine.. :lol:

[michika]

I feel so "special" right now, its painful...

[OCDP]

Hey,

I have had great success with feeding my fish with Garlic... soak their frozen food in it , feed daily for two weeks and it works wonders (for me it has anyways) Just something for you to try!