Wimpy skunk cleaners

[digital-audiophile]

Alas, I have had a dreaded ich outbreak in my tank :( I'm just waiting it out and feeding garlic soaked food to see if I can help out without trying to rip the whole tank apart to get at the livestock to move to a hospital tank (of which I don't have set up)

The thing that is driving me crazy are my two skunk cleaner shrimp! My fish keep sliding over to the shrimp cave and float in to get cleaner and the bloody shrimp run and hide!

[Bob I]

As far as I have ever read Cleaner Shrimp won't work on Ick. BTW Kick Ich won't work either. So far only hyposalinity shows any promise on my Auriga, which has Ich.:mrgreen:

[TheReefGeek]

Could get a cleaner wrasse.

[Bartman]

Could get a cleaner wrasse.

Has anyone seen these really work in their tanks?

[Nate]

Greg,

I would avoid the cleaner wrasses, they do not last long in captivity. The only time in my 8 years at (dare I say it) BA's that I saw one live longer than a year was in the shark tank, and we had them for like 4 years. Other than that, they can be expected to last 1 month to 5 or 6months at the most.

This post is IMO

Nate

PS This is the standard cleaner wrasse, some of the different types tend to last longer if it wasnt such a small reef tank (which I would like to see some time!) I would suggest mono argentus, or tiny heniochus butterflies, and even smaller angels, like baby queens, and frenchs, etc... as they tend to do a good job, and last a lot longer in captivity. I would say hypo/hyper salinity and garlic is the way to go.

[digital-audiophile]

Thanks guys! :)

Nate - How would hypo salinity effect the corals and inverst in the tank?

I just fed the tank and I think I have lost my psydochromis :( everyone came out to eat but him.

[OCDP]

Greg,

I wouldn't hold off.... get yourself a QT up and running, and do the hypo. I plan on removing all my fish on the tank switch. I hope to anyways... not sure if I'll have room for another tank.

From my experience, it's simply not worth it if all the fish have ick. Garlic works on 1 fish with only a few spots, but I don't think it works that well if you have an infestation of it. (IMO)

Good luck.

[Johnny Reefer]

Has anyone seen these (Cleaner Wrasse) really work in their tanks?
Yep. I got a Cleaner Wrasse for my FOWLR. My Blue Chin Trigger had Marine Ick shortly after I set the tank up. Mind you, I did hypo also so I can't say with any certainty that the Cleaner did the job all by itself, but....I did see it peck away at the fish all the time so I figure it did play a beneficial role. I've had it for about 3 1/2 months now, and counting.

Cheers:smile:,

[Nate]

not too shabby johnny reefer....I hope he continues to do a good job for you.

Greg, Hypo salinity is definently hard on the corals...adn depends to what extent...get yourself a quarantine tank, and give that a go would be my suggestion if that is a possibility. No treatment can ever beat QT !

I have had better success in reefs with hyper salinity than hyposalinity again, in my experience.

Fire me off a pm if you need a quarantine tank made.

Nate

Good luck

[Ruth]

If you have a designated QT tank that you don't plan on using to QT corals you could always treat the fish with copper as an option because which might be quicker but is harder on the fish.

[Beverly]

General info in ich...

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/marineich.html

Hyposalinity treatment....

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

HTH :smile: