Quote:
Originally Posted by fkshiu
Yes, it does look like ich. Before somebody tells you to feed him garlic or dose Medication X please understand that the only two methods proven to actually KILL the ich parasite: hyposalinity and copper - both of which are very reef UNsafe.
So you have two choices:
A) Remove ALL your fish (because if it's on one, the parasite is most likely on the others) and place them in a QT and treat with either copper or hyposalinity. Then leave your display tank fallow (ie. fishless) for at least 4 weeks for the parasite to die because it lacks any fish hosts.
B) Learn to live with it in the tank. Feed well, keep up with water changes etc. etc so the fish are happy and unstressed.
Most people end up doing option B which leave the parasite in a chronic low level state of infection. Just because you can't see the spots does not mean it's gone. The spots are only one part of the life cycle just like you'll have the flu virus for several days before symptoms appear.
Everything usually goes OK until there's a major stressor in the tank and then the parasite will reappear with a vengeance.
Adding garlic to the diet does no harm and will stimulate appepite (which is good for any sick creature), but there's no scientific evidence that it actually kills ich.
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Thanks for your words, learn a lot from you.
I don't really want to get another 30-40 Gal tank just for QT. Neither let the fish die, or let my wife kills me.
Does Ich will hurt my corals? Thats what most I care about.