Ich

Reefpins10 · #1 05-26-2011, 01:30 AM

Thank you for all your condolences and advice. I did feed them with garlic, but every few days one of them died and just getting worse and worse. They eat normally in the day time, but at night they became covered with white and getting weaker day by day. I had raised the temperature to 81F day and night but it still didn't help at all. The total of 15 fish died with opened gills and mouths, looked very suffering. At the beginning when I had a few fish die, my husband had spoke to Jeff from J&L and had someone there test the water for me, the water was fine. He told my husband don't do anything when we thought we might need to put an extra powerhead if there is some lack of oxygen in the tank. At that time, the fish didn't show any ich, they just died with no reason. A week later they became all covered with ich.
I am devastated with the loss. Some of the fish I had were more than 8 years with me. I felt completely useless seing them die. It is a great sadness for me.

daniella3d · #2 05-26-2011, 04:47 AM

who told you to raise the temperature? That did not help at all, in fact, it may have precipitate the process of the ich multiplying and it deprived your fish from much needed oxygen. A very very bad advise and who ever gave you that advise should be ignored in the future.

The reason your fish did not show sign of ich at the begining is because the ich first infect the gill, then when that's full they spread over the body. By that time it is usualy a bit late but with isolation tank and medicine like Cupramine from Seachem, they could probably all have been saved in no time. REally sorry for your loss. 8 years is a long way.

People think that ich is nothing serious and a little garlic here and there and a bit of UV will solve the problem but it does not. Some strain of ich will probably be much harder to eliminate than others. Some even resist hyposalinity treatment. Ich is a powerfull killer and it must be taken seriously. What work for one might not work for others and for me garlic never worked, but hyposalinity did the trick. For some people that does not work and Cupramine is required in QT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefpins10

Thank you for all your condolences and advice. I did feed them with garlic, but every few days one of them died and just getting worse and worse. They eat normally in the day time, but at night they became covered with white and getting weaker day by day. I had raised the temperature to 81F day and night but it still didn't help at all. The total of 15 fish died with opened gills and mouths, looked very suffering. At the beginning when I had a few fish die, my husband had spoke to Jeff from J&L and had someone there test the water for me, the water was fine. He told my husband don't do anything when we thought we might need to put an extra powerhead if there is some lack of oxygen in the tank. At that time, the fish didn't show any ich, they just died with no reason. A week later they became all covered with ich.
I am devastated with the loss. Some of the fish I had were more than 8 years with me. I felt completely useless seing them die. It is a great sadness for me.

Reefpins10 · #3 05-26-2011, 06:46 AM

I went to Island Pet and I was told if I raised the temperature it will help control the ich. I didn't know that was a bad idea

. Yes 8 years is a long long time, I cried like a fool everytime I take their body out from the tank.
I used to have a lot of hair algae in my tank, but since I use bio pellet they starting to decrease more than half, so Jeff said it releases the toxin and takes away some oxygen from the tank. I was thinking he was right because I had 2 fish die at the same time when hair algae gone. That's why I thought I might need to add an extra powerhead. Nobody knew even myself but that was the beginning of the ich outbreak.

Hawkaholic · #4 05-26-2011, 01:45 PM

Sorry for your losses but I am wondering if there is something that you changed that may have affected your fish. Whether it be additives or different salt brand or maintenance. If you just started using the biopellets...that may be the cause. After 8 years something new (biopellets) gets thrown into the mix may have stessed your entire tank. For all of your fish to get ich and die off in a matter of weeks just doesn't seems right.

I don't believe in the quarantine thing. I've tried it and lost my fish. Why buy a fish and leave it in a small tank for months at a time. The fish is stressed already at the store then is stressed even more cuz its in a small tank for a few weeks or months. Then the fish gets sick so lets stress it even more by treating the tank.

As far as Ich...I won't elaborate cuz my views on the subject is alot different than most peoples on canreef.

goby1 · #5 05-26-2011, 02:15 PM

It's a long haul back from an ich outbreak and I think sooner or later most of us have to deal with it. I started my tank in 2004 and in 2007 introduced a puffer that caused an ich outbreak that killed all but my goby. I used Kick Ich which I had to order from the US. I added fish slowly, one by one and kept them healthy and I haven't had any problems for years (knock on wood). I swear half this hobby is luck and voodoo.

Reefpins10 · #6 05-26-2011, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkaholic

Sorry for your losses but I am wondering if there is something that you changed that may have affected your fish. Whether it be additives or different salt brand or maintenance. If you just started using the biopellets...that may be the cause. After 8 years something new (biopellets) gets thrown into the mix may have stessed your entire tank. For all of your fish to get ich and die off in a matter of weeks just doesn't seems right.

I don't believe in the quarantine thing. I've tried it and lost my fish. Why buy a fish and leave it in a small tank for months at a time. The fish is stressed already at the store then is stressed even more cuz its in a small tank for a few weeks or months. Then the fish gets sick so lets stress it even more by treating the tank.

As far as Ich...I won't elaborate cuz my views on the subject is alot different than most peoples on canreef.

I broke my 65 gallons fish tank on February, so I got a new 75 gallon in March. I think that made the fish stressed out caused to have ich. I don't think I am able to set up a quarantine tank if I get new fish, my place is very small there is no room left even for a small rubbermaid container.

born · #7 05-26-2011, 06:28 PM

I just had an ich breakout about 3-4 days ago. I kinda saw it on one fish but thought it wasnt anything(foolish mistake) then all a couple days later I looked at my powder brown tang, and on his fins, there it was, ich. I added a cleaner wrasse about 2-3 days ago. I usually only see him picking at my unicorn tang, and sometimes he'll go up to the powder brown but I dont really see him picking anything off. My cleaner shrimp doesnt seem to pick anything off the fish.
Today I'm soaking every piece of food(Nori/pellets/brine/mysis) in SeaChem's Garlic Guard. We'll see how this goes. *fingers crossed*

globaldesigns · #8 05-26-2011, 06:45 PM

Personally I would look at things that would cause stress to a tank. Thinks like off parameters, lack of oxygen, oh so many things.

Others will dispute this, others may agree, but I am a believer that you always have ICH, but if you have a healthy system, then the fishes immune is able to fight and don't succumb to ICH. Daniella3D has valid points if you wish to go the quarantine route, I myself don't quarantine.

What I am scratching my head with is that you lost everything. This shouldn't happen, even with ICH... So what is off that the fish didn't like and hampered their ability to survive (Besides the ICH)? I personally think you have another underlying issue that is aiding things.

Sorry for the losses!

Reefpins10 · #9 05-26-2011, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by born

I just had an ich breakout about 3-4 days ago. I kinda saw it on one fish but thought it wasnt anything(foolish mistake) then all a couple days later I looked at my powder brown tang, and on his fins, there it was, ich. I added a cleaner wrasse about 2-3 days ago. I usually only see him picking at my unicorn tang, and sometimes he'll go up to the powder brown but I dont really see him picking anything off. My cleaner shrimp doesnt seem to pick anything off the fish.
Today I'm soaking every piece of food(Nori/pellets/brine/mysis) in SeaChem's Garlic Guard. We'll see how this goes. *fingers crossed*

If you can do something PLEASE don't wait till the end like me. I was crossing my fingers untill I saw the last 4 fish struggling with their life in the last few days. I knew that was it. I hope you are not attached to your fish too much. Some of the Canreefers had met me, I can fool people with my strong outside look, but they don't know inside I am the most weakest one. I know I am going to become mentally crazy waiting for 10 weeks to put the new fish in. I can't stand looking at my empty tank right now. If not because of this tank related to someone and something which is sentimental for me, I would probably just shut it down for good.
The last time I bought a new fish that was when the first 2 fish had died for no reason. My Nemo died, I decided to replace him because my other female clown stopped eating. I thought she was grieving, I went to J&L got another clown but I had to return the next day because the female didn't accept it. I don't think that new Nemo I bought brought the ich into the tank.

Hawkaholic · #10 05-26-2011, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefpins10

I broke my 65 gallons fish tank on February, so I got a new 75 gallon in March. I think that made the fish stressed out caused to have ich. I don't think I am able to set up a quarantine tank if I get new fish, my place is very small there is no room left even for a small rubbermaid container.

That may have done it. With the new 75 its like setting up a new tank. You probably had a cycle and depending on the amount of fish added the cycle couldn't keep up to the load.