ICH! Need some assistance

FishyFishy! · #1 05-28-2016, 03:34 PM

The last time I had an ich outbreak, I used the New Life Spectrum ich food. It actually worked great. 5 of my tangs had ich, and I only lost one that was too far gone. They have been happy and healthy ever since then. Going on 2 years without a reoccurance.

I should add that it was used in a full reef tank with zero side effects to the rest of the tank.

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #2 05-28-2016, 03:39 PM

Some reefers have found that a lot of fish don't seem to like the Ick Shield NLS pellets. The fish that do eat the pellets seem to do a bit better fighting off ick than those that don't. I was able to pick up a jar from a local reefer whose fish refused to eat these pellets, and most of my fish will eat it (they're pigs and will eat most anything).

FishyFishy! · #3 05-28-2016, 03:54 PM

I just mixed it in with regular pellets and almost all the fish didnt seem to notice.

whatcaneyedo · #4 05-28-2016, 05:03 PM

Just to be different... I've never treated for Ick and if I've ever lost a fish to it it would have been back in 2004/5 when I was just starting out. Instead I try to minimize stress by under stocking, keeping my hands out of the tank, leaving the fish in the tank, feeding well and often, and spreading the new additions out over the course of many months. The result is that when my fish get Ick (which is rare) they get over it on their own like the common cold.

Skimmer Juice · #5 05-28-2016, 05:34 PM

Realistically you have answered your own question , you either leave fish in display tank and try garlic guard and nls ich shield pellets and hope it gets under control, or you pull the fish and treat them and leave your display empty . And once that is cleared up qt everything you put in the display , seriously everything corals/new rocks/fish if you skip qt because the fish looks healthy you will always end up in the same boat. I have a couple fish coming up on 10 years so my method of qt'ing everything I would say has worked well . Have always hated treating fish in the qt with cuprimine , never tried real copper not worth the hassle , hypo is dangerous imo . My method has always been qt tank/good water quality / live rock , feed food soaked in garlic guard and let the fish be if the fish is strong the fish will be fine . So for me I dont use medicine/treatments and have never had ich in my display in the last decade I will continue to qt everything because you never know whats hiding and even when you dip you can still have stuff come in so qt eliminates guessing and if you have fish long term you would like to keep them healthy skipping qt is a terrible plan imo.

Craigdillman · #6 05-29-2016, 08:36 PM

I think most people who have an ich or velvet out break know the cycle and know what to do , it comes down to if you want to do the work and go through the process of treating it or not .
If treated properly with approved methods and DT left fallow for the 8-9 weeks you will erridicate the ich and be free from it in your DT , and from now on all new additions will need to be Qt or your rolling the dice.

Remove the fish , treat with tank transfer method, copper , hypo (probably the hardest of the three) leave the DT fallow 8-9weeks.... Or roll the dice and take your chances if your fish will fight it off or die , those are the only real options

I had ich out break when I first set up my 125g years ago decided it was worth it to put in the work to catch and treat the fish fallow the tank and from that moment on all my fish are QT before entering cause I know the work involved

Just my 2 cents

Myka · #7 05-30-2016, 02:40 AM

Just for the record, currently the recommended fallow period is a minimum of 76 days.

rsisvixen · #8 05-28-2016, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishyFishy!

The last time I had an ich outbreak, I used the New Life Spectrum ich food. It actually worked great. 5 of my tangs had ich, and I only lost one that was too far gone. They have been happy and healthy ever since then. Going on 2 years without a reoccurance.

I should add that it was used in a full reef tank with zero side effects to the rest of the tank.

While NLS ich shield is a great tool in the fight on ich, it is not a cure and can only be used for 2 weeks. I use it when putting my fish through ttm-some eat it, some don't. It is an immuno booster not a medication.
Keep in mind ich doesn't just show up as white spots, they attach inside the gills too, so while it might look like the problem is gone chances are the cycle continues unless you can be sure you have gotten rid of all 4 stages of ich