Marine Ich help please

[dsaundry]

I am having a hell of a time with Marine Ich in my tank right now. I have had little bouts over the past 10 years but so long as the fish were eating and moving the always seemed to be fine in a few weeks. This latest bout has been going on for a number of weeks and the casualty list is growing. Other than copper treatments is there anything that you have found that will stop this thing cold. I havent seemed to find any sure fire things on the forums or the internet. Any suggestions. I don't have a qt tank anymore and according to a number of forums that isnt really an answer anyhow. Copper is out as the inverts and corals probably wouldnt make it. Water perameters are good. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Myka]

Is this a FOWLR?

If it is a FOWLR you can do hyposalinity in it for 6 weeks. Keep Prime and a salicylate ammonia test kit on hand in case some of the nitrifying bacteria die (causing ammonia spike). Most of the nitrifying bacteria should survive hyposalinity, but some people do experience significant troubles.

EDIT: Nevermind I see corals in there now. How many corals? Can you remove them for 6 weeks to a temporary tank?

[TimT]

Hi Darryl,

A UV sterilizer will help keep it in check.

Make sure there are no temperature fluctuations either.

Cheers,
Tim

[dsaundry]

Not a folr system unfortunately, I have a uv sterilizer but its only a 36w, I think I may have to go to a 72w from what I have been reading. The temp fluctuates between 78 and 82 depending on time of day. I cant keep the fluctuation any closer even with fans right now, maybe I will invest in a chiller.

[Myka]

Bump your heater up to 81 or 82 then. No point in letting it fall to 78 at night.

How big is your tank? Which return pump are you using? How is your UV plumbed (to the return?)?

[dsaundry]

Tank is a 140g, uv is plumbed into sump. Pump is a mag12. eventually going to an eheim1262.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by dsaundry

Tank is a 140g, uv is plumbed into sump. Pump is a mag12. eventually going to an eheim1262.

A properly run UV should be plumbed inline with your return pump so that the water is treated in its entirety to be as effective as possible, but a 36w UV wouldn't be nearly intense enough to have 1000-1100 gph run through it and still provide protection from Ich. This is the trouble with UV...it would add too much heat to your tank to use a properly-sized UV plumbed properly into the tank. Kind of lose, lose on this one.

[Myka]

Here's some great information on UV sterilizers: http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ad.php?t=36805

[naesco]

Have you seriously tried the garlic method? In bouts with ich I have had 100% success.
I think many reefers who have not had success may be not be know how to use garlic so I will go into some detail.

1. Use Kent's garlic extreme or garlic extract from a health food store. I think some of the alternative products may not be concentrated enough to get the results.
2. Use dry foods. Frozen and moist foods simply cannot absorb enough garlic extreme into the food. The ides is to get as much garlic into the fish as possible.
3. Whether you are going to use flake, pellets or nori place the food in a saucer and squirt enough garlic extreme so that the food is completely soaked (It will take a few minutes for it to be soggy). Than feed it to your fish.
4. If you are feeding two or three times a day you are not getting enough garlic extract into the fish. Feed small amounts as often as you can. Your fish will tell you when they are full. The idea here is to get as much garlic into the fish as possible.
5. Feed only garlic soaked food. If you feed other food as well all you are doing is diluting the effect.

Within 48 hours you will see the effect with progressively less ich on the fish but it does not stop here because there is ich in the water and cysts lying on the bottom of the tank.

6. Continue feeding until all evidence of ich is gone and continue but less often for several weeks.
7. If it returns at the first sign start from no. 1 again. Observe the fish from it mouth along the body because sometimes it is difficult to see the spots unless you look lenghtwise along its body. Do not wait until the fish are overwhelmed with ich.

There will be less ich in the water if you do a water change but don't stress your fish.
There will be less ich if you use a suction hose to vacume the cysts that are lying on the sandbed before you do your water change. Also because ich is in the gills of the fish which you cannot see increase oxygen levels so the fish can 'breathe easier' by using bubblers and a powerhead just below the water leverl.

If you decide to try this. please post your observations daily and what you are doing (ie how often you are feeding etc.)
Good Luck

[Myka]

Good post naesco. I feed garlic regularly (as well as a high-quality varied diet), don't use a UV, and haven't had an Ich outbreak in my reefs in well over a decade. I think in 10 years there has to be something more than just luck...?