ICH! Need some assistance

[Metrontech]

Ok. Going to start a war, I know. But I need some clarity on this subject for those who have gone down this road before. I haven't QT my fish (save the drama and don't blast me). Some of the fish get small white spots and then it drops off, but my brown powder tang is full of the spots today. They all eat fine and are otherwise from a distance normal acting fish. There are so many opinions out there about Copper, Hypo Salinity etc. - I don't think I can catch these fish without destroying my reef. I have a QT tank and all the necessary equipment. What is my best option for success? I was hoping I could remove the fish and treat them with Hypo Salinity in the QT and then leave my tank with the coral in there for 2 months (fishless) to kill the cycle. Meanwhile the fish are being treated for same amount of time...Anyone want to chime in? Not looking for arguments or what you have read on Google...but give me your experience and what has worked for you. Lastly, there is an opinion that Ich is always there, so just ignore it. Its like the common cold...thanks for the input ahead of time and I appreciate anyone taking the time...

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

All the tangs like Powder Browns, Powder Blue, Regal Blue & Achilles are terrible ick-magnet fish. Even if yours survives this bout of ick, it'll continue to persist in your untreated reef. With ick-magnet fish, any stressor, such as adding a new fish, will cause a fresh outbreak. When you see almost no white specks that just means the parasites have undergone another life stage and a day or two later, they'll most likely be back but even worse. The white spots are pregnant parasites forming on the surface of the fish so when the spots disappear, the ick is in its free swimming stage or has formed cysts that land in your substrate.

Hyposalinity and copper will kill the parasites, BUT NOT in your reef display tank. Needs multiple weeks of treatment to be effective. Cleaner fish & cleaner shrimp also do NOT eat ick.

This marine parasite tends to attack the fish's gills the most, which is why the worst infected fish tend to breathe rapidly and then die after a few days.

I HATE Marine Ick & Marine Velvet with a passion.

Good luck.

[88keys]

Your dt needs to go fishless for 6-8 weeks so the parasite has no host and will die. There is no safe treatment for the dt. This is the only way to eradicate the parasite in the dt. That being said, ich can come in on inverts and corals as well, so literally nothing can be added during the fallow period. To prevent future introduction of parasites, qt'ing everything is the only preventative....i never qt either so you won't get bashing from me.

Some advise removing the fish and treating them, hyposalinity is the safest method if done correctly. Meds can help treat but often if a fishes immune system is compromised then just catching them and medicating can further stress them out leading to more issues.

I had ich appear on a tang in my old 55g, not another fish had any symptoms nor any death. Tank went on like normal.

I most recently had ich and or velvet and lost both fish within days before I could treat them.

Even treating them in a qt isn't 100%. The healthier the fish the more likely its survival rate.

[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.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

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!]

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

[whatcaneyedo]

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.

[rsisvixen]

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

[Skimmer Juice]

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]

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