NOS-ICH anyone tried?

smitas5 · #1 06-23-2014, 06:03 AM

Hi all,
Fairly new to the hobby and since salt ich is very different from fresh, need some advice.
I was told to get QT so got it today for 30$ and it's up and running downstairs now.
Also purchased refractometer today and after calibration my DT was reading 1.032, so not a great start.
Now I have Yellow tang, Maroon clown & Pottery angel there and seems to be clown was less affected, but all have ich and it seems to be getting worse every couple days. Fish are eating and behaving well still.

I searched for copper based meds in 3 shops already and either they had so-called reef safe meds or one shop said it is very strong but not copper based NOX-ICH. it contains 50% Sodium Chloride & 50% Malachide Green.

Not sure what to do.. should I try these meds, since have nothing else? .. still have to catch the fish..

Now slowly reducing salinity... it's down to 1.024

bumper · #2 06-23-2014, 07:23 AM

I can't comment much on the use of malachide green and ich treatment on marine fish, it does treat freshwater ich. Nox ich, quick cure and paraguard are typically effective freshwater ich treatments. Copper worked on a pair of skunk clowns for me, tested and maintained the concentration. Feeding metro mixed with focus and garlic extract helps the fish retain an appetite but I'm not sure how effective it is; I've lost fish while only trying to feed medicated foods.
But I do find a uv sterilizer to have controlled minor ich outbreaks. Even a 9w aa uv in my 90 gallon, then I stepped it up to 18 watt Laguna pond sterilizer. Somewhere I read 12w or greater is effective at killing ich where the water receives an average exposure time to the uv. It does seem to help. If you're still cycling your display, the uv can damage beneficial bacteria and should not running while seeding the tank. But it can also be useful in qt.

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corpusse · #3 06-23-2014, 02:19 PM

Don't waste your time, get seachem cupramine, a seachem copper test kit and ammonia alert badge. Dose slowly, slower then instructions and test for copper frequently to semi frequently (once I get to full dose I don't really worry since I keep the tank topped up).

Otherwise you can try the tank transfer method if you have 2 tanks. Personally I've only used copper though.

smitas5 · #4 06-27-2014, 10:12 PM

Thanks for that.. I could not find copper based stuff so trying the hyposalinity and so far no changes, but fish still eating.. Also placing order for seachem meds and tests.. would you guys use Seachem other tests too? like ammonia, nitrate, calcium & etc?

Cujo#31 · #5 06-29-2014, 06:10 AM

Off the shelf meds are "ok" for post purchase dip before QT, but not as a reliable treatment IMHO. Incredibly stressful on livestock. Best bet slowly drop saline over a couple days to 1.09 and hold there in QT for minimum 28 days. Watch PH levels. Once 28 day min at 1.09 SLOWLY raise saline to normal levls. Fish naturally metabolize SW at 1.09. Lower saline levels actually reduce stress on fish as well, but no good for coral or inverts.
If fish stress levels and displayed anxiety levels still ok, keep in hypo saline as long as possible as some strains of marine ich cycle longer than 28 days. Watch EVERYTHING u put into ur DT. Cuz the only way stuff gets in our systems is if we put it there. Even nets can transferr nasties. Post purchase dip, QT and PATIENCE is 100% best method of controlling (notice I didnt say eliminating) bad stuff frm getting in.
Good Luck

Craigdillman · #6 06-29-2014, 07:26 PM

Grab one of those ammonia alert badges too they are a life saver in QT and also grab some prime cause I'm sure if its anything like my hypo ordeal there will be an ammonia spike

smitas5 · #7 07-19-2014, 04:02 PM

Managed to keep fishes in hypo and situation got very stressfull between maroon clown and pottery angel.. Angel was on the ground for a while breathing fast, so I had to make a call.. I moved clown and yellow tang back to DT.. Looks like they both doing ok not in DT.. Angel soon after died. I thing hypo works very well in general. Ammonia alert tool works well too. I also used ammoguard to maintain safe levels of amonia.
Now I have copeper test and treatment for future..

Winder what is the advantage of copper if you are still recommended to keep DT empty for a while in order to reduce parasite levels.. Like it was mentioned you cant get rid of them..

After I transfered back my two fishes, in couple days they got 3-4 spots on them again, thought I screwed it up by moving too early, but looks like it cleared up now.. So they were able to fight back this time..

This is what I got out of the situation. Thanks

Craigdillman · #8 07-19-2014, 04:15 PM

If they didn't make it through the month on hypo and you added them back to the DT then they probably still have ich like you said if there were spots when you added them back the ich is still there so no your dt has ich again/still

The fish on the ground is usually result of ammonia or the ich rather than the hypo, in my experience fish handle hypo well just not the ammonia.

So not sure where your at

Craigdillman · #9 07-19-2014, 04:17 PM

Also how long was the dt fallow cause they might have made it through the hypo long enough but if the DT wasn't fallow enough then there coulda been ich still in there and re attached (I think 7-8 weeks is standard)

Either way if you seen spots after you added them if say the ich is still there

smitas5 · #10 07-19-2014, 05:01 PM

Ich cleared within 4 days in QT on all the fish, but as soon as fishes started feeling better, bullying started and angel got the worst of it from clown.. Therefore I added them back.. I think they were clear for 2-3 weeks from ich while in QT, but ich survived in DT so reattached on to them as soon as I added them back. But clear again for nearly a week now, so hoping fishes are now strong to fight it.. I was told you can never really get rid of it, long term.. You will always get it as soon as you add more organisms from outside your system.