best way to treat ich

fishguy29 · #1 04-06-2009, 01:37 AM

Hi there. I have 2 clowns and a regal tang. The clowns i have had for 3 weeks with no issues and the tang 1.5 weeks. The tang showed signs of ich alittle then went away and now its pretty bad. One of the clowns is now sticking his mouth out of the top as if he is trying to get air. I'm adding an airstone to try and add more oxygen and the top is open now. I'm curious should i take the 2 clowns and regal tang out and qt them? i just setup the qt tank and didn't want to add more stress but what do you all think is my best option.

Danny · #2 04-06-2009, 01:47 AM

If you have a QT than use it, you can treat with copper based meds but otherwise (like myself) I let it run it's course. Tangs are ich magnets.

fishguy29 · #3 04-06-2009, 03:16 AM

well the tang and the smaller clown are still eating and acting pretty normal. I'm concerned about the bigger clown as she stopped eating and is always at the top of the tank. i just put in an airstone thinking it was oxygen levels but doesn't seem to be helping. The tank i just setup which i will use for qt how long will it be before i could use it? i have no live rock or sand in it

fishguy29 · #4 04-06-2009, 03:21 AM

if i let it run it course is that usually the best option? also, will my tank always have ich if i don't take care of it by running fish free for awhile? if qt do you run the carbon in the filter or no because it will absorb the copper?

Trigger Man · #5 04-06-2009, 04:35 AM

You do not run Carbon in your qt tank if you are using copper as it will absorb some of it. If you have a skimmer in there you should turn it off as well.

heyfredyourhat · #6 04-06-2009, 04:45 AM

I cured my tang with 8 wks of hyposalinity. Heres my thread on RC. Started out as HLLE and then went in display and immediatly showed signs of ich.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...ht=white+cheek

my2rotties · #7 04-06-2009, 04:49 AM

I just let mine fight it off and have seen no sign of ich in my tank for at least three months now. I added garlic to their food as well as selcon and feed heavily a few times a day to keep them eating. I have had no losses.

i have crabs · #8 04-06-2009, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties

I just let mine fight it off and have seen no sign of ich in my tank for at least three months now. I added garlic to their food as well as selcon and feed heavily a few times a day to keep them eating. I have had no losses.

time bomb waiting to wipe out the tank if you ask me, ick is a parasite and dosent just go away, it can and will continue to live in the tank and eventually will kill fish.
hypo works but i thinks is harder for most people and bigger risk of things going wrong,i would recommend seachem clupramine in a qt tank

naesco · #9 04-10-2009, 10:17 PM

I have seen a very mild ich settle itself but have never seen a bad infest ion result in anything but the death of the fish.
In the QT treat with formalin or greenex. In both cases follow the directions closely and put the bubbler in the QT. Time is of the essence.
The problem with copper is that it is very difficult to test. Too little does nothing and too much can kill.
If you can't get at your fish, buy some garlic extract or garlic extreme. Soak dry foods or nori in the garlic and feed. The idea is to get as much garlic extract in the fish as possible and feed very often.
In addition buy a couple of cleaner shrimp (not cleaner wrasse) and they will help if you do not use the QT.
Good Luck
Wayne

fishoholic · #10 04-11-2009, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i have crabs

time bomb waiting to wipe out the tank if you ask me, ick is a parasite and dosent just go away, it can and will continue to live in the tank and eventually will kill fish.
hypo works but i thinks is harder for most people and bigger risk of things going wrong,i would recommend seachem clupramine in a qt tank

I have ich living in my tank, most of my fish seem to have a natural built up immunity to it. What they don't fight off themselves my cleaner wrasse picks off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco

I have seen a very mild ich settle itself but have never seen a bad infest ion result in anything but the death of the fish.
In the QT treat with formalin or greenex. In both cases follow the directions closely and put the bubbler in the QT. Time is of the essence.
The problem with copper is that it is very difficult to test. Too little does nothing and too much can kill.
If you can't get at your fish, buy some garlic extract or garlic extreme. Soak dry foods or nori in the garlic and feed. The idea is to get as much garlic extract in the fish as possible and feed very often.
In addition buy a couple of cleaner shrimp (not cleaner wrasse) and they will help if you do not use the QT.
Good Luck
Wayne

FYI fish with extremely bad infestations can get healthy again without QT. My yellow tang was very covered in ich about a year ago, so much so that you could not see the yellow colour on him. Took the lavender tang out, which was the stresser causing the other fish to get ich, added a cleaner wrasse and now you would never know the yellow tang ever had ich in the first place. Cleaner wrasses can be hit or miss but I know several people who have had a lot of success with them, the trick is to find a healthy one, if you can they are worth it. I've tried neon gobies before but have not had any luck with them (both dove into the rock never to be seen again, guessing they died/or got eaten) cleaner wrasses are a better way to go IMO.