Help!!! Ick!!!

[Myanth]

Thanks. I have read much on here and many other sites on this parasite. I have no hospital tank and lowering salinity in the main tank is not an option.
(not to mention the virtual impossibility of catching the fish) I could set up a 20 gallon that I have if it is my only option but I would be concerned with that as it has not been set up in a while.

Garlic? like oil or actual garlic cloves ground really small?

And if it only makes the parasite drop off of the fish, how do you then rid the system as I have heard and read that the life cycle can be anywhere from 5 weeks to eleven months depending on salinity and temperature.

Thanks again.
Mike

[Skimmerking]

Well the
garlic pills are the gel ones 1500MG or you can get the oderless ones that are 500MG.

The other question with inreguards to catching the fish. U can always catch a fish no matter how bad you want him.

With dropping the ick off the tank you wil always have ick in your tank when yo have Tangs or Angels, IMO. It usally takes around 3-4 weeks with the lights off to kill off the spores in the tank. If you have corals well that is going to be a big problem too..

good luck and keep us informed

[Myanth]

Thanks again. I'll try it.

I had a small Nano reef for a year and had an issue with ick on my two clowns. I did nothing but add a pair of cleaners (who I later lost in a botched breeding incident, air hose fell out of bowl and they suffocated) and the ick was gone in days, never to return. Will the cleaners eventually destroy the infestation or do the ick parasites reproduce too quickly for them to overcome?

Hint- I could get more cleaners

[Skimmerking]

Cleaners are there to keep it in check and for cleaning the fish.

[Ruth]

I think the only sure fire way is to take them out of the tank into a quarentine and treat with hypo or copper. Leave them out of your tank and let the tank go fish less for 6 - 8 weeks which should be enough time for the ich parasites to go through their cycle and with no host fish they should die out of your display.
There is no proof that garlic helps but MY theory on it is that it does not hurt and actually seems to entice fish to eat more thereby making for healthier fish that are better able to fight disease and parasites.
There is no reason that you cannot have your lights on while your tank is fish less as the ich parasites do not care if there is light or not. They need a host fish in order to reproduce so your corals will be fine and just keep your regular lighting schedule.
OTOH the ich parasite can and does live in many of our systems it's just that our fish are healthy and able to not let it take over and are able to fight off any infestation of them. If you add a new fish it may be weak from shipping or whatever and is likely to become infected.
This is just my 2 cents worth and based on my own experience.

[deep6er]

Im not trying to be an ass but isnt it icH not ick

[Ruth]

Or Cryptocaryon.

[Myanth]

well - here's an update. Cleaner shrimp have been busy. They've set up a cleaning station under a large ledge. The CBS chases them out once in a while but they come back. Clowns (3) look fine, four stripe damsels (2) look fine but are still scratching, powder brown tang has none and is fine, coral beauty is looking much better - only some on nose and tail - she won't leave the cleaners alone for more than a minute, sailfin goby and scooter blenny have never showed any signs.

And the bad news.

Yellow watchman goby - dead
Green clown goby - dead
Dragon goby - covered, laboured breathing, pieces missing from ends of pec fins and tail fin. I didn't think that Ich (deep6r) deteriorated fins, but he sleeps under a couple of rocks so maybe he is just too stressed to move away from the hermits, CBS, and whatever else may be lurking in the depths.

I will keep you updated.
Thanks