Help on treating ich

[lockrookie]

just got it at my local fish store

[shootingstar]

To answer the question you originally asked.

YES, a DT left fallow (without any fish) for 8 weeks will be generally considered ich free.

Ich is a fish parasite, having fish present is essential for ich to survive and reproduce. If there are no fish in the tank the Ich will die off.

Treat the fish (with whatever method you decide) in another tank and return them to the DT after the 8 week fallow period.
or
Don't treat and use food environmental factors to make them strong enough to fight off the infection that will remain.

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by shootingstar

Treat the fish (with whatever method you decide) in another tank and return them to the DT after the 8 week fallow period.
or
Don't treat and use food environmental factors to make them strong enough to fight off the infection that will remain.

That pretty much sums it up, but I think a fallow period of 5 weeks should be long enough. You'd have to be pretty unlucky to get a strain of Cryptocaryon that has a Tomont stage of longer than even 3 weeks at 26C.

Remember, once you go down the QT path, EVERYTHING that goes in your tank has to be QTed. That includes the frags you get from your buddy's, macro algae, etc. I only used to QT corals for 2 weeks, but even that was stressful... for me and the corals.

[Sumfingwong]

Thanks for the suggestions all, I think moving the fish right now will stress them out too much. I will try my best to treat them in the DT with Herbtana, better food, and a UV sterilizer. My last resort will be fishing them all out of the DT and QT them.

I will no more when I get home and see the state of the tank

[Gripenfelter]

None of the reef safe treatments work in my opinion. I've tried them all and nothing worked. The only thing that works 100% is to set up a quarantine tank and dose with copper.

I did eventually rid my tank of ich but it was from installing a UV sterilizer. As soon as I installed it I saw the ich breakouts decline. Doesn't cure ich on your fish. Decreases or eliminates future breakouts. Currently ich free.

[Sumfingwong]

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

None of the reef safe treatments work in my opinion. I've tried them all and nothing worked. The only thing that works 100% is to set up a quarantine tank and dose with copper.

I did eventually rid my tank of ich but it was from installing a UV sterilizer. As soon as I installed it I saw the ich breakouts decline. Doesn't cure ich on your fish. Decreases or eliminates future breakouts. Currently ich free.

Well.. I hope the UV sterilizer does its job.

[Sumfingwong]

Heres a small update.

I cam home yesterday to find the ich gone from most of the fish, puffers looked better, the dogface puffer still had ich on him.All fish ate except the puffers (Again)

I added the UV, and dosed the tank again for Day 2 of treatment.

This morning, I woke up and went to check on the tank, fish looked good, all of them ate (havent fed the puffers yet). I added day herbtana for day 3 of treatment. Most of the ich is gone, I still see some on the foxface. both puffers are out more swimming around. The pocupine doesnt have that much ich on him anymore. I will be defrosting some krill and brine and will be soaking it with garlic guard.

I dont know if its the ich running its course, but it seems like herbtana is working. A promising sign is that most of the fish I have that sleep on the sand is showing improvement and the ich has fallen off their body. Even the guys in the sump are looking better.

[daniella3d]

It has been proven that ick can survive up to 70 days so why go to all the trouble to do this treatment only to put them back in the tank and recontaminate them if it is not gone? 8 week might be a little extreme but I would wait at least 6 weeks if the fish can live in quarantine without being too stressed and if they eat well.

If anyone is not going to quarantine their fish, at least they should always do a one hour dip in Seachem Paraguard. This one hour dip would probably get most of the parasites off. This is really important with clownfish as Paraguard will kill brooklynella so the dip might catch all the parasites before they even enter the tank.

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

That pretty much sums it up, but I think a fallow period of 5 weeks should be long enough. You'd have to be pretty unlucky to get a strain of Cryptocaryon that has a Tomont stage of longer than even 3 weeks at 26C.

Remember, once you go down the QT path, EVERYTHING that goes in your tank has to be QTed. That includes the frags you get from your buddy's, macro algae, etc. I only used to QT corals for 2 weeks, but even that was stressful... for me and the corals.

[Reefer Rob]

Most Ick cycles seem to be between 4 to 10 days from what I've seen in my tanks. It's about managing risk, as I say, you would be unlucky indeed to get a strain that has a 70 day cycle. You need to keep reef keeping fun Quarantining everything that goes into your tank including corals for 8 weeks would be a PTA, as well as a strain in the animals.

[daniella3d]

I don't see how doing a quarantine on fish can be any more strain to the animals than being taken out of the ocean and put in a small box. An aquarium is an aquarium no matter what and if the water quality in the quarantine tank is top notch and the quarantine is set up right than there is no stress at all. I currently have 3 fish in my 21 gallons, one cleaner wrasse and 2 black ice clownfish. There is liverock in there and hiding places and everybody is doing great.

They are receiving a Paraguard treatment to eliminate the possibility of ick and brook and everybody is eating like little pigs 3 to 5 times per day. They have been there for 10 days now and will be there another 3 weeks in treatment, then in the display.

I did quarantine on sensitive fish like the copperband butterfly for a month in that 21 gallons and the fish was not in very good health when I got it. Now it's doing great one year later. If I can do it, anyone can, it's just a matter of setting this properly and the fish are not stressed at all. Why would they be more stressed in the quarantine tank alone and in peace rather then being dumped in the DT with other possible territorial fish chasing them around and making their life a nightmare? Quarantine is a time for a fish to recover, get fat and healthy, alone and in peace, not being harrassed by any other fish.

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

Most Ick cycles seem to be between 4 to 10 days from what I've seen in my tanks. It's about managing risk, as I say, you would be unlucky indeed to get a strain that has a 70 day cycle. You need to keep reef keeping fun Quarantining everything that goes into your tank including corals for 8 weeks would be a PTA, as well as a strain in the animals.