ICH!!!!!

[mrhasan]

I suddenly noticed today that the six line wrasse that I introduced few days back got ich!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There no mark on the body but there are white spots all over the fins and tail. It does occasionally scratches its body against the rock but it is eating like a beast!

I heard that sixlines generally get ich when introduced to a new tank (kind of like black ghost knife fish) but is very ich-resistant and will heal itself.

I know my tank has ich (I think almost every tank has some ich; its a part of nature and they only attack once the host gets weak enough; please do correct me if I am wrong). And since my tank is only a 20 gallon, I really am not that patient to QT every fish for like 2 months ().

So does anyone has any experience regarding ich and sixlines? Heard that mandarines and sixlines are like ich-proof but this really got me down

[daniella3d]

Actually no, there are a lot of tanks without ick, all of those who do a proper quarantine don't have ick. I have 2 tanks and don't have ick in either.

A tank without ick is only possible when one do a proper quarantine and treat when necessary. There is no secret to it.

Goo luck with your problem. Being infested by parasites is not part of nature because in nature the fish have all the ocean to avoid those parasites. In our tanks with the restrained space, it is parasites haven.

No fish is ich proof. Mandarins can have it has well and they can die from it as well. It infect the gills and mandarins do have gills. They have thick mucous on their body but the gills are all the same as other fish.

Especially in a 20 gallons tank (kind of small for a 6 line) the fish don't stand much chance if not treated because with such small amount of water (parasite concentration) and such small amount of space to swim (stress) it will have a hard time fighting this parasite off.

I would treat with hyposalinity with a good refractometer for 6 weeks in a QT and get rid of ich once and for all.

Originally Posted by mrhasan

(I think almost every tank has some ich; its a part of nature and they only attack once the host gets weak enough; please do correct me if I am wrong).

[George]

Originally Posted by mrhasan

I know my tank has ich (I think almost every tank has some ich; its a part of nature and they only attack once the host gets weak enough; please do correct me if I am wrong).

you are wrong It's possible to erradicate ich from a tank if you understand the life cycle of marine ich.

Originally Posted by mrhasan

So does anyone has any experience regarding ich and sixlines? Heard that mandarines and sixlines are like ich-proof but this really got me down

mandarin and wrasse have thick mucus layer and they frequently shred their mucus layer. That's why they seem to be hard to get ich. Hard, but not impossible.

[mrhasan]

Thanks for correcting me I actually thought that its like a part of the ecosystem like cyanobacteria and hence they persists even after they are eradicated with the "fishless for 8 weeks" method. Like you know, life always finds its way :P

Anyway, so since my tank has ich (I am pretty sure a green clown goby bought it in the system -__-), if I keep the fishes healthy, they shouldn't have problem right?

And about the sixlines, will it heal itself over time? I hear mixed reviews on the internet and hence was looking if someone has a similar experience.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Especially in a 20 gallons tank (kind of small for a 6 line) the fish don't stand much chance if not treated because with such small amount of water (parasite concentration) and such small amount of space to swim (stress) it will have a hard time fighting this parasite off.

Yah I do agree that the parasite concentration is going to be high but I think 20 gallon, particularly the long one, is not small for sixline. I have loads of caves (which is, as far as I know, more important for a happy sixline since they love exploring) and the length is also fine for it. Obviously the bigger the better but I think 20L wont stress the fish.

Once again, I might be wrong since I am all new to this hobby. I am just using my logic to see the extend of what's right and whats wrong

[Cal_stir]

Garlic, fresh garlic, lots of garlic, put fresh garlic in a blender and puree it, strain out the juice and add it directly to the tank, also soak their food with it. It will boost the fishes immune system and keep them eating.
Make the tank smell like garlic.
Good luck.

[Enigma]

Your six line should be fine in your aquarium. Nano Reef has stocking guidelines and, while they may be considered controversial by non-nano reefers, they are what I follow for my tanks (I consider my 40B a nano), though I've got one fish in there that would get me lynched by them.

http://www.nano-reef.com/fish/?fish=3

Understand that when they indicate that a six line can be housed in a 10 gallon, it is the only fish in there. I think they recommend four fish at the maximum for a 20 gallon.

Garlic does seem to be a popular display system treatment, and despite the lack of scientific evidence that it works, there is a huge amount of anecdotal evidence that it does.

[Cal_stir]

I was a non-believer then I got ich in my display(only time I introduced a fish without quarantine), was told to use garlic, was skepticle but tried it anyway and it WORKED, had zero losses and ich never returned.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Your six line should be fine in your aquarium. Nano Reef has stocking guidelines and, while they may be considered controversial by non-nano reefers, they are what I follow for my tanks (I consider my 40B a nano), though I've got one fish in there that would get me lynched by them.

http://www.nano-reef.com/fish/?fish=3

Understand that when they indicate that a six line can be housed in a 10 gallon, it is the only fish in there. I think they recommend four fish at the maximum for a 20 gallon.

Garlic does seem to be a popular display system treatment, and despite the lack of scientific evidence that it works, there is a huge amount of anecdotal evidence that it does.

Thanks Shelly for supporting my nano You have always been very supportive and inspirational

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Cal_stir

I was a non-believer then I got ich in my display(only time I introduced a fish without quarantine), was told to use garlic, was skepticle but tried it anyway and it WORKED, had zero losses and ich never returned.

This is what I was looking for: someone with ich in the tank but doesn't get it :P

So what should I do is make garlic paste and put it directly into the tank? Like the paste itself? And what about water change?