[DJ_drew]

So my powder blue and hippo tang both seem to have got ick somehow this week so i quarantined them and started medicating
lol
its been a rough week so far! (my tank flooded the other day aswell!)

my question is how long do i need to keep them quarantined they look to be doing way better already!

thanks!
Drew

[DJ_drew]

well the blue tang died and so did my foxface
i had them in a seperate tank with meds and it still didnt help!
any chance i could get an opinion from someone??

[pogodzib]

Ich can kill fish very easily if not treated soon enough. What type of treatment method did you use? Copper, hyposalinity, or something else? I prefer hypo treatment, but you need to have a refractometer to use that method. Copper treatment last for a couple weeks after the ich is last seen. I usually do hyposalinity for 6 weeks after the ich is last seen to be safe. Either way, the main display tank needs to be left fallow (fishless) for 6-8 weeks to make sure all of the parasites are out of the main display tank prior to reintroducing the fish into it.

BTW - I quarantine all new fish for 6-8 weeks and prefer to do a preventative hypo treatment on most fish (all tangs for sure) prior to adding them into the display tank.

[fczekalski]

I have an odd question is ICK present in all fish or does it have to get introduced to the tank. I have had a take with NO ICK for 1 year now but have not introduced a new fish for fear of getting ick again.....

Also I use Coppersafe to kill ICK every time however I have to clean the take with a copper absoption product for months after the treament ...

[pogodzib]

The short answer is no, it is not always present.

As for the long answer:
NEVER use any copper based medicine in any tank with Live Rock or Live Sand. The calcium will absorb the copper and it will leach out slowly over time, thus killing your inverts, corals, and other sensitive critters. Always treat your fish in a quarantine tank. Ich can be kept out of an aquarium if you quarantine all new fish for a minimum of 6 weeks and (IMO) treat certain types of fish (like tangs) as if they are a host to ich even if you don't see any signs. I like to treat most types of fish using the hyposalinity method upon purchase as a preventative measure. Years ago, you used to be able to get fish that was ich free, but these days, the fish get pushed through so many places between being caught/bred and the time that it gets to a store that (IMO) they almost always end up going through a tank that has ich present.

Once you see any signs of ich in a tank, the only way to get rid of it for sure is to take every fish out of the tank and treat them as if they have ich and leave the main display tank fallow (fishless) for 6-8 weeks.

[randy moore]

i have treated my tank with fish corals and inverts. With a product calles kick-ick and have had great results. worked every time and with no loss.

[DJ_drew]

does treating your dt with product turn everything a different colour?
im buying a bigger qt this week so i can do all fish at once ive had a couple fish die because the QT qwwas too small

Drew

[pogodzib]

Yes, a few people have had success with products such as Kick Ich, but many more have been unsuccessful using these "reef-safe" type of products. I feel that the majority of time when they end up working is more due to the fish's immune system beating ich than the product, although the garlic in some of them may help a little. The only two proven treatments for ich that is guaranteed to kill 100% of the ich every time if done correctly is copper and hyposalinity. Either method needs to be done in a q-tank. If you look at any treatment that says it is reef safe, it doesn't contain copper (and you can't do hypo using chemicals) or if it does contain copper, it isn't really reef safe.

[fishtk75]

Originally Posted by pogodzib

Yes, a few people have had success with products such as Kick Ich, but many more have been unsuccessful using these "reef-safe" type of products. I feel that the majority of time when they end up working is more due to the fish's immune system beating ich than the product, although the garlic in some of them may help a little. The only two proven treatments for ich that is guaranteed to kill 100% of the ich every time if done correctly is copper and hyposalinity. Either method needs to be done in a q-tank. If you look at any treatment that says it is reef safe, it doesn't contain copper (and you can't do hypo using chemicals) or if it does contain copper, it isn't really reef safe.

Where is it posted the step by step on hyposalinity?
I have power blue it took for every to catch and I put in my QT also. But I can not get all the other out of the main tank. Can you hyposalinity the main tank?

[Okayamapiper]

Hypoing the main tank will kill any invertebrates, wipe out a good portion of your bacteria in the sump as well. It is better to hypo the qt for 5 weeks at 1.008 (1.008 to 1.010 is the range for killing off free swimming ich so I like going 1.008 to allow for evaporation) and let the main tank go without any fish so the ich will starve themselves to death.

[fishtk75]

Originally Posted by Okayamapiper

Hypoing the main tank will kill any invertebrates, wipe out a good portion of your bacteria in the sump as well. It is better to hypo the qt for 5 weeks at 1.008 (1.008 to 1.010 is the range for killing off free swimming ich so I like going 1.008 to allow for evaporation) and let the main tank go without any fish so the ich will starve themselves to death.

Were are some instructions steps for Hypoing at reef builders?

[Okayamapiper]

No idea as I am new around here as well. You can lower salinity over a period of hours by removing saltwater and adding fresh until the target specific gravity is met. As for raising salinity, this is stressful to the fish, so it needs to be done very gradually. I take about a week to go from 1.008 to 1.023. Remember that after a few days, the ich will appear to have died off, but those are only the adults. The white dots are ich with eggs which are deposited on the substrate. No medication or hypo will kill them until they hatch. There are still ich inside the fish that need to mature and leave eggs, so to be sure to wipe out the ich takes about 5 weeks. To prevent any reoccurence will require a good QT regimen for all newcomers.

I also use ozone as a precaution in the main tank. Kills all the nasty buggers plus oxidizing all DOCs making it easirer for my skimmer to do its job.

[fishtk75]

Originally Posted by Okayamapiper

No idea as I am new around here as well. You can lower salinity over a period of hours by removing saltwater and adding fresh until the target specific gravity is met. As for raising salinity, this is stressful to the fish, so it needs to be done very gradually. I take about a week to go from 1.008 to 1.023. Remember that after a few days, the ich will appear to have died off, but those are only the adults. The white dots are ich with eggs which are deposited on the substrate. No medication or hypo will kill them until they hatch. There are still ich inside the fish that need to mature and leave eggs, so to be sure to wipe out the ich takes about 5 weeks. To prevent any reoccurence will require a good QT regimen for all newcomers.

I also use ozone as a precaution in the main tank. Kills all the nasty buggers plus oxidizing all DOCs making it easirer for my skimmer to do its job.

What type of ozone setup is good as to pick the right size and what equipment works and ones that do not.

[Okayamapiper]

I use a Red Sea 100mg ozone generator which feed a Berlin Classic skimmer fed by a Rio 2500. I have it set at 25mg/hr for my 50 gallon and use an ORP meter to control dosage. Ozone used to be very popular years ago, but it can be deadly.

[fishtk75]

Thanks on ozone. I found ich paper here it is.

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by fishtk75

Thanks on ozone. I found ich paper here it is.

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

As long as you are at AJs read the article on copper treatments as well. Good to know both ways to rid ich.
Also I like Okays statement when he says for "all newcomers". If people would take the time to QT and treat there fish at the start of their tank a lot more people would still be in saltwater.

Also a word of advice...I wouldnt run Ozone without some one that is already using it walking you thru it step by step to get started. That includes the buying of an ozonater that fits your needs. Dont forget you need to run carbon. I think Okay alread mentioned that?

[pogodzib]

First off, it sounds like you have realized that you need to be careful when adding new inhabitants into a tank to eliminate the potential of getting parasites into your tank. I quarantine all new fish for 6 weeks minimum. As far as running ozone, I have used ozone for about 8-9 years and find it very beneficial when used properly. However, it should only be thought of and used as an additional piece of equipment that can benefit a tank if used properly and not as something that will eliminate the need for a q-tank or proper tank husbandry. Ozone (UV sterilizer, or any other piece of equipment) by itself will not eliminate ich or other parasites completely.

[Okayamapiper]

Failed to mention about the carbon. You will need to run carbon both in the sump and also where the air exits the collection cup of the skimmer as ozone is a health hazard.

[fishtk75]

Ok about carbon.

I see Kent RxP for ick did anyone use this does it work?