ich in tank

[jreef]

So a couple weeks ago I bought a purple dottyback from a lfs.. and the next day I noticed it had ich.. I was waiting it out hoping the fish can fight it off.. I was thinking to get a ich solution.. but I heard they are not invertebrates safe.. and I have snails in my tank.. a couple days ago the dottyback died.. and yesterday my clowfish also died from ich.. now I only have a yellow watchman goby.. so far I see just one stop on him.. so now I'm thinking what should I do.. as ich may be still in my tank.. will doing a water change get rid of them.. is their a invertebrate safe ich solution in stores.. I want to buy the fish I had again.. but I'm just afraid their also going to get ich and die

 

[JohnK]

Sorry.

No reef safe medication works. The tank is infected, and you options are to commit to a full treatment for the fish and fallow (fishes) period for the tank, OR keep stress low and hope that the fish can tolerate/live with the infection.

Considering you are talking about only one fish in there now, I would strongly suggest removing that fish, treating it with the "tank transfer Method", and then keeping the fish in isolation for a couple of months to let the ick die out in the display. In the future you would want to preventitively QT and treat any new fish.

It's a bit PITA, but worth it if you do it right.

 

[reefstarter]

I've had luck with this
http://www.polyplab.com/5-medic.php

No guarantees but it did work for me

 

[mnavick]

There is NO KNOWN medication to cure ich!!
Hypo or TTM will rid and then you must quarantine before adding anything wet.

If by some chance an additive was added and there is no longer signs it just means it is in remission.

 

[reef87]

copper is a way to go.

if you don't do corals and inverts in your display tank, then you can nuke copper in your tank anytime.
if you do corals and inverts, then treat the fishes with copper in an isolated or separate tank until no sign of ick.

 

[JohnK]

Copper is defiantly effective, but I would go tank transfer method over copper anyway. IME TTM is actually easier and definitely much easier on the fish.

 

[reef87]

How does tank transfer method work?
Empty all the water and refll the tank with all new water?
Thanks

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[CAPSLOCK]

You have 2 setups (simple ones - tank / bucket / container of whatever sort (petco has $/gal sale right now), plus a heater, and powerhead / filter / whatever water movement). Every three days, in the morning, you move the fish to a new setup. Then allow the other to totally dry out (and/or bleach it) as this will kill the ich, before setting it up again for the next transfer. Do this tank transfer for 14 days (I believe it is the mornings of days 4, 7, 10, & 13). Due to the ich's lifecycle, it will be eradicated by the end of that time.

The ich left kicking around in your display tank requires approx. 10 weeks without fish present to ensure that it has died off, after which you can add back the fish and start restocking. You can also use TTM on each new fish as prophylactic ich treatment as well.

 

[JohnK]

TTM requires two tanks, you move the fish to a sterile tank every 3 days, at least 4 times. This is based on the timing of the known lifecycle of ick. By changing tanks every 3 days the ick never gets to drop off, complete it's next life stage, then reattach. Also with the 100% water changes you typically never have to worry about cycling the tanks or ammonia issues. It means making 10 or so gallons of water every 3 days, but that is soon much easier than trying to manage water quality and treatment conditions as needed with copper or hypo. IT sounds like a PITA at first, but as long as you are not working with fish that require something larger than 10-20 gallons for the (short) treatment period, it's actually not bad at all.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1996525&highlight=tank+transfer+method

 

[JohnK]

You have 2 setups (simple ones - tank / bucket / container of whatever sort (petco has $/gal sale right now), plus a heater, and powerhead / filter / whatever water movement). Every three days, in the morning, you move the fish to a new setup. Then allow the other to totally dry out (and/or bleach it) as this will kill the ich, before setting it up again for the next transfer. Do this tank transfer for 14 days (I believe it is the mornings of days 4, 7, 10, & 13). Due to the ich's lifecycle, it will be eradicated by the end of that time.

The ich left kicking around in your display tank requires approx. 10 weeks without fish present to ensure that it has died off, after which you can add back the fish and start restocking. You can also use TTM on each new fish as prophylactic ich treatment as well.

Yea, what Ms fancy pants fast typer said ^

 

[reef87]

Okay. Thanks
Sounds simple and easy.
But what about fish like tangs?
Wouldnt this method kill the fish faster even?


ALSO.
Where do you go to put the fish after the 14 days of treatment is up when the display tank need to be fallowed for ten long weeks? That is the hardest part.
I dont think people would be generous enough to hold your fish in their tank for you especially fish that were once affected with ick. I have to say that i would refuse to accept that if people ask me to house their fish temporary for them when knowing that the fish previously had ick.


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[JohnK]

Being in a 20G for 2 weeks will stress out your average tang, but not likely kill it as long as the water quality is good (and no amount of stress is going to make the ick worse when it's life cycle is broken as in TTM.

After the TTM treatment you would keep the fish in a comfortable QT for the rest of the 8-12 week fallow period needed to clear the display. You would have to do this after copper or hypo anyway so it's not anymore work or equipment.

 

[president89]

Chloroquine Phosphate is my vote, but it's not reef safe. PM me if you want to try some.