Experiences with "Kick-Ick"?

[JohnK]

I think that overall it comes down to what approach you take, control or eradicate?

My take on it is that,
cleaners, KI, minimized stress, low stocking levels exct all work to control or manage ICK, ie "ick is always present in the system", OR,
Hypo or copper treatment along with a fallow tank period can make for total eradication "ICK can be eradicated".

There are a lot of opinions on this.

Personally my fish were treated with hypo and a fallow display and now a 101 days after being back in the display the fish are still all %100 ick free.

Chris,
PM returned.
jk

 

[agent6473]

I think I've come to accept that my tank will never be "completely for sure ick free." I have way too many small fish to even worry about it that much to catch them. Right now, I have one sick fish that is still eating like a champ and acting like normal, but has a bunch of ick spots. Oddly enough, the ick is the worst right before the lights go off, which is the opposite of what I've read about.

My plan... try a little kick ick to get him on the upside of the ick battle along with keeping him well fed. If he still doesn't improve, QT him and treat him there. But for the rest of the tank. I'm just going to let it settle for a while before adding any new fish. My existing fish are all healthy as usual. The 2 fish that brought the ick into the system have since died, so maybe the ick population numbers will begin to decrease in the tank.

I'm also running a UV sterilizer to try to remove "some" of the free swimming ick parasites.

Thanks again John for offering up your equipment, you're always there to help out!

 

[NateHanson]

I've generally been of the opinion that it's easiest to control ich by keeping a healthy tank. I believe it's possible to irradicate Ich through hypo/copper QT and leaving the tank fallow, but I think it's naive to believe that a tank can really remain "sterile". With all the trades that are made, corals, rock, etc etc. All it takes is one tiny organism to reintroduce it to the tank. That's not a disaster by any means, but it makes the previous huge QT regime a waste of time.

So personally I think the answer is to keep the tank happy and healthy. Avoid introducing ailing or Ich-infested fish, and if there is an outbreak, treat or QT to control the Ich outbreak and keep it down to a level that the healthy fish can fight successfully.

After my original outbreak in the winter of 2004, I didn't have a single Ich spot visible in my tank or subsequent tank until I broke it down 18 months later.

 

[MarkO]

I think cleaner shrimp are definitely doing something to help. The affected fish go repeatedly to the shrimp who seem to peck at them. The healthy fish do not go to the shrimp. Possible that they're just picking the parasites off the fish and eating the dead tissue? Or who knows, but they're definitely doing something.

I agree.
The fish affected go to the shrimp. If the shrimp are not picking at the ich, they are doing something that the fish seem to appreciate. Maybe it's only a glorified scratch, but the fish seem to enjoy it. In any case, I don't think it's bad for the fish.

 

[joefitz]

I also have seen my fish (primarily tangs) go to the cleaners from when the ich seemed to sprout up so that's why I don't completely discount the idea that the cleaners are doing something for the fish...whether or not it is of any value in fighting off ich, I have no idea, but like you said, I don't believe they hurt! I like having cleaners in the tank as another indicator of water quality/tank health as well...if you see fish heading to the cleaner shrimp then they probably have a problem.

 

[Ifferfish]

Found this thread a little late, but I did use Kick Ick on my 180 and did have great success with it. I am not saying it is the only way, but I had no way to get the fish out of the tank without tearing it apart, and I didn't want to stress them anymore than I needed to. I think that the trick with it is to follow there guide lines to the letter. If you don't then you risk re-infestation. Now I have a QT. A lesson I learned the hard way, but, I was glad this product was around when I needed it a few years ago. I had clams and inverts and had not ill effects.

 

[steevareno]

I also have seen my fish (primarily tangs) go to the cleaners from when the ich seemed to sprout up so that's why I don't completely discount the idea that the cleaners are doing something for the fish...whether or not it is of any value in fighting off ich, I have no idea, but like you said, I don't believe they hurt! I like having cleaners in the tank as another indicator of water quality/tank health as well...if you see fish heading to the cleaner shrimp then they probably have a problem.

I disagree. My fish are completely ich-free and my emporer always likes to go over to the cleaner shrimp and also let's the cleaner wrasse clean his gills. I don't understand what you mean by having cleaners in the tank as an indicator of water quality/tank health?