Help with ich please

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

My brothers fish recently came down with ich and im just curious how to treat it at this point. Obviously quarantine would have been his best bet to avoid this all together but now that its too late what can be done? Do u just have to ride it out no new fish? Are the current fish just doomed? I read that it lives in the sand and LR until it finds a host so does that just mean the tank has it and we have to restart? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated

Joeganja · Jan 6, 2015

any coral or invertebrates

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

Joeganja said:
any coral or invertebrates

Both, 2 skunk cleaners, 2 conchs, hermits, assorted softies and nems no sps

Joeganja · Jan 6, 2015

is there any way he can remove the fish

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

Should be able to yes

Joeganja · Jan 6, 2015

remove the fish and place in a quarantine tank. Do not add any sand but do add live or dry for the fish to hide in. Place a heater and keep the temperature at 80 degrees farenheight. Keep the lights on a low and only feed garlic added foods or soak frozen food with Garlic Xtreme by Kent Marine or Garlic Guard by Seachem. I reccomend using Copper Power as the medicine to treat ich as it works well and I've had great success especially with Tangs. Run good flow and don't use any carbon or activated carbon in the filter for the quarantine. I reccomend using sponge filters or just running a pump instead of a filter. Keep the fsh fed. Keep them in the quarantine tank for about 4-8 weeks based on the health of the fish and then see if there are any ich signs remaining. After the signs are gone remain keeping the fish in quarantine for about 2 more weeks just to be on the safe side. Also lowering salinity in your quarantine to 2.018 will slow the ich process of reproducing down. However lower the salinity of your quarantine while the fish are in it. Do not lower and then add the fish. Your fish may be in shock and stress out even more if you do. If your tank is overstocked and your quarantine contains alot of fish i recommend running two quarantine tanks. Now you will have high nitrates and nitrites do to no bacteria and pollution of your quarantine that is fine just dose Stability by Seachem and always test your water quality.

camelcruiser · Jan 6, 2015

Ich will only live on fish if there are no fish in the system it will die. You can catch the fish and treat them in a qt system and run the tank fallow for 6 weeks or more with no host the parasite will die. I will tell you I had a system with ich for years and healthy well taken care of fish usually wont die from ich not that I would recommend you going that route. You should definitely try to catch and treat the fish so you don't have to worry about it and can add more fish down the road.

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

Excellent thank you guys so much

Humblefish · Jan 6, 2015

You and your brother may be interested in reading this article: Ich eradication vs. Ich management : Fish Diseases - Diagnosis & Treatment - Louisiana Reef Club

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

Humblefish said:
You and your brother may be interested in reading this article: Ich eradication vs. Ich management : Fish Diseases - Diagnosis & Treatment - Louisiana Reef Club

Oh man 72 days fallow

great article tyvm

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

Were setting up a 28g Qt and running the DT fishless for the next 72 days any suggestions on what meds to use in QT for the fish? Thanks again for all the help

ReeferIX · Jan 6, 2015

I have always just treated it with good water quality 2 cleaner shrimps and a cleaner wrasse. Once Ich is gone trade back in the cleaner wrasse for store credit, b/c I never had much luck keeping a cleaner wrasse after the ich is gone. As long as the fish keeps eating these tank mates will help them kick ich. IMO meds, low sal., and or Fresh Water Dips, just stress the fish out more and they either stay the same, get worse, or Die! ~Good Luck~

joshbbert · Jan 6, 2015

ReeferIX said:
I have always just treated it with good water quality 2 cleaner shrimps and a cleaner wrasse. Once Ich is gone trade back in the cleaner wrasse for store credit, b/c I never had much luck keeping a cleaner wrasse after the ich is gone. As long as the fish keeps eating these tank mates will help them kick ich. IMO meds, low sal., and or Fresh Water Dips, just stress the fish out more and they either stay the same, get worse, or Die! ~Good Luck~

The only fish that lets the cleaners clean him is the puffer. Do you think they would allow the wrasse to do his job? Thanks