Experimental Ich Treatment... Wish me luck.

[Vague Doctor]

Wow...I’m following along to see how this goes. It seems next to impossible that a random LFS owner would be able to create a “cocktail” like that. Major companies that have been in the industry for decades have not been able to concoct anything like that and that’s with money and brains attacking the problem. What is her background?

I'm not sure. I took note of their store when they posted a video on social media of a bella sleeper goby that I absolutely was dying to have, well acclimated and sifting in it's sales display-it was adorable. Unfortunately the goby was spoken for when I dropped in. I've been a regular ever since. I go in and buy a few supplies and frags here and there for my other tanks, pick up water for changes, and I got some stuff for this particular tank from there, mainly the retros, shrimp and the BWBTA. It's super convenient since I live extremely close by and it's on the way home from work. I honestly have no idea how she came up with this formula and I have no reason to believe her except a few photos of her 600 gallon at home and the kind of shop she keeps. Hence the gamble, and this thread. Either this will be a spectacular train wreck in which I will have to quarantine and medicate anyway after dealing with this liquid woo, or they really have figured out something other folks haven't.

I do know that they have some kind of relationship with some reef researchers out in florida, the ones that sink cars and boats and the like for the purpose of building reefs on them. That has been mentioned in conversation before as well. I don't know much more than that, I'm not one to pry. That's why this is a gamble for me and I want to make it public somehow. IF this is all bunk, well then they are just taking advantage of folks, and I can't very well allow that to go without some sort of challenge or at least- a lasting documentation.

 

[Vague Doctor]

The "cocktail", by coloration, appears to contain some dissolved nitrofuran, the droplet meniscus on the wall of the vessel suggests high viscosity ... by claiming action on parasites, bacteria and protozoa somewhat resembles Aquatronics' "Paragon II" compound of furantoine, metronidazole and kanamycin, now out of the market. However, "Paragon II" had potential to damage the biological filter of the aquarium, which requires monitoring the nitrogen cycle, to avoid surprises.

Best regards

You could be right, but you just saw a bottle of green stuff. Not very scientifically honest to jump to conclusions on such a basis, is it? That's why I'm going to snap shots of this and see if it works. I don't have a lab at my disposal, so it's just you and me internet-

So let's try and slow down those snap judgments.

 

[Jose Mayo]

You could be right, but you just saw a bottle of green stuff. Not very scientifically honest to jump to conclusions on such a basis, is it? That's why I'm going to snap shots of this and see if it works. I don't have a lab at my disposal, so it's just you and me internet-

So let's try and slow down those snap judgments.

I apologize, I just wanted to alert you to possible danger of triggering an imbalance in the biological filter, but you're right, the aquarium and the experiment are yours.

Be fine.

 

[Vague Doctor]

I apologize, I just wanted to alert you to possible danger of triggering an imbalance in the biological filter, but you're right, the aquarium and the experiment are yours.

Be fine.

My dude, it's all good. This is as the thread title says, an experiment.

And believe you me- if this works and all my livestock survives... my pointed curiosity will be aimed at the person that gave me this stuff. She and I will have a long talk and I'll figure out how in the hell she did this. If it's a mixture of currently available substances and produces positive results I will want to know what it is and I will also document whether the problems return- there are plenty of reef safe medications that claim to cure ich that only stop one phase of it's life cycle, leaving the tank open to re infestation when the incubating prophase beings get to their next phase of their life cycle....

That's what makes all this interesting and again, it's why I'm posting. Whether this goes well or awful will be worth documenting.

 

[Humblefish]

The "cocktail", by coloration, appears to contain some dissolved nitrofuran, the droplet meniscus on the wall of the vessel suggests high viscosity ... by claiming action on parasites, bacteria and protozoa somewhat resembles Aquatronics' "Paragon II" compound of furantoine, metronidazole and kanamycin, now out of the market.

If accurate, that combination would effectively treat brook & uronema (two ciliate parasites) and a wide range of bacterial diseases, making her claim technically true. However, such a cocktail would need to be used in a QT environment as biofilm and heterotrophic bacteria would probably degrade those medications rapidly in a DT.

 

[Vague Doctor]

Well, since we're really digging into the "what if" stuff here (which I honestly hoped would come later when I got to see what happens and find out what the heck is really in this stuff) do dosages of 1 drop per gallon of water seem familiar with any of those types of treatments, administered in 3 equal intervals over the course of 144 hours? If so, further inference could be made with slightly more certainty.

 

[Vague Doctor]

As of now, all appears normal and everyone's in their sleeping spots. Nothing more to report. Update in the morning folks.

 

[4FordFamily]

 

[Mark Gray]

Good Luck following

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Following along for the results.

 

[melypr1985]

I'm certainly curious to see what happens (especially to the tank and inverts in it) and to find out exactly what she put in that tiny vial.

 

[tkeiffer2]

I've never heard of someone being that dead set against a quarantine tank.

Sent from my SM-G935V using REEF2REEF mobile app

 

[RtomKinMad]

Hi, we are new to this group. Have been in hobby for 3 years. Had one 75gal reef, 90gal fo, 120 gal fo, and 20 gal reef. In August combined our 75, 90, 20 to a 300gal reef.
We have an excellent LFS single owner/worker. He is very honest, sincere and truly cares about the animals and customers. Will refuse to sell if people do not have the right set up. I get almost all my fish there. Anyway when we started the 75 reef with a 1” hippo tang got ich with the first few months. Treated twice in 2.5 years with “Kick Ick”. Which appeared to rid tank and no fish died. However we bought new fish for the 300gal and added all three tanks fish and new fish at the same time since we added 11 tangs. Our LSF helped us build the tank and quarantined all the new fish for us before we added. But even with the best plans we got ich in the 300gal reef. No fish had any signs when we added them and we also dipped all new fish and our current fish in a ruby reef product prior to adding.
In Sept 17, I didn’t want to loose our thousands of dollars in fish or my 3yr old 4” hippo tang so I decided to try “kick ick” medication in the 300gal dt. We had already sold our 90 and 75 gal tanks so couldn’t quarantine or remove over 30 fish from 300 gal. We also have a large large inline UV sterilizer. Well the “kick ick” which claims to work and be reef safe did not rid my fish of ich and also killed 50% of our corals even star polyps which are hard to get rid of! So we have been managing the ich since August. We feed a mix of Rods reef food, mysis and spirilina brine shrimp all mixed together with added garlic fresh and vitamins- 2x per day. We feed nori once Every other day. We finally lost a copper band butterfly who never really ate my mixed food. All other fish doing fine and eating well. Still see lots of ich on powder brown, pyramid butterfly and now Hawaiian flame fairy wrasse. I can’t really see much if any on other fish- 9 tangs. Moved one tang that wasn’t getting along to 180 fo tank. This ich management is awful. We don’t mind work but just can’t remove all these fish not enough space. I actually think that my hippo tang was harboring the ich and I just couldn’t see it as she was the first one to get this time. I don’t see it on her anymore now though. So with this story as you all can probably tell we are interested to see if your treatment works. I don’t want to loose our babies. We have a fish tank with coral but we really love the fish. Know we have a huge bioload for a reef. My husband changes water 2-3x /week 30gal. Auto top off and auto dozer. Hope your treatment works and if anyone knows any secrets I haven’t already read to treat dt please let me know.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

@RyomKinMad if the new fish went through the correct treatments and did not have anything your ich came from the hippo tang that the kick ick never cured it but just suppress it and now it showed itself again now in the 300.

So before you just jump at something again I think you should wait and see what happens here and it’s been tested in more than one tank environment. Most of all what’s in it and how it interact with the tank itself.

I for one would love for this to work I love qt’ing for the health of my fishes and would love for there to be an easier way.

 

[Vague Doctor]

I've never heard of someone being that dead set against a quarantine tank.

Sent from my SM-G935V using REEF2REEF mobile app

Yep. Her and a few of the other local shop keeps have some odd approaches to things that fly in the face of 90% of the forum threads I've ever seen. This of course, being one of them. I will see what you folks think about those another time on another thread. For now, this is all about exploring this mystery juice.

 

[RtomKinMad]

Green street.1-thank you for your reply. We are just watching our tank and practicing good water quality and feeding well with garlic and vitamins and hope the fish can build up immunity. Everyone seems happy.
Will not put anything else in tank. Have added coral but we do dip it first.

 

[RtomKinMad]

Greenstreet.1- thank you for your reply. We are just waiting to see if the fish will develop some immunity. We practice good water quality feed good mix of frozen food with garlic and vitamins and nori. Will not add anymore commercial medications to reef tank. We have added more coral but dip it first. Everyone seems happy so hope they will all pull through. Hippo tang is beautiful and loves the upgrade from 75 to 300! Our LFS told us when we got her would new to upgrade or return her someday- we upgraded! He has a 15yr old Dori in his shop!

 

[Jekyll2000]

I’m following. I’ve bought several fish from the shop you’re talking about. If this works for you then I’ll be visiting to pick up some of this magic juice.

 

[Vague Doctor]

UPDATE:

Fed the tank this morning, all the fish gobbled up everything as usual. Fed the corals as well, everyone seems happy, although the kenya tree did decide to detach from it's rock again and bounce around the bottom of the tank- but it does that.

There appears to be a slight difference with the cysts on the chromid's fins. Not sure whether that's due to the treatment or the constant attention he's been seeking from the cleaner shrimp in the tank. I don't know how to describe it other than the cysts have become "lacy" looking and don't look like bubbles any more. I'll try and get photos to relay what I'm seeing but it's tough with quick fish like chromis' that aren't exactly fond of staying still.

The first four photos are the different areas of the tank, everyone's looking alright.

The last few photos are the same chromis I photographed yesterday under different lights as he appears this morning.

 

[Vague Doctor]

Water parameter tests came back normal. 0 ppm Nitrate, 0 ppm Nitrite, 0 ppm ammonia and 8.0 PH, specific gravity 1.025.