My story on how i fought off ICH .. will now start QT !

Isabella rubalcaba · Aug 26, 2017

Hello again guys !! So heres my story, i purchased a yellow eye tang off live aquaria, and made the HUGE mistake of not QT the fish. My tank beforehand has never faced any kind of disease/etc. so anyway as i was observing the new arrival i noticed what many of us dread .. i saw a few, tiny white dots on its sides .. my heart dropped & IMMEDIATELY began feeling like i made a huge mistake, which i did. But now it was too late, the fish was in my tank & theres no way i could take the tank apart to try to catch it. So, i started googling & asking questions on what my possibilites were. I have a mixed reef tank meaning copper was out of my options. Anyway, i will continue my story as soon as i get someone reading this cause i dont want to type a huge essay for mo reason !! Lol .. i'll finish it then, but basically i was successful im fighting off the ich through .. guess .. giving my fish a HEALTHY DIET !!!!!

Maritimer · Aug 26, 2017

Healthy fish can sometimes overcome ich - especially milder infestations - but it's not "cured", as it's still in the system, hidden inside the fishes' gills, just ticking over and biding its time. New additions may have a hard time of it in that situation - it's how my tank started, before fallow . . .

That said, sometimes it's just sand stuck to the fish's slimecoat. If it's ich, the spots should stay in the same place for three days or so before dropping away.

~Bruce, hoping to hear the rest of the story . . .

ngoodermuth · Aug 26, 2017

Yep^ here's a good read on it. If it is indeed ich, you will now be running an "ich managed" system. Be wary when adding new fish or making changes that could stress your fish, lowering that immune response.

Ich eradication vs. Ich management

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Ich-eradication-vs.-Ich-management.188775/

Isabella rubalcaba · Aug 26, 2017

ngoodermuth said:
Yep^ here's a good read on it. If it is indeed ich, you will now be running an "ich managed" system. Be wary when adding new fish or making changes that could stress your fish, lowering that immune response.

Ich eradication vs. Ich management

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Ich-eradication-vs.-Ich-management.188775/

Maritimer said:
Healthy fish can sometimes overcome ich - especially milder infestations - but it's not "cured", as it's still in the system, hidden inside the fishes' gills, just ticking over and biding its time. New additions may have a hard time of it in that situation - it's how my tank started, before fallow . . .

That said, sometimes it's just sand stuck to the fish's slimecoat. If it's ich, the spots should stay in the same place for three days or so before dropping away.

~Bruce, hoping to hear the rest of the story . . .

I really appreciate you guys adding your input ! And wow the eradicate vs manage point is SPOT on .. well, considering my limited options, i'd say my best was to just try to " manage " the ich at that point. I have no plans in adding new fish & will do my best to keep stress levels down. I wont bother using chemicals to take care of the ich since all that will do is waste my money & possibly irrtate the tank inhabitants. My tank is steady at the moment, no deaths or symptoms. Will be reporting & updating you guys on here & REALLY appreciate your guy's insight. I will continue telling the story after i get some sleep ! Had a long day lol

Humblefish · Aug 26, 2017

Moving forward, I recommend investing in either a UV or diatom filter. This will help keep the population of free swimmers down. The other half of the equation, keeping your fishes immune systems boosted, you've already figured out via nutrition.

I also would avoid genus/species that are delicate or have thin mucous coats, as these fish can serve as reservoirs for the parasite and fuel outbreaks.