Paraguard for ich

N.Sreefer · Feb 14, 2021

Anyone have any experience using paraguard for marine ich? It says for salt and fresh but ive only ever used it in fresh. Im asking because i already have a bottle on hand and I got a mail order fish (blue hippo tang) that turns out to have ich.

N.Sreefer · Feb 14, 2021

If not what would you all suggest for treatment?

Jay Hemdal · Feb 14, 2021

Paraguard is an aldehyde/malachite green blend. Years ago, I had good success with it in treating freshwater fish. I worry that they changed the formulation because I bought a couple of gallons two years ago and it failed to work as I remembered it had in the past. Either way, aldehyde and malachite green do not have a good track record for curing Cryptocaryon.

Depending on how severe the Crypt. outbreak is on the tang, your best course of action would be to ramp up copper ASAP using an organically bound product and a good test kit.

Jay

N.Sreefer · Feb 14, 2021

Thank you i will should i lower salinity in the qt? its at 1.25 i heard hyposalinity can help but i dont want to kill the tang. Its only showing one spot, circular little white dot its flashing a little thats how i noticed the spot its in with a cleaner wrasse but its not an ectoparasite from the looks of it looks fungal. Cant believe the seller sent a fish with ich i gave them a really good review before i noticed that. Only had it 2 days now

Jay Hemdal · Feb 14, 2021

It may not be ich, can you post a picture taken under white light?
Jay

N.Sreefer · Feb 14, 2021

Will do I'm at work atm so itll be a few hours but i will. Looks like ich in freshwater but i have very little saltwater fish experience so i wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong. So odd the fish is flashing but is also gaining weight and its body condition is improving i would think the infection/parasite would cause the fish to decline. Also unrelated but are blue hippo tangs prone to obesity mine really is packing it on hard to reduce feedings when theres so much algae and seaweed in my tank for it to eat.

Jay Hemdal · Feb 14, 2021

I've never seen a hepatus tang eat too much algae, I wouldn't worry about that. The flashing could be any number of things - sometimes it is nothing serious.

Jay

N.Sreefer · Feb 15, 2021

Ive tried but cant get a clear picture of the tang it never stops moving the spot is now gone and its no longer flashing but i only dipped it with the paraguard and some copper power twice it didnt seem to mind the dip to much. Should i continue to treat before adding to the display?

DaddyFish · Feb 15, 2021

Yes, continue to treat with copper. Just because visible signs of Ich have disappeared, does not mean the parasite is gone. I can't determine from your posts if you have the fish in quarantine or in the main/display tank with others?
If it's in QT, you should now assume that the entire QT has Ich and run the full course of copper treatment.
If it's in the DT, you may possibly have bigger problems.

As for your original question specifically about Paraguard for Ich... IMO Useless, totally useless!

N.Sreefer · Feb 15, 2021

Qt/hospital tank 55 gallon bare bottom with one chunk of rock I was hesitant to add it to the display ill continue to treat should 30 days be enough before moving it over? Sorry for all the question just want to err on the side of caution.