Treating Ich With Ginger

[pierrelowey]

I have read that ginger has been anecdotally used to treat ich, however I saw a lot of discussion and people claiming it to be false and not possible. I read recently had an outbreak of ich in my tank killing 5/6 of my fish. I was unable to remove these fish due to the rocks etc. however I was determined to save the last fish (purple tang) but he caught the parasite and was covered.

I tried for many hours to remove him but he evaded. So… my last resort was to try a “reef safe” treatment. I blended together some fresh ginger, ginger paste and RO water and poured a portion of it into the tank twice a day. Within 2 days the fish lost all the parasites off its body and made a full recovery.

Has anyone ever tried using ginger before? Could it be possible this was the cure.

I am now using the poly lab medic to try and take ich out of the tank altogether and have purchased a UV steriliser.

 

[Lavey29]

I have heard the ginger rumor also but have not tried it personally but I am of the belief that ich is in every tank and fish have strong enough immune systems to keep it at bay however stresser events cause their immune systems to weaken and ich gets hold. Keeping fish healthy and strong with vitamins and good tank environment is the best way to prevent ich in my opinion,

Check Paul B's thread where he intentionally puts fish in his tank with ick so his fish keep up their immune systems against it. Kind of like getting a flu shot I suppose, it won't prevent the flu but can make it much more manageable if you do get it.

 

[pierrelowey]

I have heard the ginger rumor also but have not tried it personally but I am of the belief that ich is in every tank and fish have strong enough immune systems to keep it at bay however stresser events cause their immune systems to weaken and ich gets hold. Keeping fish healthy and strong with vitamins and good tank environment is the best way to prevent ich in my opinion,

Check Paul B's thread where he intentionally puts fish in his tank with ick so his fish keep up their immune systems against it. Kind of like getting a flu shot I suppose, it won't prevent the flu but can make it much more manageable if you do get it.

This makes sense to be honest, I have heard once it’s in the tank it’s impossible to remove completely. I will have a look for this thread, thank you for the suggestion!

 

[DHouse]

After looking at him closer, he doesn't seem to have Ich. Well at least not yet. What kind of meds can I use if any that won't harm other fish?

 

[ca1ore]

Correlation is not causation ….. ginger paste almost certainly does not remove ich. Loss of spots is simply the predictable lifecycle of the parasite. The spots may return, or your fish may develop resistance (which with ich is not futile). Not all tanks have ich of course, but probably many do. Fish can develop thicker mucus coats to successfully fight off the parasite. I’ve had ich in my tanks for almost a decade and my fish are symptom free (even an Achilles tang). I am a big proponent of running UV, but you must run it with lower flows if parasite control is your goal.