Ich Treatment

[DarwinTheDog]

Hello Everyone,

I am just curious what different people are now using in the fight against our parasitic enemy Ich? I am not having a problem, but just curious what new methods and treatments might be in use. Of course I have experience with quarantine tanks (w/ copper, formalin, etc), but I am interested in "reef safe" treatment options as well. Seems a lot of people are using garlic these days, I have read up on this a bit. I am interested in knowing exactly what type and how much garlic people are using? I would be interested in scientific data to support the garlic treatment as well, if anyone knows of anything (have seen Horge Cortez-Jorge article). Also what commercial "reef safe" products are you using? Anyone tried RXP from Kent? Any other recommendations?

Thanks for the input!

 

[Lefty1]

I think the reef safe ich poducts do nothing. They seem to help small breakouts, but small breakouts seem to go away with no treatments as well. I think garlic is in the same boat. I have heard of no actual proof or study of the effectiveness of these treatments.

RR

 

[DarwinTheDog]

Anyone else with opinions on garlic or commercial products? I too have not really seen any true "proof" of garlics effectiveness, but there does seem to be some good theory behind its use. That is why I am also interested in peoples actual experiences.

I agree a lot of the products are only effective on mild cases of ich, in the extreme cases often nothing is truely effective. At some point I think the gills are so badly affected that nothing can save them.

In the past, I have had good luck with quartanine tanks with copper or changes in salinity (which the parasites can not osmoregulate and die), but I am interested in these "reef safe" options for the marginal, often stressed induced cases of Ich. For instance when you move a fish from the dealer tank or quarantine tank to your display tank, you often see slight cases of the parasite. While sometimes these cases do dissappear on their own, others times they need some help. Since the initial stress is often to blame for the ich outbreak, sometimes it is nice to be able to treat the marginal cases in the reef, as opposed to stressing the fish with repeated transport to and from a quarantine tank. This is why the idea of garlic or other somewhat effective "reef safe" cures interest me.

Thanks for the input!

BTW if you are using garlic, please tell me what type, how much, how often (just general methodology) and results. THANKS!

 

[toptank]

I did have a small breakout of Ich and did use "Kick Ich" with good results. It is advertised to be reef safe.

Barry

 

[Lefty1]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DarwinTheDog:
<STRONG>

I agree a lot of the products are only effective on mild cases of ich, in the extreme cases often nothing is truely effective. </STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just to clarify, I don't think we know if the products are effective on the mild cases. With good food and params the fish often fight off the ich themselves. So, we really don't know if the products do anything at all.

RR

 

[Fishbreath]

Garlic worked great for me. 4 chromis were the first fish in my newly redone tank and they got ich in about a week. I soaked their food in Kyolic (brand) liquid, which you can get at vitamin stores for about $13, and fed it twice a day. In the morning I would thaw frozen brine, rince and drain out the water and then soak the brine with 5-8 drops of garlic liquid combined with 0.5 ml of Selcon fish food booster (fish vitamins!) The Selcon helps the fish get stronger to resist the outbreak. Soak at least 30 min before feeding. To feed, pour the nasty smelling brine shrimp though a fine mesh fish net to drain most of the liquid and put the brine in the tank. Fish love the stuff. In the evening I fed spirulina flakes soaked with 4-5 drops of garlic...just enough so all of the liquid could be absorbed by the flakes. Feed right away, no need to wait. Put in small amounts at a time so fish can eat it before it sinks to the bottom of the tank. Fish will wait at the top for more! Do this everyday for 3-4 weeks at least. The ich will go away after each feeding but will return because free swimming parasites are still in the tank. Keep you fish fed with garlic and eventually the ich will stop coming back. No side effects and I highly recommend it.

-Steve

 

[DEADFISH1]

I've been using Garlic with good results, but I have had an outbreak of Ick that nothing would work on, I believe that sometimes there is something else besides the Ick that is in the works, if their immune system is low from some other disease, Ick can attack as well and add to the fishes demise, since Ick is the first thing you see it could be easy to mistake it for the only problem.

Disclaimer:
I have no degree in biology, just a small fraction of common since.