HOW CAN I LICK THE ICK
- Thread starter nightrydaz04
- Start date
In fresh water, tiny white spots may indicate ick but being this isn't fresh we're dealing with I'd say it's more likely a parasitic infection you're dealing with.
A reduction in salt content, lowering temperature, reducing light time, salt specific parasite medications, and cleaner fish/shrimp are all possible solutions. I would suggest starting with a medication. As I quarentine new fish I haven't dealt with parasites in my aquarium so I don't have a specific favorite. If nobody replies, ask your LFS for a recomendation. Main thing is fast action as parasites more often than not get much worse quite quickly. Though sometimes the problem may just go away, it's not likely.
A reduction in salt content, lowering temperature, reducing light time, salt specific parasite medications, and cleaner fish/shrimp are all possible solutions. I would suggest starting with a medication. As I quarentine new fish I haven't dealt with parasites in my aquarium so I don't have a specific favorite. If nobody replies, ask your LFS for a recomendation. Main thing is fast action as parasites more often than not get much worse quite quickly. Though sometimes the problem may just go away, it's not likely.
Ich is a parasite and the treatments are well known. Yes I am annoyed that you wrote this mail before doing any research whatsoever about the numerous articles for cures to this very common diesease.
However there are only two proven cures for ich, hyposalinity and copper. Hyposalinity means salinity down to 1.010 for a month or so. Copper means copper. Copper is utterly fatal to inverts, hyposalinity just very risky. So if you apply these cures you need to do it in a separate, bare bottom tank, and you will be keeping the fish in there for 4 to 6 weeks while the disease dies out in your main tank. If you decide to use copper (I use this) get a test kit to make sure you can keep the copper levels correct - too low, ineffective, too high, fatal to fish. Don't think you can treat in the main tank - copper will kill your live rock, and hypo will damage anything other than bacteria.
Changing the temperature down will not help, and will likely make things work by stressing the fish. Fiddling with the lights will not help a bit. Garlic is reputed to work, but is an old wives tale. There are a bunch of reef safe cures around that are very hit and miss in their results - kick ich is notoriously poor. Hyposalinity to 1.014 sometimes help with some strains of ich. Formalin is clinically unproven, but sometimes used on copper sensitive fish. Freshwater dips are proven useless.
Tough luck. Now you know why people harp on about quarantine.
However there are only two proven cures for ich, hyposalinity and copper. Hyposalinity means salinity down to 1.010 for a month or so. Copper means copper. Copper is utterly fatal to inverts, hyposalinity just very risky. So if you apply these cures you need to do it in a separate, bare bottom tank, and you will be keeping the fish in there for 4 to 6 weeks while the disease dies out in your main tank. If you decide to use copper (I use this) get a test kit to make sure you can keep the copper levels correct - too low, ineffective, too high, fatal to fish. Don't think you can treat in the main tank - copper will kill your live rock, and hypo will damage anything other than bacteria.
Changing the temperature down will not help, and will likely make things work by stressing the fish. Fiddling with the lights will not help a bit. Garlic is reputed to work, but is an old wives tale. There are a bunch of reef safe cures around that are very hit and miss in their results - kick ich is notoriously poor. Hyposalinity to 1.014 sometimes help with some strains of ich. Formalin is clinically unproven, but sometimes used on copper sensitive fish. Freshwater dips are proven useless.
Tough luck. Now you know why people harp on about quarantine.
Well my mom added this blue stuff to my tank because I'm out of town working with my dad, and she said it's blue and say ick clear or something I asked her what was in it and she said sodium chloride, (salt) my thoughts were this is a freshwater cure? today she told me one of my fish died I think I'm in a world of trouble when I get home. After what I've read I couldn't find anything on how to know when the parasite is completely dead, can someone help me in this area?
Ick is a parasite that lays eggs on the skin of a fish( those little white spots are the egGs) When they hatch thousands of little cists burst and drop all over everything in your tank,(substrate, Live rock, heater, everytyhing) THe cists need something to feed on, i.e. fish, so all fish must be removed from the tank for long enough to starve out the cysts aproxamitely 6 weeks with nothing in your tank and treating your fish with medication in a QT
hope this helped
Brahm
hope this helped
Brahm
Well I took out the damsel that was left with eggs on his gills and tried hypo-salinity low and behold he died 
Right Now, I'm using malchite-green in my tank so far looks to be working other fish are doing fine, Does anyone know how you can find out if the parasite is dead, or is it just a wait and watch thing?
Right Now, I'm using malchite-green in my tank so far looks to be working other fish are doing fine, Does anyone know how you can find out if the parasite is dead, or is it just a wait and watch thing?the parasite isnt dead, it is still in your tank, and the next time you add something, (i.e. induce stress) low and behold it will show up again, you need to remove all fish from the tank and put them in a QT where they can be medicated, otherwise you will be battling ick for the rest of this tanks existence,(which wont be long)
Back to square 1... Well after the malachite green my mom added, everything is pretty much dead except my fish and crabs but I think they're going to go to given time... I forgot to mention to take out the live rock before you treat the tank and now all the bacteria is and algae is dead. So I'm back to square 1... Wish I had a QT