ICH!! Help

[Connor]

i looked down at my tank this afternoon and saw that my 2 cinnamon clownfish have what look like white spots on them. Ive never dealt with an outbreak of itch before what should i do?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Connor

Edited December 13, 2007 by Connor

['Ric]

Get a UV sterilizer, at least 36W, ASAP.

[WallyBackm]

It happens inevitably to every reefer. Soak frozen mysis in garlic or buy the pellets that are coated in garlic. Garlic has been shown, anecdotally at least, to boost fish's immunity to fight off the ich. Clowns are usually more resilient than say tangs so the fact that they have it could be a sign of a pretty wide infestation.

 

The only real long-term solution is to set up a QT tank, remove all of the fish from the display to that QT tank, and either use hyposalinity (low salinity) or copper based additives to kill the ich. You must leave the fish outside the display for 3-4 weeks to allow the remaining ich to die off in the display (w/o hosts (fish) in the display they eventually die off).

 

If I were you I would try the garlic for a few days and see if it helps. Others will probably suggest an immediate removal to a QT tank.

[davelin315]

Scratch it.

 

 

 

I think you meant "ich". You can medicate them or do some hypo on them. My suggestion would be to improve their diet, do a water change, and then when they are healthier, plunge the system into hyposalinity. Don't do it when they're not doing well as if you can see it, it's more advanced and they need their energy to fight it off.

[Connor]

thanks for all the replys and sorry about the accidental spelling.

 

Im going to try to go over to the Marine Scene tommorow and try to pick up some better food. Ill also try using the garlic to dip the food in.

 

Im not sure what a UV sterilizer is so ill have to do some more research on that.

 

Thanks,

Connor

[YBeNormal]

Spelling corrected in the title for ya'.

[davelin315]

Just ribbin' you!

 

A UV sterilizer is an ultraviolet light that water passes by, killing anything that is in the water column. It's used to control anything that has a stage where it is free swimming or planktonic.

[Nitro Junkie]

I had luck with hypo salinaty and treated with ruby reef kick ich (marine invert and coral safe)

[Connor]

i got some reef kick ich late last night and turned my temperature up to 82 degrees. I used my first dose of kick ich last night but today their seemed to be even more white spots oin the clowns. I know it is supposed to be a multiple day cure but shouldn't it have decreased their white spots?

 

Thanks,

 

Connor

[fab]

1. Ich has no "T" in it. Ich is slang for Ichthyophthirius.

2. This is a protozoan parasite disease.

3. It would be a good project for you to do over the Christmas holidays to study up on the life cycle of the culprit parasite and learn why people keep saying to move affected fish into a quarantine tank and leave it there for 3-4 weeks. There is a specific reason for this that relates to the length of the life cycle and the phases within the cycle of the parasite. Most write-ups I've seen with good diagrams of the life cycle and of the parasite are only a few pages long, so it is not a huge undertaking, and the result will be new knowledge that you will use a lot in this hobby.

 

4. The use of a UV sterilizer fits nicely into the story of the life cycle, particularly during the so-called swimming phase. The UV will zap the little buggers as they get drawn into the UV illumination tube.

 

BTW, a quarantine tank should simply be a glass or acrylic tank with water in it, heated and filtered and, optionally fitted with a UV sterilizer. You might throw in a couple of pieces of PVC pipe or fittings big enough in diameter for the fish to hide inside.

 

The tank can be totally austere and do quite well.

 

good luck,

 

fab

[Connor]

thanks for all of the advice about the ICH I can now safely say that I think it is completley gone and every thing is looking good.

 

Thanks again,

Connor

[txaggies07]

Good to hear that Connor