Marine ich and the TRUTH.

[sen5241b]

I was in a very well known LFS once waiting for another customer to get their stuff so I could buy a fish. I started really looking in the set of tanks where the fish I wanted was. They were all on the same water system. Then I noticed this big fish with spots and he was rubbing himself on a big rock in a crazy way. I passed on the fish I wanted.

You really need to inspect a LFS very well. There are ones that don't care if they pass ich into your tank because they can't afford to keep fish unsold for 6 weeks. But there are also good LFSs that have strict quarantine procedures. I'm just saying that getting your fish from a reputable LFSs can make a big difference in how much ich you end up having to dealing with.

 

[OhNoNemo]

I was in a very well known LFS once waiting for another customer to get their stuff so I could buy a fish. I started really looking in the set of tanks where the fish I wanted was. They were all on the same water system. Then I noticed this big fish with spots and he was rubbing himself on a big rock in a crazy way. I passed on the fish I wanted.

You really need to inspect a LFS very well. There are ones that don't care if they pass ich into your tank because they can't afford to keep fish unsold for 6 weeks. But there are also good LFSs that have strict quarantine procedures. I'm just saying that getting your fish from a reputable LFSs can make a big difference in how much ich you end up having to dealing with.

Agree 100%,this is why i'm so sad my little family run LFS is closing his doors..The one time i got ich in my tank was from another fish store that my wife bought a fish from:grumble:Also keep in mind QTing is also just a good place to put your fish and let him hang out for awhile

 

[Bifferwine]

I would rather have quarantined. But for me at this point it would be costly and probably put my fish in an unnecesary risk. It has been in my tank for a long time and I would now need to pull many fish out and QT them all. I would have to tear the tank apart trying to catch them all. My tank and its maintenance operations are already imposing and oversized at best. I only have room for a small QT tank for injured or new incoming fish.

+1. It's hard when you already have your tank set up. I have more than a dozen fish in my tank right now. I wouldn't be able to catch them all and quarantine/treat without causing a major disaster. Really, if you don't quarantine from the beginning and you have an established tank, the decision to quarantine or not has already been made for you.

 

[dcantucson]

That's why I never did it. And now my QT, the RSM, is a FOWLR set up. I couldn't just have it sitting around waiting to be used now could I. Some things are not my fault.

 

[OhNoNemo]

I do understand trying to get fish out of an established tank..At the time i got ich i had my 125 up and running for awhile..I gutted it, caught every fish and treated in a 75 hospital....Keep in mind this is a FOWLR,so i'm sure its very different for a reef system...but possible,....i'm glad i did it

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah with a reef tank it is harder. I have corals on every single rock in my tank. I wouldn't be able to move the rocks for anything. When I had the lawnmower blenny die after eating dinos, I could see the body, but I wasn't going in after it. Too risky!

 

[wontonflip]

How do you QT for ich though. Some species cannot survive copper treatments, like diamond gobies, as I've learned from reading wetwebmedia information.

 

[bjohanson1234]

You can also do a hypo salinity. You gradually decrease the salinity, not sure to what since I have never done it, keep it there for a while, not sure how long. Then gradually increase the salinity. The parasites cant surve at the lower salinity.

I know thatt some members have done it so they can fill in the details.

 

[OhNoNemo]

I did it :D

 

[Ulta]

How does ICH get into our tanks? Its been about 2 1/2 months since I last introduced a new fish into my tank... And just today I noticed signs of ICH on my 2 clowns : /

can the parasite get introduced through any new additions(coral, inverts, rock)?

or has it been there all along?

 

[dcantucson]

It lives attached to our fish and is always there. For some reason, when a fish gets stressed out then an outbreak occurs. It kinda like a dog always having fleas unless a treatment of some kind removes them.

 

[Bluespace]

It's been a long process but I think it's been worth it.

Over the last two months I've let my tank go fallow and QT'd some new fish. Old fish went bye bye to the LFS. I wanted to start from fish just purchased from the LFS and straight into my QT. For me to justify QT'ing all new livestock I needed to start over from the beginning. Empty tank no fish just corals, live rock, shrimp, crabs, live sand, stars, and my urchin.

So far I've treated my new fish in the QT with only prazipro. No other signs of any diseases showed up after two weeks so off to the DT.

Currently in the DT.. Redspot Scooter Blenny, Bartlett's Anthias, Six Line, Purple Firefish. All fish eating like pigs, even the scooter is taking frozen foods.

I'm going to continue using garlic and selcon. They provide to many good things to not in my opinion.

So far no ich. I'll continue to watch and update as time goes on. It will be interesting to see if this method does work. And I'll be honest it's just to easy to not due. That's if you started the process BEFORE adding fish to your badass reef tank..:mrgreen:

I've also decided not to get a tang. The wife is not happy about this decision but I really do think it's for the best..

I would like to add another fish or two soon. Then take down the QT until needed.
Any suggestions on fish considering what is currently in the tank?

 

[dcantucson]

Any suggestions on fish considering what is currently in the tank?

Brandon how about a Tang? :mrgreen:



I know you said no Tangs, but really how could you go completely Tangless? :(

 

[Bluespace]

I hear ya dcan. It's not the ich i'm worried about it's the tank size.

 

[OhNoNemo]

I always suggest hawkfish,i just love their personality,plus they are always out in the open
oops ,scratch the hawk....