Crazy "other" solution to Ich?

[partypalooza5]

I bought a bottle of Ich Attack from the store tonight, and after researching it out more, I'm pretty sure it won't help. So, instead of going for copper or formalin based treatments, or even hypo, I was wondering if it was possible to just let it "work itself out"? It's probably a really bad idea, but the infestation doesn't seem super severe (at least at this point). One day the angel and tang have spots on them, the next they are all gone. I haven't seen them scratch a lot, but that may not mean anything.

I just don't want to lose them, and I don't have anything to properly quarantine them in. I'm open to trying different methods of treatment, even though copper and that green stuff (can't remember the full name)and hypo have been proven to work.

 

[Bige]

My gobies have ich and I have decided to ride it out. I really don't have the option of a qt. Don't want to do copper either. My lfs suggested a freshwater dip. I have never heard of this and didnt want to kill my fish. My other goby had ich and got over it in about a month. He jumped out of the tank though.

 

[partypalooza5]

My gobies have ich and I have decided to ride it out. I really don't have the option of a qt. Don't want to do copper either. My lfs suggested a freshwater dip. I have never heard of this and didnt want to kill my fish. My other goby had ich and got over it in about a month. He jumped out of the tank though.

I think I'll just wait it out and see if maybe this Ich Attack stuff works. If it doesn't, then hopefully they can fight the Ich off.

Also, has anyone had any success with garlic? (either added directally to the tank or into the food)

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... One day the angel and tang have spots on them, the next they are all gone. ...

And that's why all these "other" solutions appear to work - people add the junk and then... "WOW... all the ich disappeared! Must've been the medicine. This stuff is great!". Then a week later it "reappears". "Hmmm... guess I didn't dose the stuff right. I'll follow the directions better this time..." And then it goes away again...

Ich will visually come and go as a natural part of the parasite's life cycle. Yes... the fishes immune system may keep it from dying during the outbreaks, but it can't kill the parasite by itself.

My wife's uncle was diagnosed with a type of lung cancer - not smoking related. He opted not to treat it. He was given 6 months to live. When he went back in after a year (still very much alive and relatively healthy) the doctors couldn't find any trace of the cancer. Either the initial diagnosis was wrong, or his body beat the cancer on its own. Based on that single tidbit of information, would I ever recommend people with lung cancer just let their body fight it and not seek treatment? No... because most of the time cancer will win hands down with no treatment. Kinda the same thing here.

You can treat the fish in a Rubbermaid tub with a little heater and a HOB filter and a desk light for lighting - you don't need a whole complete tank setup.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Ich will visually come and go as a natural part of the parasite's life cycle. Yes... the fishes immune system may keep it from dying during the outbreaks, but it can't kill the parasite by itself.

Great stuff Kurt a lot of people don't realise that ich drops off the fish, hangs in the water for a day then reappears.

Partypalooza if you wanna really knock it around lower your salinity to about 1.018. Ich can't survive in that low salinity. If you time it right you can get the ich as it drops off the fish. That's when medications take effect on it. As soon as your sure the ich is gone you can go and bring your salinity back up to the norm 1.022-1.024.

 

[ccCapt]

Partypalooza if you wanna really knock it around lower your salinity to about 1.018. Ich can't survive in that low salinity. If you time it right you can get the ich as it drops off the fish. That's when medications take effect on it. As soon as your sure the ich is gone you can go and bring your salinity back up to the norm 1.022-1.024.

1.018 has no affect on ich. If you want to do hypo, you need to drop down to 1.009. Also, not to get nit-picky, but natural seawater is 35 ppt or 1.026....which is what I would consider normal. I would call 1.022-1.024 on the low side.

Applications for Hyposalinity Therapy: The Benefits of Salinity Manipulation for Marine Fish

 

[Bige]

Isn't ich always in the water? I thought it was when fish got stressed that they are no longer able to fight it off. If fish were put in a qt would this allow them to feel well enough to go back to main tank and not get ich again? Will this be stressful? My fish head shrink is out of town.

 

[melosu58]

What you have to realize that once it`s on the fish and then it falls off the folks are thinking that it`s gone. But the truth of the matter is that it falls to the substrate and over 200 little ones called tomites come from each one that falls off. As time goes on the number of parasites keeps going on. Read these.

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part II by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

 

[ccCapt]

No. Ich, cryptocaryon irritans, is a parasite and has a distinct life cycle. It is either present in your system or it is not. If you have an ich free system, one where everything was qt'ed and/or treated for parasites before being placed in the system, nothing will "create" the parasite.

This article should give you a good understanding of the parasite and it's life cycle.
Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com



Mike beat me to it.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Lee Birch has a fantastic writeup on ich, and I finally found a copy of it that is accessible to everyone without having to sign up on a forum. Scroll down to the bottom of the article and read the "myths" section. Good stuff.

Marine ICK - everything you need to know

 

[partypalooza5]

Lee Birch has a fantastic writeup on ich, and I finally found a copy of it that is accessible to everyone without having to sign up on a forum. Scroll down to the bottom of the article and read the "myths" section. Good stuff.

Marine ICK - everything you need to know

Very informative! Thanks!

I'm starting to wonder if this is actually Ich. It probably is, but I thought the normal thing fish do when they have it is scratch on the rocks and not eat and stuff. Neither of my fish scratch (could mean nothing, but it could also mean something) Plus, there aren't tons of little white spots, it appears as a really light peppering of dots.

If this "organic" treatment doesn't work after the duration is over, I'll go get a QT tank and put them all in there with copper. (I just don't want to kill em )

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...

If this "organic" treatment doesn't work after the duration is over, I'll go get a QT tank and put them all in there with copper. (I just don't want to kill em )

I'd really really suggest the hyposalinity option first. Waaay less stressful to the fish, easier to do, and cheaper to boot!

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

 

[partypalooza5]

I'd really really suggest the hyposalinity option first. Waaay less stressful to the fish, easier to do, and cheaper to boot!

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

Doesn't that require a refractometer?

I want to help them but I don't want to mess up and make it worse somehow. D;

 

[Bige]

I highly recommend the refractometer. My swing arm read 1.026. Refractometer read 1.030. Huge difference.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Doesn't that require a refractometer?

I want to help them but I don't want to mess up and make it worse somehow. D;

Yeah... I wouldn't recommend anyone do hypo without a refractometer. But hey... it's best to have one anyway, and at least you don't have to buy copper meds and a copper test kit!