Marine Ich. Freaking out! help!

[angeladawng]

Ok so after reading into hypo in greater detail I no longer feel capable of pulling it off. Between the salinity and the ph it's too much. Way over my head. I'm running an ac110 with the sponges and bio balls so if I used copper would I have to replace all the media or could I just soak it all in boiling water and vinegar to remove the copper?
The other options I'm considering are Kordon Rid Ich Plus. It says its safe for saltwater fish, just not inverts. So I'd still have to use a QT. but it would be less complicated than cupramine. The active ingredients are formaldehyde and malachite green. Thoughts?
I also have access to Kordon 100% natural Ich Attack. It boasts that it's reef safe and can be used in DTs with inverts. I know the chances of it working well are slim, but could it do any harm to try? Because that would be a million times more convenient.

I have experience with Kordon Ich Attack.....don't bother with it. Complete waste of money. I was in the same boat you are in several months ago and lost everything in my tank except for 2 green chromis and 2 snails. Followed directions to the letter and I caught the problem very early on just like you did. QT with cupramine or coppersafe as suggested.

 

[Jack22]

I'm right there with you. My fish have been in a QT tank for about a week now. I went with copper because I didn't think I was experienced enough to do hypo either.

I also purchased a UV sterilizer for my display tank. My LFS highly recommend running one. It's a bit of an investment, but I've been told its worth it.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Ok well I did one dose of ich attack last night despite people saying it doesn't work. Figured at the worst it would just do nothing so it couldn't hurt to try since I had no way of getting cupramine yesterday. I have yet to check on them this morning. If someone else can confirm that my use of prime (it's been at least 4 day) and now ich attack will have no negative effect on cupramine then I will give it a go.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

I'm right there with you. My fish have been in a QT tank for about a week now. I went with copper because I didn't think I was experienced enough to do hypo either.

I also purchased a UV sterilizer for my display tank. My LFS highly recommend running one. It's a bit of an investment, but I've been told its worth it.

Are they improving?

 

[Jack22]

After 4 days the spots on my royal gramma are clearing up. None of my other fish showed any sings of ich when I quarantined them. They seem a little stressed, but they are all hanging in there.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Wow. It's scary how stupid my lfs is. Went to buy cupramine and the guy told me that I should just get cleaner shrimp instead and that the reason that my fish got ich is because my tank is too salty and too warm. I keep it at 1.025 and 78 degrees. Wow. Just wow.
Can anyone else confirm the safety of use 4 days after prime and 1 day after ich attack?

 

[tonedogz]

Remove the ich attack first before using the cupramine you can use cuprisorb or matrixcarbon to remove it. As i stated before I believe your ok as far as the prime goes but see if anyone else knows about that. Its suppose to be gone after 24 to 48 hours you could also do a water change and that will cut any prime that might be there

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Ok you guys. I have a very stupid question, but bare with me.
If I drained some water from my dt and put it in a container for my inverts and then did the same again separately for my fish, and then completely drained the dt until it was empty, let it dry out for a few days, filled it back up, treated the fish and re drip acclimated everyone, would the ich die?
I realize that my live rock would die. I don't really care. In actuality only one piece is live, the rest was dry. I could just put it in with the inverts. My sand was never live to start with. Hmmm.

 

[JesseMessykinn]

Ok you guys. I have a very stupid question, but bare with me.
If I drained some water from my dt and put it in a container for my inverts and then did the same again separately for my fish, and then completely drained the dt until it was empty, let it dry out for a few days, filled it back up, treated the fish and re drip acclimated everyone, would the ich die?
I realize that my live rock would die. I don't really care. In actuality only one piece is live, the rest was dry. I could just put it in with the inverts. My sand was never live to start with. Hmmm.

If your willing to go through that much trouble, better just pulling all you inverts out, and treating with copper safe, for a few weeks carbonless. Then add carbon back in after a month or so. Then add you Inverts two weeks following. Just make sure you change your carbon omce a week after to clear all meds along with decent WC. Anyone wanna second this?

Im using coppersafe on a firefish in my qt, white spots where gone within 4 days. Hes about a week in and looks to be fine, but im qt him for another week or 2 to be safe.

 

[tonedogz]

Ok you guys. I have a very stupid question, but bare with me.
If I drained some water from my dt and put it in a container for my inverts and then did the same again separately for my fish, and then completely drained the dt until it was empty, let it dry out for a few days, filled it back up, treated the fish and re drip acclimated everyone, would the ich die?
I realize that my live rock would die. I don't really care. In actuality only one piece is live, the rest was dry. I could just put it in with the inverts. My sand was never live to start with. Hmmm.

Well first off the sand is live and so is the rock since its been living in your tank all this time.Second the fish being put in a container for days would probable kill them. Didn't you set up your qt tank its been days since you posted about this you could have had it set up and fuctioning already

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

No. Not until yesterday evening did I have a chance to get to the lfs. I picked up a heater, cupramine and an API copper test kit. In the meantime I was treating with ich attack and it actually looks like the spots have disappeared. I realize that it could potentially just be the end of the ich life cycle but I see no spots, no flashing all my fish are happy and eating like pigs. I think I'm going to continue to set up the qt tank just in case so I have it ready should I see spots again but for now I'm gonna dose ich attach for a few more days and see how it goes.
I'm very worried about ammonia and nitrites building up in qt as well as the stress of having to catch all the fish and I'd very much prefer not to treat them with copper if I don't need to.

 

[NicoleIsStoked]

Just to post an update:

I continued to treat the dt with ich attack while I set up my qt. It's been 5 days and all the fish are free of spots, good coloration and eating like pigs. I have cupramine and a test kit on hand should I need it and will leave my QT running just in case but I think I may have been one of the first people to have success with ich attack. Perhaps just because it was just a mild infestation caught very early on.

 

[oyf709]

not sure if someone mentioned it already, but try also mix the garlic in the food instead just dose into the water. Cuz Garlic doesn't kill ich, but mixing into the food will help the fish immune system.

 

[TheTodd]

My understanding is that things like Ich Attack "treat", but don't "cure". Basically the fish lose the spots (which is part of the life cycle anyways), it drops to your sand/rock and is waiting to strike again. Copper or Hypo actually "cure" the problem and leaving your tank fallow kills off the remaining Ich. End result is no more Ich anywhere versus "treating" which is kind of a bandage because while the fish look good, you still have something you don't want in your tank that can cause a relapse down the road.