Tang with ICK!!

[CuteCaliLoco]

I Have a Tang who had developed ICK. I have a 10 gallon QT that i want to put him so that I can treat him. I already have a Green Manderine Fish in there with the same problem. My problem is that I can't catch the Tang. I have almost 200 pounds of LR in the tank and everytime he sees me with the net he hides. How can I catch him without removing all my rock?? Any Ideas?? Thanks![/i][/b]

 

[hoveboy]

Try leaving the net in the tank so he kinda gets used to it being part of the scenery, then drop in some food and when he's preoccupied with the grub, try and nab him. Other than that you could try using a friend with another net and try the 'scissor' approach.

Good Luck

Stu

 

[reefrunner69]

I would also try a fish trap, bait the trap with it's favorite food and then wait

 

[CuteCaliLoco]

Thanks So Much !! I will try these new ideas!

 

[snapcrackler]

The first tang I ever got had ick "in the bag" from the LFS, I put him in with cleaner shrimp (CBS first not too adept, then fire shrimp in different tank, FS is excellent) and he looks like a million bucks now smooth and svelte.

I also run 80+ and 1.024+ minimum

83 and 1.025 preferable, now.

I am a definite SW newbie but couldn't the cleaner shrimp clean him out possibly so meds can be avoided?? Man put a peppermint or fire shrimp in there and let 'em work, mine did!

 

[steve-s]

I am a definite SW newbie but couldn't the cleaner shrimp clean him out possibly so meds can be avoided?

That would only treat the symptom but not the cause. They are also not 100% effective at that. There are 3 stages of the parasite in which the shrimp will only be interested in 1. The free swimming and reproductive stages will be unaffected and allow the parasite life cycle to continue.

Only by removing the fish from the tank can the parasite die out without treating the main tank. Fish should always be treated seperately.

Cheers
Steve

 

[snapcrackler]

Understood,

thanks

 

[snapcrackler]

OK, I've been reading up on marine ich vs FW ich and it seems to similiar to FW ich, life cycle wise, so I am beginning to view it in the same manner as I have viewed FW ich in the past.

FW = Ichthyophthirius multifillis
SW = Cryptocaryon irritans

Ich is frequently going to exist at low levels IMO and you'll always potentially have a brush with it, and if fish get stressed they have the potential for being attacked by ich. It can ride on plants, rocks, fish, etc.

I still view it in the same way as germs, viruses, other parasites... generally the weaker the immune system, the higher the potential for infection/infestation. The potential is almost always there, as it is in nature.

IME when a fish has ich from the store, it loses it's grip on the fish, in the environment I have placed it in. This is a highly oxygenated, warm water environment. The fish gets healthier and the parasite is more resisted and also the parasite dislikes warmer climates from what I understand.

So when I started SW, the same thing has happened. Damsels = a spot or two on the tail from LFS, after they get comfortable at home the spots go away, this was before I got even the CBS.

I understand that ich can be present in a fish without any visible spots, in the gills specifically. However I feel that bringing the creature's environment and immune system up to optimum will help more than anything.

LFS = 76 F and 1.023
My water = 83 F and 1.025

Terry Ranson wrote an article on ich and I tend to side with Terry in regards to meds and such.

I just don't like meds. Sorry guys I'm not trying to be a pain in the :butt: here, I just very much dislike chemical solutions to organic issues.

As always it is nice to be a member of a forum where your views are viewed without bias. Thanks in advance for that.

 

[steve-s]

Ich is frequently going to exist at low levels IMO and you'll always potentially have a brush with it, and if fish get stressed they have the potential for being attacked by ich.

Incorrect. It is a common misconception though due to the FW variety. It was recently discovered that FW ich Ichthyophthirius multifillis, can actually live beneath the scales and "co-exist" with the fish. This is not true of SW ich C. irritans. It can be permenantly eradicated from the system.

It can ride on plants, rocks, fish, etc.

Correct

I still view it in the same way as germs, viruses, other parasites... generally the weaker the immune system, the higher the potential for infection/infestation. The potential is almost always there, as it is in nature.

Only if the parasite was not eradicated prior to introduction of the main tank. If the fish is QT'd and proper steps taken when treatment is neccessary, the main display will never have an outbreak.

IME when a fish has ich from the store, it loses it's grip on the fish, in the environment I have placed it in. This is a highly oxygenated, warm water environment. The fish gets healthier and the parasite is more resisted and also the parasite dislikes warmer climates from what I understand.

A healthier fish will be able to resist the parasite longer but is by no means immune as it is a parasite, not a virus. Warmer temps have the opposite affect on C. irritans, instead of interupting the life cycle like in FW ich, it actually speads it up and C. irritans multiplies faster. It does not kill it!

So when I started SW, the same thing has happened. Damsels = a spot or two on the tail from LFS, after they get comfortable at home the spots go away, this was before I got even the CBS.

Some fish like damsels, triggers, eels and gobies can resist the parasite better than most but again there are no 100% resistant fish. I would also wonder if what you had diagnosed was truely ich and not an anomoly.

I understand that ich can be present in a fish without any visible spots, in the gills specifically. However I feel that bringing the creature's environment and immune system up to optimum will help more than anything.

Yes it will help but in most cases will not cure. It will only allow additional time for a proper treatment to be administered.

Terry Ranson wrote an article on ich and I tend to side with Terry in regards to meds and such.
I just don't like meds. Sorry guys I'm not trying to be a pain in the :butt: here, I just very much dislike chemical solutions to organic issues.

Agreed it was an excellent article but still one specifically for FW. Do not confuse the two. Meds are not neccessary in SW either for milder problems or simple C. irritans. Hyposalinity is affective on a wide range of problems and the only med that is sometimes needed is an anti biotic for secondary infection.

As always it is nice to be a member of a forum where your views are viewed without bias. Thanks in advance for that.

8)

Cheers
Steve

 

[snapcrackler]

Very well said, Steve. That makes plenty of sense.

Thanks for the corrections.... I will continue to research as well.