uh oh. ich?

[TheTodd]

I feel that copper or hypo are it. Anything else is questionable, at best, and the people that swear that Snake Oil XYZ cured their fish, probably had fish where the Ich dropped off and the fish was stronger in round 2 when it came back and has not shown signs. Fish can have it and not show signs and it can be present in a tank without negative consequences. Fish in a tank with proper nutrition, good water, low stress, etc are perfectly able to keep it at bay.

Garlic entices fish to eat. Fish that eat are stronger than fish that don't eat. Stronger fish have higher immunity to the various nasties. IMO, garlic helps at times, but can not be considered a cure or even a treatment.

[Evo8]

Well this morning my coral beauty is 50% better than yesterday...I dosed two times yesterday at 1.5 times the dosage rec commendation...and have been feeding garlic...I'll keep you guys posted..oh and my corals are doing good as well..

[TheTodd]

Keep in mind that part of the life cycle is where it drops off of the fish, into/onto sand/rock. This is where people believe that their fish is cured. It can look like a miraculous cure, when in fact, it is simply just doing its thing and is still there.

[Evo8]

Originally Posted by TheTodd

Keep in mind that part of the life cycle is where it drops off of the fish, into/onto sand/rock. This is where people believe that their fish is cured. It can look like a miraculous cure, when in fact, it is simply just doing its thing and is still there.

yes sir! i know that..i wont know if this product works for me for a few weeks if it doesnt come back, i know that as well! thanks though!

[TheTodd]

I just went to the Kordon site and it makes statements like "...it is an inhibitor, not an eliminator..." and "it stops infections and external parasitic invasions from getting started..." It sounds more to me like it is another herbal additive that helps build a fish's slime coat, but does not cure anything once they have something like Ich.

There have been many scientific studies that show Hyposalinity and copper-based treatments are the only things that cure Ich. Your fish may eventually not show signs, but Ich will still be present in the tank... it still has a host and nothing to kill it off.

[Evo8]

If my fish is very health with no ich..wouldn't the ich die because it has no host? And in just trying what I can I do not have a qt tank...

[TheTodd]

Fish can still have Ich without having visible signs. Often it ends up in their gills and does not present as white spots on the body. If you read the various articles online (there are many on many different sites), they will all say the same thing. There is science behind all of this. It's not people like me making it up.

[Mebbid]

The qt / hospital tanks aren't that bad, especiallly if you are doing a hyposalinity treatment. Just take the water from your water change and add water until its at the right salinity then bingo. It's safe to change the water on a qt tank.

I do happen to agree with Todd on the ich problem.

[TheTodd]

Plus, a QT can be set up for a relatively low cost. Grab a 10 or 15g tank when Petco does its "dollar a gallon" sale and get a small filter, a couple pieces of PVC from Home Depot and probably a heater (depending in where you live). You are probably under $50. Compare that to the cost of a fish or two that die from Ich (or something more deadly like Marine Velvet...that can wipe out an entire tank in a day or two). The expense pays off over time, almost guaranteed.

[Evo8]

Don't get me wrong guys im not taking away from what you guys are saying I'm just saying I have no other way of treatment right Now...ilk set up a qt in the future...a 5g kit from wm is like 30 bucks..

[huma-huma]

i wouldnt even bother buying new for your qt tank. just hop on Craigslist and pick up a 10g for a few bucks.
other than that, simply keep your fish well fed and make sure you take any extra steps to alleviate stress

[Mebbid]

Honestly you could do a qt in a Rubbermaid tote. It just needs to hold water.

[Evo8]

Originally Posted by Mebbid

Honestly you could do a qt in a Rubbermaid tote. It just needs to hold water.

I have one actually...I use it to store my sw. 18g. Maybe ill give it a try next time.

Btw guys, I believe the medicine is working...my fish are definatly looking better! And so far my clowns and firefish are still ich free! Lol

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by Evo8

I have one actually...I use it to store my sw. 18g. Maybe ill give it a try next time.

Btw guys, I believe the medicine is working...my fish are definatly looking better! And so far my clowns and firefish are still ich free! Lol

Keep in mind the life cycle of the parasite. The ich drops off of the fish and stays in the substrate for up to 9 weeks before multiplying and reinfecting fish.

[Bray84]

Does is matter if taken over week to drop the salt levels when doing hypo

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by Bray84

Does is matter if taken over week to drop the salt levels when doing hypo

Nope. As long as its accurately measured with a refractometer then its just fine however long it takes to get there.

[Bray84]

Thanks did think longer the better as less stress on fish

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by Bray84

Thanks did think longer the better as less stress on fish

Dropping the salinity isn't the stressful part for the fish. The most stress is involved in raising the salinity back to a reasonable level. A few hours can be sufficient to acclimate a fish to a hyposalinity environment but they need days to safely adjust back to a normal salinity.

[Evo8]

alright guys...so my coral beauty today is covered in ich...also i see a little bit of fun rot..up until today he was doing good, very active and still eating...although he did eat today hes not very active and a few times i seen him a little sideways..without a qt i don't think he will make it..my question to you guys is this..should i just cut my losses and put him in a cup of tank water or something till he does? all my other fish are not visually affected and i wish to keep it that way...what should i do? my LFS told me he would be ok in my tank and i now realized it's way to small which is probably what stressed him out...so? please let me know guys.

[TheTodd]

If your CB has Ich , it is in the tank and other fish can come down with it at any time. I do not recall , but why can you not try to save this fish. (and probably your others ) by getting a QT?