ick comes and goes??

[momzacmarvin]

good day,

Last week i noticed my Coral beauty and yellow tang had dots all over the body. All other fish in tank were fine. When i got home from work the dots were gone. This has been going on for a week now... every day or two the dots are there and then gone but since has only been on the Coral Beauty. I do have 2 peppermint shrimp, could they be cleaning the fish off if this is ick?

I am not sure if it is ick or another parasite. The fish are eating ok, although the CB hides more in the live rock now then i had noticed before.

I dont want to rip my tank apart to treat ick if it may not be ick.

any advice ?

 

[austinsdad]

You should read this article. Sounds like ick in it's normal progression. On the fish, then dropping off.

Read this, you'll see...

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=50

 

[roka64]

Definitely sounds like it could be the ich cycle. Might want to start setting up your QT. Are the spots white? Can you get a pic?
I would get some garlic extreem, zoe, selcor and soak their food in them for about 30mins.

 

[momzacmarvin]

yeah the dots are white, that why i started thinking it might be ick. would it be worth it to try the Kick-ick product before i tear the tank apart catching all fish? or would that just be a waste of time & $$$ ??

 

[roka64]

Personally, I go natural. I have never had ich and don't know too much about treating with chemicals. I know it will be a pain, but I believe the best way to get rid of it is to QT the fish and leave the tank fallow for 6-8 weeks.

 

[ratchet]

According to Hans Baensch (Baensch Marine Atlas 1) available on amazon:

"Cryptocarion (Marine Ich)

Causative Agent
The causative agent, Cryptocarion irritans, is a ciliate. Externally it is very similar to freshwater Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (white spot, ich). For this reason, Cryptocarion is sometimes called Marine Ich.

Symptoms
Cryptocarion tomites attack fishes by attaching to the skin. However, these are significantly larger than Oodinium tomites and, therefore, easier to see(size of a pin head). As with most ectoparasitic infestations, the animals scratch themselves on objects and have a heightened respiration rate.

Treatment
After a few days the parasites drop off and form cysts. The organism undergoes cellular divisions within the cysts. After approximately 8 days, numerous tomites emerge. Cryptocarion is suseptible to medication during its tomite stage.

We recommend the following procedure:
1. Prepare a high quality sea salt for a partial water exchange; areate 24 hr.
2. Remove 1/2 of the tank water and discard.
3. The new seawater (or well matured water of a lesser quality brand of salt) is placed into the tank until it is 3/4 full.
4. Top-up the aquarium with freshwater (tap water or water processed through reverse osmosis) that is free/low in nitrate until the aquarium water has reached a specific gravity of 1.017 to 1.018.
5. Add TETRA MarinOomed.

Lowering the salinity is usually safe for invertibrates; only crustacea such as shrimp and lobsters are sensitive."

Hope this helps...