Hippo Tang has Ich

[Brandon1023]

OK so forgive me for being a little lazy here and not searching the forums for past answers on this. But I'm pretty sure I've read threads about this where it was recommended that someone in my situation should just let nature run its course. My tank is a reef so medications aren't exactly an option for me.

As my thread title implies, my "Dory" definitely has Ich. I know what it looks like as I have been in the hobby for years and years. My parameters are fine and my guess is he/she is just stressed due to the normal circumstances involved with being taken from the ocean and adapting to an aquarium life.

The fish is eating pretty much like a pig. It is very competitive with the others and gets lots to eat. Not to mention I do tend to over-feed a bit. I feed them Omega One (it says "with garlic") small pellets. I put the pellets in water for about 20-30 minutes to soften up before I feed them. The Hippo gets plenty.

So what should I do? I'm not incredibly worried (but I am a little, as can be understood), as I have had the fish for a couple weeks now. But it's interesting that it developed Ich like this - I thought it was doing pretty well. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

[nybatu]

well i have the same problem last week but suddenly it just disappear i only did WC i wasn't even using garlic but i will get one garlic extreme and soak my pellets and brine shrimp. also i notice he/she has opened all fins all the way, is this a sign something?

[BluePhish]

i can just tell you from things ive read and my most recent experience( with a yellow tang).he got ick do to acclimation stress. also in a reef. decide to let nature takes its course. waited about 2.5 weeks no improvement. but did not get worse. so my turning point was when my neon goby got it(he was constantly in contact with the tang) thats when i trapped the tang and treated him in a hospi tank(with some quick cure) after a week 1 treatment he was better. left him in hospi for 3 weeks. no return of ick. tradded him back to the lfs for a six-line.
meanwhile the neon goby was extremely infected with ick,gills, eyes.. and in display. i started adding fresh garlic juice on my food. every day for a week, then 2 times a week and still using it. well the ick was gone in 4 days, and has not returned. no other fish during this got it.

[luvreefs23]

My hippo got ich after having him 3 weeks. Im just letting it run its course, if he has maybe 5-10 spot expect to see 10x that in the next 2 weeks. Mine still has ich here and there but only a few spots. This is my second time having ich because of buying a hippo tang, it cleared up in a month or so and never seen it again. Seems like this scenario is playing out the same.

[Brandon1023]

Ok, sounds positive so far....

[nemodory]

my tang has ich too.. i want to feed it some food soaked with garlic
except whats the best way to do it.. can i just get a garlic clove and chop it up and mix it with the brine? is there such a thing as putting too much garlic?
or will i need to buy the kent garlic product.. is this sold at fish shops or supermarkets?

thanks

[Jakerupe]

I think that these should be renamed to Ick Machines! I've have never had one that I put in my tank that didn't cause an Ick out break, I'm sure that is just my luck though. They seem to be very resilient to it though, I've never lost one as a result of the outbreak. With that said though it has almost always spread and cost me another fish!

If you don't have a UV sterlizier I would say to get one on the tank and try to limit the spread. I don't have a reef tank so treating it is different. If you can catch him and get him in a quarintine tank there are alot of mecications that will help, I can't recall the stuff I use but it is a blue dye I'll look it for you tonight. Keep the tank for future new additions two if you do set it up.

[sauce-n-tank]

I have had a coulp of blue hipos in the past and i just bought another last night im trying a smaller one wich is more difficult. but from my own experience i noticed the temperature of the water is wat stresses them out the most.

[conjuay]

The regals/hippos seem REAL inclined to ick. It has to be something about the species itself. I put a neon goby in and several skunk shrimp and he runs to the shrimp regularily for a 30 second sprucing -up. I've seen limited cleaning from the goby, so add a cleaner shrimp if you can. Supply either algae or sushi-nori for him, I think feeding is more than nutrition for these fish, they want to constantly graze, as they would in the wild. A clip with some nori will keep him calm and stress-free.

[Brandon1023]

I've just let mine run its course and have been feeding like regular. So far the ich is clearing up and I'm happy to report progress. I don't think this guy is going to perish. He has an appetite still and is swimming normally.