Lets talk about ICH

Discussion in 'Diseases' started by ali1, Nov 4, 2010.

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  1. ali1

    ali1 Skunk Shrimp

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    After taking out fish from the DT, do you have to take out corals,inverts, and cuc? OR ICH will not effect these creatures? My concern is WILL THE ICH DIE IN THE DT IF THERES STILL CORALS/LR/INVERTS/CUC?


    I have no problems taking out fish, but what about all that other stuff?
     
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  3. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    No you do not have to remove the inverts or LR. Ich is dependent on fish to complete it's life cycle. No fish and the parasites dies, but you have to leave the DT fallow for at least 28 days and now some are saying as long as 60 days.

    There are several threads on this forum regarding setting up a QT, by people that have done it. Do a search or go to the Fish Disease forum if you have not already.
     
  4. Renee@LionfishLair

    Renee@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    I mainly do hypo in an uncycled tank. I've also done it in a barebottom tank with colonized base LR. Zero fauna
     
  5. ali1

    ali1 Skunk Shrimp

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    how do u have colonized LR in a hypo tank? Wouldn't it crash?
     
  6. gabbagabbawill

    gabbagabbawill Pajama Cardinal

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    look up using formalin to treat ich... it's safer (and supposedly) more effective than copper.
     
  7. blackraven1425

    blackraven1425 Giant Squid

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    I wouldn't exactly call formalin safer than copper....
     
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  9. ali1

    ali1 Skunk Shrimp

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    so how does QTing all your fish before placing them in your showtank prevent ich? Say you purchased a fish that had ich and you didn't notice. you placed it in your QT for several weeks, then in the show tank. How did that cure the ich?

    Looking at the source below, the guy states he has never received ich since 19xx because of QTing all live creatures.

    Marine Ich - Myths and Facts - Reef Sanctuary
     
  10. blackraven1425

    blackraven1425 Giant Squid

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    Fish goes into QT. You wait, and see if there's signs of ich on the fish within a month and a half. If there is a sign, you treat it normally (2 month process). Voila, ichless fish.
     
  11. Renee@LionfishLair

    Renee@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    QTing is a false sense of security where Ich is concerned. It does nothing to "cure" Ich. It only gives you time to observe the fish before it goes into the DT and which time you hope the Ich will present itself and then you treat. It doesn't always present itself in the QT time frame though.... so into the tank it goes.

    A QT does not prevent Ich itself.
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2010
  12. gabbagabbawill

    gabbagabbawill Pajama Cardinal

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    Why not?

    1. Copper at too low of a dosage is not effective.

    2. Dose it too high and it kills your livestock... it may kill your livestock anyway, as some fish are very sensitive to it.

    3. Copper is an immunosuppresive.

    4. Copper causes low kH due to increased metal levels in tank and pH swings occur, causing elevated levels of stress in fish.

    Formalin can be more safely administered, IMO, and it is a known cure for ich. Copper is difficult to dose correctly, and may not cure the ich, but may kill the fish.