Trying to kick the ICK

I would caution anyone against using this method for treating ich. Yes, raising the temp does speed up the life cycle but it in no way cures ich. The fact of the matter is once ich is in your tank it is always there. (unless you remove all of your fish for 4 weeks) You just don't see it. Ich has a 4 stage life cycle and it's only visible to us in one of those stages.

Keep in mind this is no more than a common cold to a fish. If the fish is healthy it will fight it off on it's own and ich will have a hard time using this fish as a host. Even though you are not seeing the ich the fish probably still has it. it can be under the skin, in the gills, etc. When we normally notice it there has been an outbreak.

Raising the temp is only going to stress out an already stressed tang and it's possibly going to cause trouble with the other inhabitants. As you raise the temp you are cutting down on the o2 available to the fish.


Just my $.02

 

That's why I said feed them well and keep the water quality good in addition to the water temp. If you have coral, therefore don't medicate, are using garlic and other supplements and are having a hard time getting the fish to shake the parasites, what else is there to do? If you let the parasites keep hosting, unless you are able to eliminate what is stressing the fish you will most likely continue to get more ich. If you raise the temp, the ich falls off, (your fish won't die at 82-84, neither will your corals), you fix whatever is stressing your fish while temp is raised, then lower the temp when it's time and no more parasites hosting your fish.

I have never heard of removing fish for 4 weeks which would eliminate ich. I was always under the impression that cryptocaryon was in all (or almost all) saltwater tanks and the only way to truly get rid of it is a complete tear down and sterilization of everything. Maybe I'm wrong?

 

Well it sounds like you've got some advice from a few different people now. Just decide what route you want to take and go with it.

Best of luck!

Karma for your trouble!

 

no trouble. I like to hear all forms of cures. I have also read that ick stay in tank for 6 months I have hear that it is there forever. I have heard that if you keep your lights on it will help break the cycle. Heard lights off break cycle. But I have also read that ick can't surive without host. <----- I am just hoping this is true. I think there are just tons of wives tales about this and they all have there good points. Maybe there is just not one strain of ick but many and each take on diffrent charistics. Might be the true key is not one fix but many and figuring out what you have is the true test. Also what works with tangs might not work with clowns. This is just a little experment and might hopfully help the next person that has this problem.

 

I agree totally with Mission666 and go back to what I said yesterday I think, your tang doesn't look that bad (unless the pic doesn't show the ich), and since they're susceptible to ich anyways it's not suprising, just relax and it will probably be fine.

 

Well here is todays shot and still feeding garlic treatment. Increased temp of tank to 78 was 76 thought this might be alittle low. parameters are about the same salt 1.025 ph 8.3 nitrates 40ppm and everything else 0. Need to get water hardness test(sugestions might help). He is showing redueced signs of with dots and is scraping himself on bottom of tank alot (probably feal darn good too). He still has great apitite. Fire gobie also showing no signs of ick too.

 

Thinking about posting vid on his behavior. Would anyone like to see.

 

I know I'm jumping in late but I would suggest you still get this product (don't freak out everyone, it's all natural);Aquarium Water Conditioners & Quality: Marine-Max Water Conditioner