Has anyone successfully had ich outbreak and managed it?

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I am sorry but I will go ahead and steal the phrase dunk and pray.

I do exactly that, lol. Quick temp acclimation and in they go. Sometimes no acclimation as where I buy since they keep systems between 1.020-1.026 and are typically within 15-30 minutes of home. Y'all that have to ship fish, I feel for ya.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I'll start by saying I'm specifically interested in those of you that have multiple tangs, had an ich outbreak and didn't do anything asides from normal routine maintenance and had the ich go away by itself. How many deaths did you experience, if any? I want to know about those that were successful and unsuccessful. Specifically

1. How old was your tank
2. Size of your tank
3. How many tangs/ ich prone fish
4. What did you do if anything do manage ich

Managing ich is certainly a lot easier if you only have clownfish, wrasses, gobies and other ich resistant species. It's very hard for them to get overwhelmed by ich unless they're unhealthy anyways. Personally I've always chickened out when it comes to managing ich. I said I'd manage it. Last about three days before I pulled everything out to treat. I've never successfully treated all fish without some dying. Particularly wrasses that don't handle copper well.

Appreciate any and all experiences you've all had!

Every single fish I ever get has it at least for the first 3 to 5 days and then after multiple feedings and the fish gets comfortable the egg goes away every time

 

[Beefyreefy]

I'll start by saying I'm specifically interested in those of you that have multiple tangs, had an ich outbreak and didn't do anything asides from normal routine maintenance and had the ich go away by itself. How many deaths did you experience, if any? I want to know about those that were successful and unsuccessful. Specifically

1. How old was your tank
2. Size of your tank
3. How many tangs/ ich prone fish
4. What did you do if anything do manage ich

Managing ich is certainly a lot easier if you only have clownfish, wrasses, gobies and other ich resistant species. It's very hard for them to get overwhelmed by ich unless they're unhealthy anyways. Personally I've always chickened out when it comes to managing ich. I said I'd manage it. Last about three days before I pulled everything out to treat. I've never successfully treated all fish without some dying. Particularly wrasses that don't handle copper well.

Appreciate any and all experiences you've all had!

1. 5 ish years,
2. 150 but like 225 plus total system gallons
3. 5 tangs and a fox face also would show spots
4. I did nothing, if anything feed more and export more, was not a huge outbreak, many times I would see light spotting on fish with no I’ll effect and usually resolves within 5 day.

 

[G Santana]

In my case age of display is a misnomer as the rock and some live stock is now 7+ years old since version 2.0 of the hobby in 2015

I'm currently running a ich 'management' tank, 120 & 50g cube. 4 zebrasomas tangs in the 120 and a coral beauty in the 50g. Good quality food, great water quality and a properly dialed in uv has done me good.

I'm a huge what I do ain't for everyone, but it does work for me. I lost more fish in 2 years of trying to qt versus 20+ years of dunk & pray.

Pearls of wisdom

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

“Has anyone successfully had ich outbreak and managed it?”​

That is only one part of the equation, second part would be : Has anyone had an ich outbreak and didn’t manage to control it?
Surely there will be people who had successfully managed sick fish with symptoms resembling Cryptocaryon irritans infection. Was that confirmed diagnosis, even if so, how many fish succumbed to this infection without the treatment. This is something to ponder. Many opinions here are quite unorthodox, out of the mainstream and creating false impressions of security. Ultimately it is for a reefer to decide if and how Marine ich should be treated, but this thread gives only one part of equation.

Confirmed diagnosis is key here - not all white spots are Cryptocaryon and if they “go away” with some management technique, it gets erroneously attributed as a “success”.
Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I'll start by saying I'm specifically interested in those of you that have multiple tangs, had an ich outbreak and didn't do anything asides from normal routine maintenance and had the ich go away by itself. How many deaths did you experience, if any? I want to know about those that were successful and unsuccessful. Specifically

1. How old was your tank
2. Size of your tank
3. How many tangs/ ich prone fish
4. What did you do if anything do manage ich

Managing ich is certainly a lot easier if you only have clownfish, wrasses, gobies and other ich resistant species. It's very hard for them to get overwhelmed by ich unless they're unhealthy anyways. Personally I've always chickened out when it comes to managing ich. I said I'd manage it. Last about three days before I pulled everything out to treat. I've never successfully treated all fish without some dying. Particularly wrasses that don't handle copper well.

Appreciate any and all experiences you've all had!

I had one case of Cryptocaryon on a chevron tang in a lightly stocked 1200 gallon reef. The trophont count never went above about five at any one time and no more were seen after 3 months or so. The only management we did was run the skimmer really wet. We were prepared to pull the fish if need be.

Jay

 

[Neptune 555]

I went through it a couple weeks ago, but now seems to be under control.

Added a QT’d PBT to my tank a month ago, already had a Gem in there alongside a few others. I always suspected I had ich in the tank. but none of the fish had ever shown signs as I feed a variety of foods and supplement with Selcon and Vitachem. Unfortunately, the PBT started showing spots within days.

I don’t have space for a QT, even so, treating all my fish and going fallow for 45-72 days wasn’t going to work as I travel a good deal.

In order to manage:

1. Did a good deal of research, and was led to this thread on H2O2 management on Ich. Gathered supplies to start ramping up dosage.
2. Added a UV Sterilizer about 9-10 days into H2O2 treatment
3. A couple days later added a Biota Cleaner Wrasse

The PBT was really the only fish to be hit hard, but a couple others started showing some minor spots along the way (I freaked a bit when my Conspicuous started showing spots). Thankfully the H2O2 dosing seemed to begin to reduce the number of trophonts on the PBT, though it still looked like a teenager with bad hygiene and whiteheads.

Adding the UV during the second week seemed to accelerate progress as I ramped up to the full H2O2 dosage for week 3. But, by this time the PBT was beginning to rub against the rocks, it just looked uncomfortable in general. All the other fish were largely doing fine, but I was determined to get the PBT in a good spot.

So, on a whim, I ordered the Cleaning Wrasse. It arrived two days later and immediately got to work. A couple days later I ramped up to full treatment. Now, I know cleaning wrasses don’t cure ich, but I seriously believe that the cleaning service really improves everyone else’s comfort and quality of life (which hopefully reduces stress for them to fight off the parasites). The wrasse literally dedicates its time to ensuring the PBT is spotless all while servicing everyone else. Easily, my favorite fish in the tank right now.

All fish are spotless and visibly less stressed, 23 days into treatment!

Do cleaner shrimp help as a like a cleaner wrasse?! I have 2 cleaner wrasse and they do spend time on the fish??

 

[argiBK]

Do cleaner shrimp help as a like a cleaner wrasse?! I have 2 cleaner wrasse and they do spend time on the fish??

They have the same function. Wrasse are more actively servicing fish, seeking them out, sometimes to the point where they annoy the fish. Shrimp set up a cleaning station and wait for the fish to come to them.

 

[Neptune 555]

Following… to learn HOW to be successful in ich management.

10 years ich free reef using Tank Transfer Method (TTM). 75 gallon reef upgraded to 180 gallon reef. Absolute ich free system and yes you can create a ich free system for sure! My LFS still insist everyone has ich ‍. But unless you go through extraordinary measures yes you have ich that will present in a stressful situation. I didn’t do meds at all…. I would always lose fish in QT with meds so I decided to add live rock to my QT systems and the fish acclimated much better. Then I keep LR fallow for 75 - 90 days before doing it again…. This was good… but adding fish required I didn’t travel for a month and could only manage it during warmer months where I could clean and swap the tanks outside w a hose - headache but no ich! My fish live years like 10+

THEN - I didn’t do TTM on 2 mandarins and 2 purple fire fish and of course ich entered tank. ARRGgghhhhhhh! I have WAY too many fish to do TTM and couldn’t store them anywhere for the 70ish days… why treat a fish for ich when you know they are entering a tank w ich? So I did nothing!! The blue tang was most effected … yellow tang a few spots, flame angel a few spots along with flame back angel…. No one died. I am only 2 months into ich management tho?? So I want to hear from others what do you do for ich management??

* I feed very well - live sea food from fish counter, mysis, LRS fish franzy, reef and herbivore blends, live worms when I can get them, green marine algae, fish eggs. I hatch BBS and am harvesting pods using the lazy man banana peel method.
* water changes
* I am not running UV - b/c seems to hard for me… and Paul B shared w m that he doesn’t run UV since the 70s
* diatom filter sounds interesting?

since I already have ich I am questioning my sanity having my new red lyretail anthias in QT - just observation no meds. I think I will hold him 2 weeks and if he looks good let him enter DT. I want to make sure he dies not have velvet….

to soon to say what method I will like better… but I kinda think ich is like the flu and now I would rather not get fish from sterile environments - would be better to get the fish that can beat ich…

wanting to learn more ich management!!

 

[Neptune 555]

They have the same function. Wrasse are more actively servicing fish, seeking them out, sometimes to the point where they annoy the fish. Shrimp set up a cleaning station and wait for the fish to come to them.

Yes - I know where their station is and the fish most affected by ich ne er went to the cleaning station!!!!! But the angels did and the station was used way more during the ich outbreak!

 

[OrionN]

I don't QT my fish. I condition them in my QT system without treatment. DT system was actually set up to QT corals, clams and anemones. I use a DSB and often added fish with Ich to my tank without problem. When I do this, Ich just frizzle out if a few weeks. Occasionally a fish or two in my DT had a few spots but no more problem than this.
I don't add fish in distress to my DT. If the fish is not eating well, it is not going into my DT. Almost all the fish would go through my 40 gal reef for observation and feeding, prior to go into my DT.
My reef has a thriving fauna ang flora population, and a thriving DSB. IMO, the tomite stage of Ich get eliminate in my DSB so it does not jump into other fish. I do not know this for sure, but my fish are healthy, and their immune system got to be in tip top shape. I have been keeping short living fish the last 10 years, mainly wrasse. Most of my wrasse died of old age, even when I got them as tiny baby, my 8 line flasher wrasse died at about 8-9 years. He just get think, less active and disappeared.
My Vrolik's wrasse, Halichoeres chrysotaenia, is about 10 year old and is reaching this stage. I had him since about 1.5-inch juvenile. He is thinner, less active and likely died in the next 6 months. I am happy that he has such a nice life in my tank. I wish I could get a pair but I was never able to get a female Vrolik's.
This is how I keep my reef. I have success with this method. It is not the only way to keep fish. do what works for you. When I get home, or sometime this weekend I will get picture of all stage of life for this fish. I need to take his picture in his old age. We all want beautiful pictures; but I need pictures of this stage of my fish also.
I will do this and post this weekend.

 

[Neptune 555]

I don't QT my fish. I condition them in my QT system without treatment. DT system was actually set up to QT corals, clams and anemones. I use a DSB and often added fish with Ich to my tank without problem. When I do this, Ich just frizzle out if a few weeks. Occasionally a fish or two in my DT had a few spots but no more problem than this.
I don't add fish in distress to my DT. If the fish is not eating well, it is not going into my DT. Almost all the fish would go through my 40 gal reef for observation and feeding, prior to go into my DT.
My reef has a thriving fauna ang flora population, and a thriving DSB. IMO, the tomite stage of Ich get eliminate in my DSB so it does not jump into other fish. I do not know this for sure, but my fish are healthy, and their immune system got to be in tip top shape. I have been keeping short living fish the last 10 years, mainly wrasse. Most of my wrasse died of old age, even when I got them as tiny baby, my 8 line flasher wrasse died at about 8-9 years. He just get think, less active and disappeared.
My Vrolik's wrasse, Halichoeres chrysotaenia, is about 10 year old and is reaching this stage. I had him since about 1.5-inch juvenile. He is thinner, less active and likely died in the next 6 months. I am happy that he has such a nice life in my tank. I wish I could get a pair but I was never able to get a female Vrolik's.
This is how I keep my reef. I have success with this method. It is not the only way to keep fish. do what works for you. When I get home, or sometime this weekend I will get picture of all stage of life for this fish. I need to take his picture in his old age. We all want beautiful pictures; but I need pictures of this stage of my fish also.
I will do this and post this weekend.

How do you quantify that your fauna and flora are thriving?? My 2 mandarins are thickening up and I am adding pods that I cultivate but I still don’t see them in n my reef? 180 gall N reef 20 years in the making….

 

[Neptune 555]

I don't QT my fish. I condition them in my QT system without treatment. DT system was actually set up to QT corals, clams and anemones. I use a DSB and often added fish with Ich to my tank without problem. When I do this, Ich just frizzle out if a few weeks. Occasionally a fish or two in my DT had a few spots but no more problem than this.
I don't add fish in distress to my DT. If the fish is not eating well, it is not going into my DT. Almost all the fish would go through my 40 gal reef for observation and feeding, prior to go into my DT.
My reef has a thriving fauna ang flora population, and a thriving DSB. IMO, the tomite stage of Ich get eliminate in my DSB so it does not jump into other fish. I do not know this for sure, but my fish are healthy, and their immune system got to be in tip top shape. I have been keeping short living fish the last 10 years, mainly wrasse. Most of my wrasse died of old age, even when I got them as tiny baby, my 8 line flasher wrasse died at about 8-9 years. He just get think, less active and disappeared.
My Vrolik's wrasse, Halichoeres chrysotaenia, is about 10 year old and is reaching this stage. I had him since about 1.5-inch juvenile. He is thinner, less active and likely died in the next 6 months. I am happy that he has such a nice life in my tank. I wish I could get a pair but I was never able to get a female Vrolik's.
This is how I keep my reef. I have success with this method. It is not the only way to keep fish. do what works for you. When I get home, or sometime this weekend I will get picture of all stage of life for this fish. I need to take his picture in his old age. We all want beautiful pictures; but I need pictures of this stage of my fish also.
I will do this and post this weekend.

As for fish - any tangs or angels?

 

[Dbichler]

I believe that ich management is all about not overstocking your tank. If you have enough room for each fish’s needs they won’t stress and they will take care of it on their own. The second you’re overstocked and bam it’s back. Truly believe that’s why we see so many posts of I can’t add any more fish they keep dying.

 

[OrionN]

As for fish - any tangs or angels?

I try to post pictures of the same fish over times. If you click on the picture, the file name include the day I took the pict

 

[OrionN]

 

[OrionN]

 

[FishTruck]

1. How old was your tank = 1 year
2. Size of your tank = 300 gallons (prior tank from 10 plus years ago)
3. How many tangs/ ich prone fish = 6 or 7 at the time, three yellows, one purple, one white cheek, one chevron
4. What did you do if anything do manage ich = kept them well fed

On a prior tank, I had an outbreak that came in about three waves. From what I remember, perhaps 20 or so visible trophonts on the purple tang. I saw occasional white spots (on or two) for about six months. I still have one of those tangs and most of the rocks (17 years later in a 1000 gallon system). New additions have not shown any signs of infestation.

 

[Neptune 555]

I try to post pictures of the same fish over times. If you click on the picture, the file name include the day I took the pict

Amazing!!

 

[OrionN]

I am sure I missed quite a few fishes.