I hate ich!!!!!!!!!!

[nano_ryan]

Im so done with this stupid ich that has killed tons of my expensive fish. Ive done everything in my power to get rid of it and still it has ruled over everything. My father bought a $200 sohal tang that was put into my 150 without know it had carried some ich with it. It went onto every fish then slowly started killing one by one(including the sohal). My store told me to just feed constintly and it will kill it, BULL! Did that for about 3 weeks but it did nothing the ich just came back over and over again killing my fish. I accidentally brought it to my 60g when transfering a coral and then my 60 was screwed! Ive spent thousands of dollars setting up a qt with copper, sump ect. And then waited two months just for it to come back??!!!! Ive spent money on every type of ich remedy you can think of and still, it comes right back to haunt me. I love this hobby, but this ich sickness has is unbelievably grueling. Thanks to the store we got the ich from, which gave me no warning that ich was in there system that now is in mine.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sorry to hear, that's so frustrating. I've always wondered if there is more than one type of Cryptocaryon out there. Back in my LFS days (late 1970's) we had a phrase for something we called "hard ich" because it was so hard to control. Realistically though, there are no scientific evidence that there is more than one species, or that ich is building up any immunity to the meds - it just can be really difficult to control.

At a public aquarium I worked at 30+ years ago, we got ich into our main SW system and in desperation, they tried to use sodium chlorite to cure it. Wiped out the bio-filter on a 500,000 gallon system....we bought Amquel by the pallet to save the fish...

Jay

 

[PicassoClown04]

I’m so sorry for you losses!! I really am, bought a $180 purple tang that turned out to have ick. Cleared it up with a good diet, and still do not qt. I am a big believer in ick management, not eradication. Ick is present in most if not all reef tanks, no matter how thorough the qt protocol is. A healthy fish should be unaffected by it. Are you sure you’re dealing with ick?

 

[Rrwilson1223]

I feel your pain. Currently have all my fish in copper. 2nd time this year that my LFS sent me something with ich. Not sure if it hitchhiked from shrimp or a coral. But nonetheless, I’m a believer in QT. I hate losing anything and seeing my DT empty for so long.

I know a few folks who’ve had good luck with ich management. And of course there are the Paul B’s of the world who have other ideas (which I find very interesting but am afraid to fully implement).

 

[Glenng78]

The best defense against ich, is a minimum 2 week quarantine. Google tank transfer method. Be sure that any fish that gets introduced into your system have undergone this method.
also run your tank fallow (no fish, not even 1 fish)
For 90 days. In 90 days time all ich should die off

 

[rmay6850]

Where does the 90 days come from?? I thought it was 76?

 

[Nigel35]

UV sterilizer!

 

[nano_ryan]

Yep ive tried 72 day thing and it came back. Maybe waiting the extra 30 days will end it. I cant believe this is real, and how long a person has to wait for something so small. I qt every new fish for a minimum of 2 weeks. Its hard watching my fish suffer in that brutal copper condition for so long. Ive had many die of stress from it even. Man this hobby does have its cons.

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

Bro I feel you. I’ve been in the hobby for little over a year and have had ich 3 times my DT has been empty for 6 months... 2 months each time. I’m currently in the fallow period again. 22nd September marks 76th day but I am going to leave it til October. My 15 fish are sitting in another tank and I’ve tried use copper tank transfer everything but they still have ich. Honestly in the same boat as you don’t know where to go from here

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

I have no personal experience with this but I have read that you can use a fresh water black molly converted to saltwater to check if ich is in the system. The theory is the molly has little immunity to ich and it’s color helps to see the ich easily.

 

[Paul B]

Yep ive tried 72 day thing and it came back. Maybe waiting the extra 30 days will end it. I cant believe this is real, and how long a person has to wait for something so small. I qt every new fish for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Many people have that problem but I feel quarantining is the worst thing us Geezers invented in the 70s. It creates more problems and I feel it kills more fish than it helps.

Just my opinion of course but ich can be a non issue if the tank is healthy and fed correctly. Feeding all commercially available aquarium food I feel is the biggest problem and fish will never become immune to anything on just that.

But good luck, I really hope your fish pull through as I hate to see fish die.

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

I have no personal experience with this but I have read that you can use a fresh water black molly converted to saltwater to check if ich is in the system. The theory is the molly has little immunity to ich and it’s color helps to see the ich easily.

See if u add a freshwater molly say that fish has freshwater ich. When u add it to ur salt water tank will that ich die? Or will it spread

 

[Tired]

Quarantining is a good thing. Quarantining and automatically medicating fish is very stressful, though. It's better to put fish in a cycled QT tank, with places to hide, and just observe. Medication is only for if they actually show signs of disease.

If good food made fish immune to disease, wild fish wouldn't get diseases. Yes, proper care can help prevent disease, but no immune system is foolproof.

Freshwater ich is a completely separate thing from saltwater ich, and, like the majority of freshwater organisms, will die in saltwater.

 

[Saaqib_Ansari]

Quarantining is a good thing. Quarantining and automatically medicating fish is very stressful, though. It's better to put fish in a cycled QT tank, with places to hide, and just observe. Medication is only for if they actually show signs of disease.

If good food made fish immune to disease, wild fish wouldn't get diseases. Yes, proper care can help prevent disease, but no immune system is foolproof.

Freshwater ich is a completely separate thing from saltwater ich, and, like the majority of freshwater organisms, will die in saltwater.

Will get a few mollies for when I want to test my DT tank then, if I do see ich on the molly I have to restart the 2 month cycle right ?

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

Will get a few mollies for when I want to test my DT tank then, if I do see ich on the molly I have to restart the 2 month cycle right ?

Make sure to research the method first. There are some risks and hints to think about.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, proper care can help prevent disease, but no immune system is foolproof.

LOL,, Mine is. But good luck, I hope whatever you do, good luck