I have ich.. now what

[Jake_the_reefer]

So in my 20g tank I have a wrasse 2 clowns, some corals and a cleaner shrimp (hermit crabs and snails as well)
The tank has been going 3 months now very smoothly until I noticed about 2 weeks ago my wrasse has ich. It has maybe 10 spots on its tail today and I'll notice every couple days the spots will be gone. Then the next they are back then gone same with my clowns.
None of them seem to be bothered one bit, they are super active and eat really well. I picked up some garlic for their food to help their immune systems but what else can I do? Will it kill them relatively quick?

 

[locito277]

Got a picture? Sure it’s not a fungal infection?

 

[Jesterrace]

The only way to get rid of ich is to remove all fish and quarantine via one of the proven treatment methods (ie Copper, Tank Transfer Method, Hypo). The only thing garlic does is it can help induce feeding and keep them eating and it's not good to use it long term (no more than 2 weeks max). Garlic definitely doesn't cure anything though.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Ich eradication vs. Ich management

Ich eradication vs. Ich management The purpose of this article is to discuss the pros & cons of ich eradication and ich management, and present the best methods for implementing each. Ich eradication - Simply put, this method means doing everything possible to keep ich out of your tank. That...

www.reef2reef.com

Personally, I would eradicate, and not settle for management; you will be happier going forward.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Got a picture? Sure it’s not a fungal infection?

This is the best set of photos I could get

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Ich eradication vs. Ich management

Ich eradication vs. Ich management The purpose of this article is to discuss the pros & cons of ich eradication and ich management, and present the best methods for implementing each. Ich eradication - Simply put, this method means doing everything possible to keep ich out of your tank. That...

www.reef2reef.com

Personally, I would eradicate, and not settle for management; you will be happier going forward.

I know reef safe is never true for ich treatment but does kick ich work? People talk about how its reef safe and works but there is always doubt with "reef safe" remedies

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

If it helps on my clowns tail I'll see a white spot come and go every once in a while it's not small like ich it's more of a large blob. Which leads me to fungal

 

[YankeeTankee]

Can you QT? If so, remove fish and place in QT for 76 days.

For 30 days of that - copper power at 2ppm. General cure after that in case other issues with fish, look up that regimen I dont recall.

Would help to run UV in the main tank while fish in QT.

Make sure fish eat while in qt/copper.

Thats a quick summary of one option you have, if you remove coral and inverts I think you can treat the whole tank with copper but you still need qt for coral/inverts.

You can confirm and read more in the thread @Jake_the_reefer provided above.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

Can you QT? If so, remove fish and place in QT for 76 days.

For 30 days of that - copper power at 2ppm. General cure after that in case other issues with fish, look up that regimen I dont recall.

Would help to run UV in the main tank while fish in QT.

Make sure fish eat while in qt/copper.

Thats a quick summary of one option you have, if you remove coral and inverts I think you can treat the whole tank with copper but you still need qt for coral/inverts.

You can confirm and read more in the thread @Jake_the_reefer provided above.

I unfortunately do not have a qt or the ability to set up a qt at this time. I can run uv in the display and removing the corals and treating the tank with copper isnt possible as the rocks may hold the copper and leach it at a later date making the rocks unusable

 

[YankeeTankee]

I unfortunately do not have a qt or the ability to set up a qt at this time. I can run uv in the display and removing the corals and treating the tank with copper isnt possible as the rocks may hold the copper and leach it at a later date making the rocks unusable

I've heard running carbon will remove, and if you wait until other algae returns to the display, then you are safe to return coral and inverts.

 

[YankeeTankee]

...and skimming

Its not ideal but I feel like your options are limited and the question is whats the best of the bad options.

But hopefully someone else has a better solution!

 

[locito277]

Honestly if you don’t add anymore fish and he is eating. Better not to stress him out. If he’s eating and acting normal it should resolve in a few days time. Keep stress in aquarium down. If not the other option is to go fallow for 70 plus days.

 

[locito277]

I've heard running carbon will remove, and if you wait until other algae returns to the display, then you are safe to return coral and inverts.

The live rock absorbs the copper. UV will help so long as it’s properly sized as it will get a lot of the ick when it’s free floating. They go through different stages in the life cycle.

 

[Hemmdog]

If you can’t set up a QT then you have to choose ich management right? Feed high quality food, garlic is a myth, just feed really good food, like LRS reef frenzy. Keep stress low, keep hands out of the tank. It should go away on its own. If you have selcon or vitamin-M(brightwell), soak your frozen foods in that once or twice a week.

 

[locito277]

If you can’t set up a QT then you have to choose ich management right? Feed high quality food, garlic is a myth, just feed really good food, like LRS reef frenzy. Keep stress low, keep hands out of the tank. It should go away on its own. If you have selcon or vitamin-M(brightwell), soak your frozen foods in that once or twice a week.

I like to mix in live black worms as well for variety and the fish go nuts for it too. Maintenance is really the easiest route for most of us. Read articles where garlic may actually be bad for fish.

 

[YankeeTankee]

Hemmdog is right, if qt is out then it's ich management.

One thing about copper in tanks... copper kills corals by killing the zooxanthellae, it's my understanding that with proper filtration most of the copper can be removed, other algae returning is a sign that zooxanthallae can now survive as well, that's the signal corals can be returned.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

If you can’t set up a QT then you have to choose ich management right? Feed high quality food, garlic is a myth, just feed really good food, like LRS reef frenzy. Keep stress low, keep hands out of the tank. It should go away on its own. If you have selcon or vitamin-M(brightwell), soak your frozen foods in that once or twice a week.

I can definitely get selcon. I have some high quality foods I can throw in. Frozen mysis, reef frenzy, and some expensive flakes that I forget the name of. I have 9 watts of uv I can run as well

 

[locito277]

seems informative

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

I am wondering if it is ich. There is no sign of it on any fish now

 

[JumboShrimp]

From my cursory understanding, the white spots will come and go, and whenever they go you think, “hooray! I no longer have Ich!”... while in actuality it is just cycling through its deadly madness… assuming you had Ich in the first place.