Ich

[Brxdxn]

I am new to saltwater, and recently discovered my 6 striped wrasse has ich! I also have snails, hermit crabs, and an emrald crab. Now, I am going to quarantine my 6 striped wrasse into a different tank. But as I do know snails and crabs can not catch ich but can hold it, should I also remove my snails And crabs from my tank or let them stay in their as I let ich die? Also, can snails and crabs keep ich alive? Lastly, how long does ich take to die? And do I need to medicate the water of my display tank? I do know that my crabs and snails can die from Ich meds. I don’t know, what should I do i really need help as a beginnner.

 

[Idoc]

Good move removing the fish...

If you want to have the best chance to remove ich from your tank, then remove all fish and quarantine them and treat them 30 days in copper. Some fish don't handle copper well, so you want to check that compatibility first.

No, your inverts won't keep ich alive, but ich can encyst on their shells. So a tank has to go fallow without any fish in it for 72-76 days straight. This will allow any ich in the system to go through its life cycle completely and then die since there will be no fish in the tank for them to complete their life cycle! So during the game period, keep all inverts in the original tank.

 

[Brxdxn]

Good move removing the fish...

If you want to have the best chance to remove ich from your tank, then remove all fish and quarantine them and treat them 30 days in copper. Some fish don't handle copper well, so you want to check that compatibility first.

No, your inverts won't keep ich alive, but ich can encyst on their shells. So a tank has to go fallow without any fish in it for 72-76 days straight. This will allow any ich in the system to go through its life cycle completely and then die since there will be no fish in the tank for them to complete their life cycle! So during the game period, keep all inverts in the original tank.

Hey thank you so much! I really appreciate it. So I do not have to medicate my water in my display tank that is invert safe? Also, any certain temperature I need to keep my water at while ich is going through its life cycle? Also, can I do “Ich-X” instead of copper?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can you post pic or two under white lights to confirm it is ich?
Similar are velvet, lympho, brooklynella and others
Just assuring you are treating for correct issue

 

[Brxdxn]

Can you post pic or two under white lights to confirm it is ich?
Similar are velvet, lympho, brooklynella and others
Just assuring you are treating for correct issue

Unfortunately my camera can‘t focus on my fish. But I can get a picture off of the internet and show what it exactly what it looks like.

 

[Brxdxn]

Can you post pic or two under white lights to confirm it is ich?
Similar are velvet, lympho, brooklynella and others
Just assuring you are treating for correct issue

Hey so I woke up today and he seems to have less white spots on him today. Should I still medicate him just in case?

 

[Brxdxn]

Can you post pic or two under white lights to confirm it is ich?
Similar are velvet, lympho, brooklynella and others
Just assuring you are treating for correct issue

By the way I haven’t medicated him yet I am going to the store to get some ich-x and some aquarium salt.

 

[vetteguy53081]

By the way I haven’t medicated him yet I am going to the store to get some ich-x and some aquarium salt.

I believe there is quite a few dots in pic although a little fuzzy to confirm
With ich, you can count the dots, whereas with velvet- there are so many dots it looks like the solar system
Lympho is another issue that mimics ich but the dots are more grain-like in appearance and may come and go. Lympho requires good water quality and diet to turn the fish around.
Ich or velvet requires treatment
ichX is a malachite based treatment and shouldn’t be as harsh as copper

 

[Idoc]

Unfortunately my camera can‘t focus on my fish. But I can get a picture off of the internet and show what it exactly what it looks like.

Hey so I woke up today and he seems to have less white spots on him today. Should I still medicate him just in case?

If it looks exactly like your picture....basically you can count the spots pretty easily...then it does sound like Ich is present. Velvet looks similar, but usually more of a dusting and harder to "count" the dots.

It is also normal for Ich to look "less" after a couple of days as the parasite falls off into the water column...definitely need treatment soon. Ich and Velvet are treated the same way....velvet is just more of an emergency since it kills in a couple of days typically.

I am not familiar with Ich-X, but it is a formaldehyde (3%) medication which works on external parasites. Typically we perform formaldehyde dips for brooklynella, etc... but it is at a 37% strength. But others have had success with IchX. Just follow the directions exactly as prescribed...and don't do it in your main display tank, only a quarantine/hospital tank.

Raising the tank water can cause the life cycle to speed up a bit. We go fallow for 72-76 days because the longest lifecycle for a strain of ich in documentation was 72 days, supposedly...so they give it a couple more days to be safe. But, I believe that research was done with water temperatures in the upper 60's...in theory, that may not have taken 72 days in warmer water. But, we don't have any other research at the higher temps (that I know of)...so, we have to adhere to the information we have.

Good luck...

 

[Brxdxn]

If it looks exactly like your picture....basically you can count the spots pretty easily...then it does sound like Ich is present. Velvet looks similar, but usually more of a dusting and harder to "count" the dots.

It is also normal for Ich to look "less" after a couple of days as the parasite falls off into the water column...definitely need treatment soon. Ich and Velvet are treated the same way....velvet is just more of an emergency since it kills in a couple of days typically.

I am not familiar with Ich-X, but it is a formaldehyde (3%) medication which works on external parasites. Typically we perform formaldehyde dips for brooklynella, etc... but it is at a 37% strength. But others have had success with IchX. Just follow the directions exactly as prescribed...and don't do it in your main display tank, only a quarantine/hospital tank.

Raising the tank water can cause the life cycle to speed up a bit. We go fallow for 72-76 days because the longest lifecycle for a strain of ich in documentation was 72 days, supposedly...so they give it a couple more days to be safe. But, I believe that research was done with water temperatures in the upper 60's...in theory, that may not have taken 72 days in warmer water. But, we don't have any other research at the higher temps (that I know of)...so, we have to adhere to the information we have.

Good luck...

Thank you! I heard something about freshwater dipping. Should I give it a try? I was planning on moving him to a different tank anyways.

 

[Brxdxn]

I believe there is quite a few dots in pic although a little fuzzy to confirm
With ich, you can count the dots, whereas with velvet- there are so many dots it looks like the solar system
Lympho is another issue that mimics ich but the dots are more grain-like in appearance and may come and go. Lympho requires good water quality and diet to turn the fish around.
Ich or velvet requires treatment
ichX is a malachite based treatment and shouldn’t be as harsh as copper

Ok, thank you! Now like I said to Idoc. Should I do a freshwater dip and move him to a different tank? I was planning on moving him before he got ich.

 

[Idoc]

Thank you! I heard something about freshwater dipping. Should I give it a try? I was planning on moving him to a different tank anyways.

A freshwater dip gives temporary relief to the fish. If he is showing signs of stress, then a fw dip could help. If no signs of stress, the the fw dip may cause more stress... especially if you are ready to treat anyhow.

 

[Brxdxn]

A freshwater dip gives temporary relief to the fish. If he is showing signs of stress, then a fw dip could help. If no signs of stress, the the fw dip may cause more stress... especially if you are ready to treat anyhow.

Ok, and so I have ich x. Now from what I’ve heard if you do copper it will stay on the rocks for a long time allowing no inverts. Does the same go for ich x?

 

[Brxdxn]

A freshwater dip gives temporary relief to the fish. If he is showing signs of stress, then a fw dip could help. If no signs of stress, the the fw dip may cause more stress... especially if you are ready to treat anyhow.

Also, I got 2 new clown today and they are in the quarantine tank. Now do you think I can add my wrasse to their quarantine tank and medicate them all at once?

 

[Uncle99]

Only copper, hypo and TTM + fallow DT are the current treatments for ick. These methods are time tested.

 

[Idoc]

Ok, and so I have ich x. Now from what I’ve heard if you do copper it will stay on the rocks for a long time allowing no inverts. Does the same go for ich x?

I do not know...I've never used Ich-X. What what I have seen, it is not recommended to dose it into your display tank, but rather to treat the fish in a separate tank...same goes for copper! Yes, copper in your rocks can take a few months to a year to leach out completely...some have done it, though, when no alternative.

 

[Idoc]

Also, I got 2 new clown today and they are in the quarantine tank. Now do you think I can add my wrasse to their quarantine tank and medicate them all at once?

Yes, you can do that....just watch aggression depending on the size of the tank. Also, if it is a sand dwelling wrasse, you will need to add a container of sand into the tank as well for the wrasse to sleep in otherwise it will stress out greatly.

 

[Brxdxn]

Yes, you can do that....just watch aggression depending on the size of the tank. Also, if it is a sand dwelling wrasse, you will need to add a container of sand into the tank as well for the wrasse to sleep in otherwise it will stress out greatly.

Ok and just saying the wrasse does have ich. And so should I maybe try to let the wrasse kind of just let it take its course or should I just medicate it Just in case? Also do you think that a UV sterilizer will help this whole issue?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok, thank you! Now like I said to Idoc. Should I do a freshwater dip and move him to a different tank? I was planning on moving him before he got ich.

Agree with doc- if fish appears stable- FW dip is good making sure temperature same as tank and add a pinch of baking soda for ph assurance.
If fish is distressed, I’d skip it

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok and just saying the wrasse does have ich. And so should I maybe try to let the wrasse kind of just let it take its course or should I just medicate it Just in case? Also do you think that a UV sterilizer will help this whole issue?

Medicate you can if showing rapid breathing, itching/twitching or dots otherwise FW dip may offer relief
What are your parameters and what test kit are you using?
I’m at dinner but will check back