I have a fluval evo 13.5 tank right now. I have a bunch of different corals. I have 2 clowns, 2 firefish, and a cleaner shrimp. 1 of my clowns seems to have ick. What’s the best way to get rid of it without having a quarantine tank. My tank is running at 78 degrees at the moment
Ick
- Thread starter mraysberg
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You have to take the sick fish out and use the transfer method:
Remember that tank should just have an air stone no sand; etc..
You can also try lowering salinity but has to be done slowly and don't have experience in that. I do with the transfer method.
Using the transfer method
The transfer method is perhaps one of the oldest and still remains one of the best ways to treat marine ich.
The basic premise with the transfer method is that you move the infected fish to a clean, disinfected tank every few days. After the move, you clean and dry the old tank, removing any cysts and after a few more days, move the fish back to the first tank. When you do this, the parasites that fall off the fish never get a chance to reproduce and reattach to the fish, so after a few cycles of this, once all the parasites fall off and get removed, the fish have been cured.
In 1987, Colorni wrote about this. If you want to use his method of saltwater ich treatment, simply transfer your fish to a clean tank on days 1, 4, 7 and 10, cleaning and drying the alternate tank for at least 24 hours in between uses.
The reason I consider this to still be one of the oldest and best methods for saltwater ich treatment is that even if your fish are infected with a persistent strain of the parasite, like the parasites in the studies that survived as a cyst for 72 days and 5 months, respectively, the saltwater ich will all be removed and either cleaned out or killed during the 24 hour dry period. This mitigates the advantages that even the most persistent strains would have.
Remember that tank should just have an air stone no sand; etc..
You can also try lowering salinity but has to be done slowly and don't have experience in that. I do with the transfer method.
Using the transfer method
The transfer method is perhaps one of the oldest and still remains one of the best ways to treat marine ich.
The basic premise with the transfer method is that you move the infected fish to a clean, disinfected tank every few days. After the move, you clean and dry the old tank, removing any cysts and after a few more days, move the fish back to the first tank. When you do this, the parasites that fall off the fish never get a chance to reproduce and reattach to the fish, so after a few cycles of this, once all the parasites fall off and get removed, the fish have been cured.
In 1987, Colorni wrote about this. If you want to use his method of saltwater ich treatment, simply transfer your fish to a clean tank on days 1, 4, 7 and 10, cleaning and drying the alternate tank for at least 24 hours in between uses.
The reason I consider this to still be one of the oldest and best methods for saltwater ich treatment is that even if your fish are infected with a persistent strain of the parasite, like the parasites in the studies that survived as a cyst for 72 days and 5 months, respectively, the saltwater ich will all be removed and either cleaned out or killed during the 24 hour dry period. This mitigates the advantages that even the most persistent strains would have.
Yea you basically have to do it the transfer way or you will lose probably all the fish. Ick will fall off and go into sand and rehost to another fish. Always should QT any new fish... You cant get a small tank?
I would get a small tank/heater with airstone or something than can move water. Filter not important here..
Or you can even use a bucket/heater with some sort of air movement
Excellent article here
read this one here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/
Or you can even use a bucket/heater with some sort of air movement
Excellent article here
read this one here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/
Do you have rubbermade/plastic containers? I use them for TTM. People usually have them around with stuff stored in them. I don't even use the food grade ones, they seem fine for the short time just fish will be in there. Five gallon buckets work too.
You need 2 heaters and an airfilter with extra airline and airstones. I just swap to a new stone/airline every time I transfer the fish to a new tank. I let heaters dry out completely in between.
Tank needs to run fallow after, 76 days I believe. This is the hardest part as you need to do frequent water changes in the QT tank to keep ammonia down. I ended up putting a sponge filter on an emergency tank and dosing bio-spira to get it to cycle in 2 weeks since the fish will be in there a long time.
Clownfish are usually better guarded from Ick they have a strong slime coat. I would lean towards brook aka clownfish disease or velvet. How are the other fish in the tank looking? Does your clown have a slimy looking appearance to him?
