Metroplex&focus or dr. Gs anti parasite

[ngoodermuth]

I have a 40 watt uv sterilizer and I'll continue with dr. Gs. But do you think I should also feed once a day lrs reef frenzy blend soaked in garlic and selcon? So I'd be doing dr. Gs. 2 times a day and then lrs 1 times a day. And of course I'll be putting the nori strip in there for the tang soaked in garlic and selcon.

I don't have personal experience with Dr. Gs to really advise, but in general medicated food should be fed twice a day, a little at a time and as much as the fish will eat in a few minutes. I have no idea how long you will have to feed to be effective (if ever)

 

[aykwm]

I totally agree with @ngoodermuth , the only proven method for ich is copper or CP, other methods fight or might not cure ich but most probably it will just manage it. UV, at certain intensity and power per flow rate might be effective in killing the swiming stage of the parasite, but you cant guarantee it will kill all of them. Vitamins will help restore slime coat which will cause the white spots to disappear but ich will remain there and will show again onve the fish is stressed again.

Id avoid medications in food (except for internal infections) since you cant control the amount being fed, the dosage, etc.. too many variables to make it effective everytime.

 

[Humblefish]

Well medicated food has very slight chance of success in curing ich. According to to seachem, if you bind metro to food, the metro will be absorbed by the skin and reach the ich killing it, but the issue is that you need to ensure that all the fish in the tank is taking in the medicated food at enough concentration to kill the parasite.

Metro is considered both antibacterial and antiparasatic.

Im not sure how feeding cp will kill ich, probably same technique as metro.
I would run carbon in dt in case medicine leach out from food.
I doubt this will cure your tank from ich most probably you will manage it, but best of luck.

@Brew12 has done some research regarding metro and external parasites. He shared with me this link, which provides hope that metronidazole may have a wider range of effect than what's currently understood: http://aac.asm.org/content/43/7/1533.full

The only way CP laced food could possibly eradicate ich is through inhibition; meaning it would kill/damage parasites feeding on the fish. By ingesting some of the CP after it leached out through a fish's pores, the trophont could theoretically be damaged on a cellular level and this might prevent it from being able to continue on with its lifecycle. But that's way too many usages of possibly theoretically might for my comfort level.

 

[aykwm]

@Brew12 has done some research regarding metro and external parasites. He shared with me this link, which provides hope that metronidazole may have a wider range of effect than what's currently understood: http://aac.asm.org/content/43/7/1533.full

The only way CP laced food could possibly eradicate ich is through inhibition; meaning it would kill/damage parasites feeding on the fish. By ingesting some of the CP after it leached out through a fish's pores, the trophont could theoretically be damaged on a cellular level and this might prevent it from being able to continue on with its lifecycle. But that's way too many usages of possibly theoretically might for my comfort level.

Thanks for the article, will read it. I know that metro is used both as antibiotic and anti parasitic, but no one really explained the anti parasitic side of it.
and yes for CP in food in seems to work in theory, but in reality too many variables occur to make it efficient.

 

[Brandonsegula]

Can I feed both dr. Gs and metroplex at the same time?

 

[aykwm]

You can use CP + Metro, im not sure when added to food but my guess is that its ok since they dont interact with each other. I would check with Dr. G to be sure.

 

[fredjr]

Can I feed both dr. Gs and metroplex at the same time?

I wish you luck. I'm going though the same thing. The meds didn't help me much but my Tang, Foxface, fire fish and yellow goby made it ,but I can't add any other fish to the tank without them dying in a week. The polyplab Medic I used may have help save the few fish that I have left.

 

[Brandonsegula]

I wish you luck. I'm going though the same thing. The meds didn't help me much but my Tang, Foxface, fire fish and yellow goby made it ,but I can't add any other fish to the tank without them dying in a week. The polyplab Medic I used may have help save the few fish that I have left.

I went fallow for 9-11 weeks. Copper treated all fish and still got ich again. Treating with metroplex bonded with focus right now. Only fish affected is my tang. One day the ich improves and the next it gets worse and so on. Hopefully I'll tackle this. No way in hell am I taking apart my reef to once again go fallow.

 

[fredjr]

I'm not going to do the copper treatment. None of the fish that survived shows any signs of ick. I have a bear bottom sick tank so I'm hoping the ick will run its cycle and die off.

 

[Maritimer]

Fish that survive a round of ich often develop a resistance of sorts. The parasite has a hard time gaining the upper hand, but can still attach in smaller numbers, usually in the fishes' gills. New fish may still be vulnerable, and stressors that effect the tank may allow the parasite an opening.

~Bruce

 

[fredjr]

Fish that survive a round of ich often develop a resistance of sorts. The parasite has a hard time gaining the upper hand, but can still attach in smaller numbers, usually in the fishes' gills. New fish may still be vulnerable, and stressors that effect the tank may allow the parasite an opening.

~Bruce

This is what I was thinking also. I'm having a hard time keeping new fish in my system. Do you thing going fishless in my DT is the only way to fix this problem?

 

[aykwm]

The other option will be tearing the tank apart disinfecting it and restart it, i dont think you want to take that route. The problem is that as long as any fish is kept in the tank, the parasite will survive, the fish that survived the parasite initially have developed immunity, but the new ones did not. If its ich you can manage it and there are many topics on that, like running uv, using vitamins, etc.. but I dont believe its a solution as any stress will cause an outbreak.

 

[Maritimer]

Going fishless in your DT (the longest known "incubation" for ich is 72 days, so we generally recommend a 76 day "fallow" period) _and_ treating your existing fish with copper or CP in a QT environment is the closest thing we have to a guarantee, though not entirely perfect.

In the future, the best way to ensure that the DT remains ich-free would be to quarantine everything wet that goes into it - fish, corals, snails ... less risk with echinoderms and anemones.

~Bruce

 

[fredjr]

The other option will be tearing the tank apart disinfecting it and restart it, i dont think you want to take that route. The problem is that as long as any fish is kept in the tank, the parasite will survive, the fish that survived the parasite initially have developed immunity, but the new ones did not. If its ich you can manage it and there are many topics on that, like running uv, using vitamins, etc.. but I dont believe its a solution as any stress will cause an outbreak.

No way I can tear my tank apart and disinfect. My corals wouldn't make it.

 

[fredjr]

Going fishless in your DT (the longest known "incubation" for ich is 72 days, so we generally recommend a 76 day "fallow" period) _and_ treating your existing fish with copper or CP in a QT environment is the closest thing we have to a guarantee, though not entirely perfect.

In the future, the best way to ensure that the DT remains ich-free would be to quarantine everything wet that goes into it - fish, corals, snails ... less risk with echinoderms and anemones.

~Bruce

76 days? Looks like I'm going to need a bigger QT. I only have a 10 gal

 

[Brandonsegula]

Well when I thought all was going well this evening I just found my uv sterilizer dead because of the ballast now it will take a week until I get a new one [emoji17] how much of an affect will this have with ich I've been feeding the medicine but I felt comfortable knowing I had the UV now I'm freaking out. I've had nothing but problems with this ultra v 40 watt uv sterilizer

 

[Brandonsegula]

This is what I was thinking also. I'm having a hard time keeping new fish in my system. Do you thing going fishless in my DT is the only way to fix this problem?

Unfortunately it would be your best bet. I mean I completely tore apart my reef to do this. Did it for 9-11 weeks and still got the parasite again so yes it should work but unfortunately for me nothing works. I have seen tanks where people have just managed the parasite and been successful.

 

[Maritimer]

I've never used one, but given to understand that UVs may help to manage ich, but because they're only a single unit (and most are not oversized for the system they're on) are unlikely to eradicate the disease.

Hopefully, your fish are beginning to build a resistance to the parasite . . .

~Bruce

 

[Brandonsegula]

I've never used one, but given to understand that UVs may help to manage ich, but because they're only a single unit (and most are not oversized for the system they're on) are unlikely to eradicate the disease.

Hopefully, your fish are beginning to build a resistance to the parasite . . .

~Bruce

It's a 40 watt uv sterilizer on a 75 gallon. Idk but i think it's oversized for a 75

 

[Maritimer]

Yep ... from what I know of them, yours would be considered oversized. How much, probably depends on who you're talking to, or what chart you're reading.

~Bruce