Reef safe ich treatments

[vetteguy53081]

Although treatment with quarantine is the industry method with none being safe with presence of coral and inverts, call it luck , but I have been successful with use of Kordon Ich Attack. Worked well for me in 2 days.

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[lavoisier]

Welcome to R2R. As all have stated above, no quick fixes but there are always solutions with patience.

 

[eric.tech]

Welcome! I'd agree with the previous statements. I had a bout of ich a while back and tried some polyp lab medic and it made some of my corals very unhappy. Keep the fish eating and well fed. +1 for Selcon and Garlic, it helped clear up the ich on my blue hippo tang. Granted, this is a management approach as it is most likely still lurking in the tank.

 

[tastyfish]

Welcome to R2R.

Unfortunately there are no reef safe cures for Marine Whitespot (Cryptocaryon irritans).

There are some approaches that *May* help the fish deal with a light infection, although the parasite will always be in the tank and could spring back wiping out stock (and even then it's very dubious).

The way to cure ciliate parasites (Marine whitespot, velvet, brook etc) is by treating in a hospital tank with either copper or chloroquine (the latter is far more effective IME across all of the ciliate parasite species) and leave the display tank fallow (without fish) for 74 days.

This ensures that the fish are not carrying the parasite and no parasites survive in the display, at any lifecycle stage, to reinfect the stock.

There's often talk of marinading your fish in all sorts of herbs and spices and other such mumbo-jumbo, but none of it actually works and is based on pseudo-science.

Other treatments are either based on Chloroquine ingestion (Ickguard) which is difficult to administer in an effective/measured way and will kill any inverts which eat the food or Hydrogen Peroxide (either neat or in the form of Polylab Medic). Having tried huge and prolonged doses, I can personally attest to it's ineffectiveness as a cure.

The best thing you can do right now is to have a read of posts by @Humblefish, @melypr1985 et al on the Fish Diseases subforum and set up a hospital tank: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-disease-treatment-and-diagnosis.771/

Hope this helps

 

[saltyhog]

Lot's of good advice above. You are at a cross roads where you will have to decide on ich treatment or ich management.

Management consists of feeding well, with nutritious foods, keeping water parameters pristine and controlling stress. Lot's of people do this successfully. The pro's to this approach is that it is less work. The con's are every time you add a new fish it may come down with ich and could succumb. It could also flare up in existing fish, especially if there is fighting or another source of stress.

Treatment means pulling the fish to a QT and treating with either copper (recommend Copper Power/Hanna checker), chloroquine phosphate or tank transfer method. No matter what you read these are the only methods that are proven effective. You will need to leave your display tank fishless for 76 days. This means all fish need to be treated, not just the one with signs/symptoms.

Good luck! Visit the fish disease forum and read the recommendations from Humblefish!

 

[ReefGrammie]

I can only speak for what helped me during an outbreak several years ago. I started a UV sterilizer, ran it 24/7, and also dosed garlic. I didn't lose any fish and the spots all went away. This happened about 5 years ago, and I still have some of the fish that were affected by that outbreak. Welcome, and best of luck!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Good advice so far. There are no reef safe ich treatments that actually kill the parasite.

 

[KJ]

Welcome to R2R !!!

 

[marty92130]

Hi all, I'm new to r2r and was wondering if anyone had a good reef safe ich treatment they could recommend. Thanks in advance.

My LFS just starting selling a product for cryptocaryon called Minn Finn
I believe it takes 3 -5 treatments
I works on velvet too and certain coral pests
I haven’t used it but it is something you use in your DT
Otherwise it’s 78 days with no fishies

 

[Rolrod39]

Try this. I have used it and had no issues what so ever. This is from experience using the product. It worked for me.

 

[Reefnman2]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[Cheche]

They all right .. nothing the you use on your reef tank will do anything.. the best way is to QT your fish with copper for 60 days at the right level of copper to much will kill the fish and not enough won’t do anything to the ick .. and to kill any egg the ick drop in your main tank you need to leave the tank empty for 72 days .. ick only eat fish . So no fish ick have no food they will starve to dead ..

 

[stephen wyard]

Hi all, I'm new to r2r and was wondering if anyone had a good reef safe ich treatment they could recommend. Thanks in advance.

I am a canadian and with the help of a doctor of herbal meds I have used garlic an ginger combo and I have rid of all pest parisites.It has ether strengthen imune system in the fish or has killed it either way it works for me just add to food and you should see it slowly disappear. Happy reefing

 

[TheRealDmorty217]

There is at least one product I know of for sure that has chloroquine phosphate in the food which can cure ich IF all the fish eat the food and it would need to be for at least 21 days, 30 is better. The problem is CP is bitter and most fish don’t like food that has it. I can’t remember the curator or what aquarium it was but they used CP in food for a ich outbreak in a clam tank with success.

 

[SPR1968]

Polyplab medic is reef safe

Medic

Medic is a highly effective water conditioner used to control external fish parasites present in both marine and freshwater environments.

www.polyplab.com

And Welcome to R2R as well!

 

[jasonrusso]

There is at least one product I know of for sure that has chloroquine phosphate in the food which can cure ich IF all the fish eat the food and it would need to be for at least 21 days, 30 is better. The problem is CP is bitter and most fish don’t like food that has it. I can’t remember the curator or what aquarium it was but they used CP in food for a ich outbreak in a clam tank with success.

Dr. G's anti-parasite caviar is the one I know. Like you said, the fish don't like it. They get excited when they see eggs, then spit it out.

 

[Terri Caton]

It depends on what your end goal is. If you are ok with Ich being in your tank you can:
1. Feed fresh/frozen food with vitamins. Add garlic if they aren't eating well.
2. Target feed your fish with Metro/Focus

If you want it completely out of your tank you will have to take out the fish and treat them in a separate tank then let your tank be fallow (fishless) for...some say 76 days but most likely 6 weeks is fine.

Welcome!

 

[LiveWire]

Welcome to the REEF!!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Try this. I have used it and had no issues what so ever. This is from experience using the product. It worked for me.

I'm curious. Does anyone know what's in this stuff? Since FW and Marine Ich are 2 totally different parasites, I'm guessing it's something that boosts fish immunity or resistance?