Ruby Reef kick Ich (+ rally) vs Copper (+ formalin/metro) for QT tank??

Tomtank23 · Jun 30, 2021

Hi All,

Im trying to figure out what treatments I should use for my qt tank. Specifically, I want to know if there is an alternative to copper that works just as well because it seems that copper treatment is expensive in time and money (with lots of testing involved). If I'm using kick ich as a way to prevent ich from reinfecting the fish will that work to break the life cycle? I've seen post saying kick-ich is a prophylactic so it wont cure a fish with a bad case but would it still work in a qt setting?

also open to suggestions of other medications I should use.

And one other question - Ich stays in the Trophont (feeding) stage for 3 -14 days, and copper or kick ich kills ich in its Theront (free-swimming) stage, why do people qt for longer than 14 days? isn't that long enough to get the ich off the fish that you can transfer it to the DT (with at least one if not two dips/rinses to not transfer any ich in the water) I see a lot of people talking about 45+day treatments but if its off the fish and you put in precautions to not transfer it over in the water, isn't that enough?

Spare time · Jun 30, 2021

The cysts like phase of ich can last weeks (I think 2 weeks is an average but it definitely can go longer). 45 days of copper plus 2 weeks of prazi is Jay Hemdals recommended qt. Copper and other meds stop it when it tries to attach attach the fish after hatching.

If you are going to do a qt, copper is the most demonstrated method. I can't really speak for kick ich, but rally pro might help with things copper doesn't treat (like brooklynella).