Why there is not really a cure for ich?

[Mark Gray]

If >80 killed corals then explain this (gets up to 83 to 84 sometimes and i only let it go below 78.5 in July and Aug...when i let it go to 77.5 to give a power outage buffer).

I do mount cooling fans to blow across the top of the water on a controller with temp set to activate at 84 from late June to early Sept though.

Look closely at my peak temps...and this is only 85 outside right now....it will get up to 105 and the house will get warmer when summer arrives.

Mine it always that hot also

 

[Diesel]

It's funny how we go from "why there ain't a simple cure to look what my tank can do"

Still not why we don't or we don't want to cure with a simple medicine the #2 killer in the fish hobby!
Just dropping this down here,
In 2016, $66.75 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S.. Breakdown: Food $28.23 billion. Supplies/OTC Medicine $14.71 billion. Vet Care $15.95 billion. Live animal purchases $2.1 billion. Pet Services: grooming & boarding $5.76 billion.
Just saying

 

[Gareth elliott]

Theres not much in the way of environmentally friendly herbicides either. If you look at where that research is going, can take the UK as an example with Japanese Knotweed. Its biological control, the release of insects that only eat Polygonaceae where there are no native plants in the UK.

Other options have less public support, there is actually research being done as we speak to genetically engineer corals with higher immunity and less susceptibility to changing parameters. This of course so corals can weather global warming for future generations.

 

[Mindi]

before I started using a QT (I was a slow learner) I used to get ich repeatedly. I found that removing all vertebrates from the tank for 6 weeks fallow period completely eradicated it although I understand from the research that I was working with slightly less than 100% certainty at 6 weeks.... you need 8 weeks vertebrate free to be 100% effective. It is much much easier to run a QT as required and give the fish a couple of weeks of 6mg/l copper as cupramine. Never had a spot since. and have never had to fallow my tank again.

 

[NefTunzReef]

Why after all this years of research and development there is not a single cure against ich or velvet? Why isn't there a medication that can be taking by the fish?

Could it be that if there is a final cure to it the fish trading market could take a huge hit from sales?

Also the ammount of snake oils ripping everyone and not getting any false advertising accusations gets me to think that enterprises benefits more from the harm than the cure.

I want to know why is your opinion on this.

It's interesting how somehow this thread has morphed into the OP's simple question of "why is there not a single cure against ich or velvet" (reef safe, presumably) to "how do you treat ich"? Lol...

Let's stick to his original question lest this becomes a thread with over 3k posts on "how to treat ich".

Having said that, I agree with several points already made about how difficult, elusive, and expensive it is to develop a curative drug for any ailment or disease. Just look to human diseases for example .. Still no cure for cancer, diabetes, etc, etc...

 

[Piranhapat]

We can't even prevent a cold. Flu shots don't work. Cancer ect, Ick not that hard...

 

[Newb73]

We can't even prevent a cold. Flu shots don't work. Cancer ect, Ick not that hard...

Correction: Flu shots don't keep you from getting a common cold, won't be 100% against strains they are not designed for, won't provide full immunity for their intended target unti about 2-3 weeks and can't work in people with abnormal immune systems.

They do however, work as designed for their target strains given getting it early in the season, not getting exposed to the flu before acquired immunity sets in with people who have healthy immune systems.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Parasites are monsters. There is an solution to make it NEVER happen, but it isn't very cheap. Run a bypass filter line through your mainline and direct to a really big UV and run the water through slowly. The UV will break down the cells of literally anything that passes through and a small parasite like ICH (in its larval stage) will be totally eradicated.

 

[Newb73]

Parasites are monsters. There is an solution to make it NEVER happen, but it isn't very cheap. Run a bypass filter line through your mainline and direct to a really big UV and run the water through slowly. The UV will break down the cells of literally anything that passes through and a small parasite like ICH (in its larval stage) will be totally eradicated.

That's pretty much what i do. But i wouldn't say it's a guarantee, just another tool.

 

[Fishboi]

Why after all this years of research and development there is not a single cure against ich or velvet? Why isn't there a medication that can be taking by the fish?

Could it be that if there is a final cure to it the fish trading market could take a huge hit from sales?

Also the ammount of snake oils ripping everyone and not getting any false advertising accusations gets me to think that enterprises benefits more from the harm than the cure.

I want to know why is your opinion on this.

There really is a cure that kills it dead and is safe for your coral I'm not sure of the name of it anymore but it's on the internet (the name) but it's a dewormer powder or something used for cows that I purchased from tractor supply after reading about it on the net about 4yrs ago and it really worked killed the Ich on my fish and in the sand I believe after a week I did a water change and that was it... I have no clue why more people don't know about it or some one didn't package it by now for fish but it worked

 

[Shigshwa]

Going on the theoretical side of things, what if somebody developed phage therapy for ich? That is one way that I could think of to treat ich without harming a reef tank.

 

[juanmanuelsanchez]

There really is a cure that kills it dead and is safe for your coral I'm not sure of the name of it anymore but it's on the internet (the name) but it's a dewormer powder or something used for cows that I purchased from tractor supply after reading about it on the net about 4yrs ago and it really worked killed the Ich on my fish and in the sand I believe after a week I did a water change and that was it... I have no clue why more people don't know about it or some one didn't package it by now for fish but it worked

I did it, use it and killed almost everything inside the aquarium. Only 2 fish survived and almost all corals died

 

[Forsaken77]

I lost fish to ich 20+ years ago. Could of been velvet. In fact I had plenty of setbacks when I started keeping saltwater fish in the 90s

I wasn't saying it didn't happen at all, just that it was much less of a problem then it is now.

 

[KWSanders]

I can't believe that at this point there is no medicine that can be digested or treated in the tank targeted to ich without killing everything else.[/QUOTE]

Same reason that there's no cure for cancer. If there were medical facilities and Big Pharma would lose millions. Same way Vaccines don't always work -- they need to keep customers coming back to keep making money.

Oh wait! Those are silly-*** conspiracy theories with absiolutely no logic behind them or basis in fact. Thanks for adding a new one

Agree , I am an MD who treats cancer whose immediate family members have been affected by cancer . for 30 years I've said I'd gladly sell used cars for a living if cancer disappeared . as far as Big Pharma making millions , I'm OK with that because in the late 80's something that killed you in a year or two , now have expensive treatment and those same patients are able to die of old age . Thank God for those expensive treatments . As far as why no reef safe , It's because fish and invertebrates have fairly different mechanisms of action example hemoglobin to carry oxygen in fish ( low toxicity to copper ) and hemocyanin in invertebrates including ich ( high toxicity ). next time you go to the hospital you may see a product from a company http://www.eos-surfaces.com/2011/09...opper-oxide-infused-solid-surface-countertop/ that kills hospital germs with copper .

 

[Damion]

There is currently no Fromtline , or Advantage for ick like there is for dogs and cats fleas.
Why? dunno.

Fwiw, I don’t belive you can cure a pest, you have to remove and prevent them.

The fish collars are difficult to put on...

 

[juanmanuelsanchez]

Well I suppose the next question would be. Are you aware of new treatments being developed for ich? If so what are they?

 

[Neptune1707]

I would like to add a second part to the discussion....imagine if there were a reliable test kit to tell you if ich was in your tank or a badge of water from a LFS? It would be multi million dollar product. Plus imagine the peace of mind!!! I’m just finishing a 11 week fallow period and though my fish are doing well after hyposalinity treatment I’m still nervous putting them back in the DT. If only I had a test to be sure....that would be awesome! Maybe someday!

 

[EmdeReef]

Well I suppose the next question would be. Are you aware of new treatments being developed for ich? If so what are they?

There were several attempts at developing vaccines that I know of, I haven’t been closely following Re. how many are underway at present. Some research into acquired immunity as well, caprylic acid, there was a particularly promising discovery of a protein found in rabbitfish which kills ich. If you do a search you’ll find a lot of research ino treatment including some very expensive human drugs which proved somewhat effective.

 

[cmcoker]

I would like to add a second part to the discussion....imagine if there were a reliable test kit to tell you if ich was in your tank or a badge of water from a LFS? It would be multi million dollar product. Plus imagine the peace of mind!!! I’m just finishing a 11 week fallow period and though my fish are doing well after hyposalinity treatment I’m still nervous putting them back in the DT. If only I had a test to be sure....that would be awesome! Maybe someday!

You can test using a black Molly, use a freshwater Molly that has not been in saltwater, and convert it to saltwater and add to suspect tank. It will have no immunity to ich and will show if there is anything still brewing. It can be removed and converted back to freshwater to cure it, if any disease does show on it. You'd then need another Molly to repeat the test..

 

[stevieduk]

I always use Microlifts Herbtana. always works for me, and its reefsafe. cured many a fish with that.