Ich immunity - Page 4

Sandyp1 · 05-22-2008, 11:52 PM

OK.........Ive read the whole thread. I have a 70G tank with 100lbs of live rock, Euro skimmer , and a Current Outer Orbit Fixture w/2 150 W 14000K bulbs and 4 actinics. My tank is about 6 months old and was running hot once spring came allong, so I bought a chiller. It now is steady at 76 to 77 deg. I have 2 clowns, a goby, mystery wraisse, a Midas blenny and a lot of LPS. I recently found a Black Tang at a reputable dealer ( A member here ) and after 4 days in my tank, i came home to find little white dots on it. So, after reading the thread......should I raise the tank temp slowly to about 80 and feed my fish a garlic supplement and hope for the best ? You can see my tank in the photography forum under Sandyp1. I paid a lot of money for the Tang and dont want to lose him or have the other fish get infested. Any advise would help. P.S. ----------- I dont have a quarantine tank.

Chiefmcfuz · 05-23-2008, 12:06 AM

Leave the temp alone. Feed garlic extract with your food. This will help boost the immunity of the fish in the tank. There is never a way to be completely ich free but QTing the fish is a great way to keep it away. Always always always QT. If I were you now I would go do petland and get a small setup of a 20 long or a 40 breeder and set it up as a qt tank and do a large water change putting most of the qt water as the old tank water. then I would buy a salifert copper test kit and some good copper treatment, and treat the fish with copper. DO NOT COPPER YOUR DISPLAY TANK!!!!!

keep the fish in the QT/Hospital tank for about 6 weeks to guarantee that all the ich in your display has hatched, found no host and died. Then add the fish to your display slowly acclimating them to your display tank as you would if you had just bought them. DO NOT LET THE QT/HOSP WATER GET INTO THE DISPLAY TANK.

Good luck.

Sandyp1 · 05-23-2008, 12:49 AM

So you're saying remove ALL the fish ? Or just the infected one ? Its going to be a trip to catch them all. Have you seen my tank ? , its full of caves ! Is there any other way ?

Chiefmcfuz · 05-23-2008, 12:51 AM

Yes remove them all.

You could leave them in there no problem it's up to you. Hopefully it will go away on it's own. But do you want to play roulette with your tank?

Sandyp1 · 05-23-2008, 12:55 AM

I always lose money at Atlantic City ! I think I have more invested in my tank ! Thanks, I guess im going fishing !

pecan2phat · 05-23-2008, 11:27 AM

Did you know that the average reef temperature in the tropics is 82 degrees? IMO, 76-77 is on the cool side.
Ick is a parasite, so it won't go away on it's own. You'll see a lot of cases where light infestation and strong health and immune systems will keep the parasite at bay but the tell tale sign is once they are stressed, the parasite rears it's head.

Sandyp1 · 05-23-2008, 06:00 PM

So, obviously the Black Tang is new to my tank, so the stress caused the infestation. But do you guys think I should raise the temp in my tank from 76 to maybe 78 degrees ? I just added 2 cleaner shrimps today and bought some Garlic Extreme to use to marinate the krill and also to supplement the tank with a few drops.

NYreefNoob · 05-23-2008, 06:03 PM

you have any cleaner shrimp ? that will help as well, i myself and not that it cleared tank of ick but i use a vortex to plich water and when i had an ich problem it seemed to help not saying it was the reason, but a day later and after constant feeding with garlic all was better, messing with the tank or adding new fish ect can cause it to break back out

Paul B · 05-24-2008, 06:54 AM

Sandy this thread was not meant to imply that all or even most tanks are immune from ich. All tanks can be infected with ich especially new ones which will almost definately become infected if you don't quarantine. For some reason, in some tanks, the fish may become partially immune but not all tanks and certainly not in new tanks.
You should take out all the fish to treat and leave the tank with no fish for 6 weeks. You can try to leave the fish in there and hope they will get cured but I think you may lose all of your fish.
Sorry.
Paul

bigbbinthehouse · 05-29-2008, 09:48 AM

I checked my tank yesterday before leaving for work, all was fine. I come home, all was fine. I stepped out for about 3 hours and check tank and my coral beauty has white spots all over his head. It was 11:30 and I said, oh well, I am not breaking down tank to catch him. I have a 90g w/180lbs of rock, established 3 yrs ago. I get up this morning, check him, and no white spots at all. I have a pepermint shrimp that hides all day and only comes out at night, could he have cleaned him? I have had him for about a month now w/no problems. I also have a yellow tang, purple tang, b/w clown, blue devil, lawnmower blenny and a purple sudo all w/o any problems with ich. Am I lucky?

05-23-2008, 12:06 AM	#32
Chiefmcfuz Big Nosed Lazy Reef Dummy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Westchester, NY Posts: 11,139 Reefer Ratings: (21) Friends: (26)	Leave the temp alone. Feed garlic extract with your food. This will help boost the immunity of the fish in the tank. There is never a way to be completely ich free but QTing the fish is a great way to keep it away. Always always always QT. If I were you now I would go do petland and get a small setup of a 20 long or a 40 breeder and set it up as a qt tank and do a large water change putting most of the qt water as the old tank water. then I would buy a salifert copper test kit and some good copper treatment, and treat the fish with copper. DO NOT COPPER YOUR DISPLAY TANK!!!!! keep the fish in the QT/Hospital tank for about 6 weeks to guarantee that all the ich in your display has hatched, found no host and died. Then add the fish to your display slowly acclimating them to your display tank as you would if you had just bought them. DO NOT LET THE QT/HOSP WATER GET INTO THE DISPLAY TANK. Good luck. __________________ Brendan I remember when people used to be nice in the RG DOWN WITH THE RGLMJ! Support MR Members, Vendors, and Sponsors! My reef tank 24 gallon Aquapod

05-23-2008, 12:51 AM	#34
Chiefmcfuz Big Nosed Lazy Reef Dummy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Westchester, NY Posts: 11,139 Reefer Ratings: (21) Friends: (26)	Yes remove them all. You could leave them in there no problem it's up to you. Hopefully it will go away on it's own. But do you want to play roulette with your tank? __________________ Brendan I remember when people used to be nice in the RG DOWN WITH THE RGLMJ! Support MR Members, Vendors, and Sponsors! My reef tank 24 gallon Aquapod

05-23-2008, 06:03 PM	#38
NYreefNoob Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: peekskill,ny Posts: 4,312 Reefer Ratings: (39) Friends: (20)	you have any cleaner shrimp ? that will help as well, i myself and not that it cleared tank of ick but i use a vortex to plich water and when i had an ich problem it seemed to help not saying it was the reason, but a day later and after constant feeding with garlic all was better, messing with the tank or adding new fish ect can cause it to break back out __________________ my dad alway's told me the only stupid question's are the one's not asked

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05-23-2008, 12:49 AM	#33
Sandyp1 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 45 Reefer Ratings: (1) Friends: (1)	So you're saying remove ALL the fish ? Or just the infected one ? Its going to be a trip to catch them all. Have you seen my tank ? , its full of caves ! Is there any other way ?

05-23-2008, 12:55 AM	#35
Sandyp1 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 45 Reefer Ratings: (1) Friends: (1)	I always lose money at Atlantic City ! I think I have more invested in my tank ! Thanks, I guess im going fishing !

05-23-2008, 11:27 AM	#36
pecan2phat Professional Commuter Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wallingford, CT Posts: 1,964 Reefer Ratings: (25) Friends: (5)	Did you know that the average reef temperature in the tropics is 82 degrees? IMO, 76-77 is on the cool side. Ick is a parasite, so it won't go away on it's own. You'll see a lot of cases where light infestation and strong health and immune systems will keep the parasite at bay but the tell tale sign is once they are stressed, the parasite rears it's head.

05-23-2008, 06:00 PM	#37
Sandyp1 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 45 Reefer Ratings: (1) Friends: (1)	So, obviously the Black Tang is new to my tank, so the stress caused the infestation. But do you guys think I should raise the temp in my tank from 76 to maybe 78 degrees ? I just added 2 cleaner shrimps today and bought some Garlic Extreme to use to marinate the krill and also to supplement the tank with a few drops.

05-24-2008, 06:54 AM	#39
Paul B Three decade club Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Hyde Park Posts: 683 Reefer Ratings: (2) Friends: (1)	Sandy this thread was not meant to imply that all or even most tanks are immune from ich. All tanks can be infected with ich especially new ones which will almost definately become infected if you don't quarantine. For some reason, in some tanks, the fish may become partially immune but not all tanks and certainly not in new tanks. You should take out all the fish to treat and leave the tank with no fish for 6 weeks. You can try to leave the fish in there and hope they will get cured but I think you may lose all of your fish. Sorry. Paul

05-29-2008, 09:48 AM	#40
bigbbinthehouse Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: TRENTON, NJ Posts: 74 Reefer Ratings: (1) Friends: (0)	I checked my tank yesterday before leaving for work, all was fine. I come home, all was fine. I stepped out for about 3 hours and check tank and my coral beauty has white spots all over his head. It was 11:30 and I said, oh well, I am not breaking down tank to catch him. I have a 90g w/180lbs of rock, established 3 yrs ago. I get up this morning, check him, and no white spots at all. I have a pepermint shrimp that hides all day and only comes out at night, could he have cleaned him? I have had him for about a month now w/no problems. I also have a yellow tang, purple tang, b/w clown, blue devil, lawnmower blenny and a purple sudo all w/o any problems with ich. Am I lucky?