Garlic - Adverse affects on xenia and anemones?!?

[davelin315]

I recently added some new hepatus/regal/pacific blue tangs and naturally they had an outbreak of ich despite the freshwater dip (I fully expected the outbreak on them as they were being added to a busy tank) and after the infection came out, I decided to try the garlic treatment today. I took some food and added some garlic through a garlic press to it and then added some RO water. I let it soak for a while, and then I added it to the tank. It took a minute for the fish to start eating, and eventually, they did (the tangs took the longest, and they're the only ones with visible ich). However, several hours later, all of my xenia elongata retracted, not completely, but most of the way. It has started to come out again, and it just looks like it has been bothered by something brushing up against it. Has anyone else had a reaction to garlic like this in their tanks? I'm wondering if the garlic has any ill affects on xenia (my pom pom also shrunk down, but it has not been as prolific of late as it used to be, probably one of those regular crashes I've been hearing about when the polyps get too dense). Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[ October 13, 2001: Message edited by: davelin315 ]

 

[cat23]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

I recently added some new hepatus/regal/pacific blue tangs and naturally they had an outbreak of ich

I don't understand how you say they Naturally got ich?
How many tangs?
How big and how old is your tank?

 

[Hammer]

Yup, same thing when I put hippo in my tank.
So I started the garlic treatment as well.
I had a LOT of things in my tank close up on the first couple treatments. Tongue coral, toadstool leather, xenia, torch. But after about a week, nothing even noticed that I was feeding the garlic anymore.
Not only that, but the fish VERY quickly learned that the smell of garlic meant food. And they started going into feeding frenzy type behavior for the second week or so. Now they just except it as natural.

 

[Ocyurus]

I am not trying to tell you off but in my case I would not put fish into a tank that I expected to get an outbreak of Ich (beleive me I have had a lot of ich

) As for the garlic I do not see why the xenia would react this way to it.

 

[Ben1]

I think he was trying to use it as an expression not a statement.

As for the xenia it is possible one of them picked it on their way by. I know with xenia elenogata when one piece retracts it can trigger the rest to close. I dont see this with my Pom pom though. HTH

 

[BBReefkeeper]

Never had any problems/reactions with any softies, LPS, stonies, gorgonian, etc.
Try adding the garlic oil to the food w/o water. Let that soak for awhile, then add water just before feeding. This allows more oil to be absorbed and less oil to be released with the water.
Good Luck
Bryan

 

[Hammer]

I actually just make a slurry of food items like brine/mysid shrimp, macro algae, krill, and use no water at all, I put in minced garlic, and garlic oil in small amounts, then also add DTs and Coral Heaven, then some Zoe. I then just let this sit in the fridge, and feed twice a day. Works great in ALL aspects, and is easy for me. Lets me spend more time messing with other things and feeding the other tanks.

 

[davelin315]

When I say naturally they got ich I was referring to their susceptibility to ich and how prone they are to picking it up and the fact that I have ich in my tank that will never ever go away as I will never ever take all my fish out for 30-40 days. I have a bunch of tangs (I'll get flamed for this, but I don't care, my fish are happy and healthy) - 2 yellows and 4 pacific blues amongst the other fish in the system. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter what you put them into, the stress of being moved from the fish store to my tank is enough for pacific blues to have an outbreak of ich, and I know for a fact that it's in all of my LFSs tanks, as I've seen it on fish there. As far as the xenia elongata all retracting due to one stalk retracting, I have probably upwards of 30 different stalks, and as fish swim around, I often see clumps of them retracting, but never have I seen every single stalk retract at the same time. It happened again today when I added garlic, but they're opening up again.

 

[naesco]

I don't dilute the garlic extract with water as I think it is better in the most concentrated form soaked in dry flake food or nori.
I have not noticed any effects on the coral.
No flame.
Good Luck

 

[davelin315]

Noticed today that my Long Tentacle Anemone detached itself after a garlic dosing (the xenia once again vanished but are back now). I noticed it's plight when in got knocked over by my clown going into it this evening. I think it's reattaching itself, but I am not sure if I want to risk any more garlic in my tank with what I've seen. Can anyone else relate to this experience? I am using fresh garlic and am adding it to the food by putting it through a garlic press, and then feeding the whole concoction to my tank after it has soaked in a bit of RO water for an hour or so.

 

[naesco]

Are you putting the small solid pieces as well as the garlic soaked food in the water? If so it is possible that a clownfish or something took the food back to the coral. It may even have taken a garlic soaked morsel to the coral and that is what is causing the irritation.
I have never had a problem with the purchased garlic extract that I have used.

 

[davelin315]

As some people have recommended, I am adding the crushed garlic to the tank. I notice that the fish will take a nibble and then leave it alone. For the most part, it also floats, and eventually goes down the overflow. The xenia and the LTA are all recovered, but I'm not sure if I want to chance it and add more again.