attack of the ick

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djpj001

Member
hello there I'm currently having an ick problem in my tank- I'm using a super concentrated garlic solution from kent to treat the tank. I've had I lot of mix reviews about ick treament solution like ick attack but some say there's no proof of these medical solutions working. Beside using a UV strylizer and performing a quatrine on specific fish that have ick. Is there anything else to fight ick in the tank. I heard using gobies is pretty good to clean the substrate from ick is that true. I would appreciate any input on this subject. For now I guess I'll keep feeding my fish with a mixture of garlic solution.

Thanks everybody

regards,
DJPJ
 
powdertang05

powdertang05

Member
QTing your fish is the only way to prevent garlic is more of a myth then anything else but a UV with help get rid of the ich in the water fee floating but as for the gobie ive never heard that the only thing that really eats it in my mind is a cleaning shrimp but that brings up a good idea!
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

Well-Known Member
I've been in the hobby in one way or another for 30 yrs, and there are no truly effective ich medications that are reef safe. The ones that do work (copper) aren't safe for use with your inverts, and almost NEVER leave the tank, so using them in the main tank is a horrible idea. Leaches into the sand and rocks, rendering them forever unfit for a reef. All new fish (with a very few exceptions) should be quarantined for 4-6 weeks in a separate tank, where IF they need to be treated, it can be done with effective medications that won't hurt your main tank...
I've used garlic over the years to help boost the immune system of fish. Not sure if it really works or not, but I've had good results with it. It /WILL NOT cure an ich infestation. Neither will a UV filter. Both are good tools, but neither is a cure-all...
 
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Mcurves

New Member
I am a newbie in the hobby and when I bought my first pair of clowns I did not quarantine them. ( I know now, very bad) I just acclimated them to my water parameters and thru them into the reef tank. Well, they had carried ich and within a few weeks had died, and contaminated my tank. (only fish in the tank) I waited the necessary 8 to 10 weeks before purchasing another set of clowns, this time being careful not to bring any of the water into my tank with them. They too had died after just a few weeks. (bought at a different location)

Finally, I went thru the process once again, bought another set of clowns, they too were covered in ich a week or so later (crazy tank) and I tried garlic. I went to the grocery store and purchased a small bottle of concentrated garlic as well as cloves. I saturated their food and fed them twice daily. Within a week I noticed a significant change. They obviously were much hungrier, and and the white spots slowly left the fish. None came back. I'm holding steady with no reinfestation after 6 months.

I truly think garlic has merit.
It worked for me!
 
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slb11106

Member
well, everyone has an opinion on this and as far as mine, preventive is the only 100% way to battle it, BUT i had ich in my tank and i was forced with making a decision.......pull out all 8 fish and quarentine and do multiple other drastic measures.....or.......try the product KICK ICH, and everyone said it is highly doubtful that it would do it, but guess what, IT WORKED perfectly and it has been 2 months now and all is well, actually perfect. so i would give it a try, if it does not work your out 20.00

good luck
 
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cheeks69

Wannabe Guru
RS STAFF
There is only three proven methods to eliminate Marine Ich:

1.Copper
2.Hyposalinity
3.Transfer method

They all require a Quarantine tank ! Just because you don't see the symptoms of Ich it doesn't mean it's not present. The only way to completely eliminate it from your tank is to remove all fish place them in a QT and treat them using one of the above methods and leave the main tank fallow for 4-6 weeks, the parasite cannot survive without a host.
 
PhilOlsen

PhilOlsen

Has been struck by the ban stick
The only 3 methods that work on ich are the ones Cheeks stated, a UV will NOT cure ich, it will only kill the waterbourne parasites that pass through, however the parasite that are on the fish or the ones that cling to rocks, substrate etc. will be completely unaffected. A cleaner shrimp will also be useless against the parasites.
As for the Kick Ich and similar products they are hit and miss but most are miss and only work at all if cought in the early stages, if there were a reef safe treatment available that really worked it would be BIG news and in all the mag's, internet sites etc. but there it is not.
Garlic is a benifit in the fact it help build the fishes imune system, but has no curing affec either.
One of the reason QT is so important is most LFS run copper in there systems making ICH and other issues non apparent when seen in the store, they usually do not use enough to cure any issue though, just enough to mask the problems, then they are bagged and brought home which puts the fish under stress which lowers their immune system and allows the parasites and diseases to get hold.
 
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Mcurves

New Member
Well, folks......I do not want to sound like a witch doctor, but garlic has now worked on three of my tanks. And, very quickly. I have a nano 20 (gal/high), a 55 gal, and a 225 gal. All reef tanks.

Maybe I am builiding on the fish ammune system? maybe it is something else. Who cares, it is working. But giving my fish their store bought fish flacked food for two weeks soaked in garlic concentrate (oil) bought from a grocey store. Works, period. Has worked many times for me. The whole aquarium system for some weird moment even seems to benefit. Everything wakes up and grows.

Aye? Scientists now know life in the sea does not need light to survive, they can live around thermal vents, etc......well....all of us reading these forums also need to be open to new ways to treat our captured life. Do not be "Old School"

Garlic will not hurt your reef tank! Do not be afraid to try!!

My two cents!
 
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cheeks69

Wannabe Guru
RS STAFF
I have used garlic extreme made by Kent I believe and continue to buy food that contains garlic and yes I've had some success with it in light infections but I can assure you that it will not eliminate the Ich from your tank. It appears to help the fish fight the infection if it hasn't advanced to the point of causing severe damage to the gills and secondary bacterial infections.
 
PhilOlsen

PhilOlsen

Has been struck by the ban stick
cheeks69 said:
I have used garlic extreme made by Kent I believe and continue to buy food that contains garlic and yes I've had some success with it in light infections but I can assure you that it will not eliminate the Ich from your tank. It appears to help the fish fight the infection if it hasn't advanced to the point of causing severe damage to the gills and secondary bacterial infections.
Click to expand...

Agreed, my understanding is garlic will help build strong imune systems in fish, if that is true it would explain how light infestations are fought off, not by the garlic (directly) but by the fishes own imune system which is boosted by garlic like us eating properly.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/sp/index.php

Taking these points in order, first garlic has never been conclusively proven to cure Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans), ever. Some hobbyists have used it and reported that their fish got better, but these are not controlled studies and none of these hobbyists know for certain if their fish's own natural immunity was the true reason for the cure, or if garlic had any impact whatsoever. Also, there are a number of hobbyists which have used garlic and suffered significant losses of fish as well.
 
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2003Slobra

Member
For everyone who does use the Garlic Meathod, how do you go about doing so? Do you soak the food in the liquid just before putting it into the tank, or do you cover the food and store the food and serve over time? How much of the garlic concentrate do you use?
 
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Mcurves

New Member
Well, my simple method is to place the food in a new container, then saturate the food with Garlic oil until it somewhat like a thick mush. Wait at least a day, then add in a bit more food to thicken, or get it so its flaked everything back out. Then feed the fish.

I cannot speak for others, but it does seem to work for me, I am no scientist. :)
 
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