attack of the ick

djpj001 · 05-30-2006, 10:14 PM

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 · 05-31-2006, 12:36 AM

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 · 05-31-2006, 05:22 AM

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...

Mcurves · 06-04-2006, 12:59 AM

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!

slb11106 · 06-05-2006, 01:48 PM

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

l3atman3 · 02-03-2007, 11:07 PM

does this kick ich work in reef tanks of just folr

cheeks69 · 02-03-2007, 11:54 PM

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 · 02-04-2007, 12:33 AM

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.

Mcurves · 02-04-2007, 02:06 AM

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!

cheeks69 · 02-04-2007, 08:56 AM

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.

lcstorc · 02-04-2007, 10:04 AM

Here is a good article about garlic and what it does and doesn't do.
http://www.reefs.org/library/article...tes-jorge.html

PhilOlsen · 02-04-2007, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheeks69

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.

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.

cheeks69 · 02-04-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcstorc

Here is a good article about garlic and what it does and doesn't do.
http://www.reefs.org/library/article...tes-jorge.html

Excellent article Lynn !

2003Slobra · 02-07-2007, 12:36 PM

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?

Mcurves · 02-08-2007, 01:09 AM

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. :-)

05-30-2006, 10:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
djpj001 Tubeworm Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 36 View Gallery Karma Komment	attack of the ick 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

05-31-2006, 12:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
powdertang05 Midas Blenny Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 97 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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! __________________ Dang Lazy Cleaner Shrimp

05-31-2006, 05:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
BoomerD Reef Shark Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 5,637 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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... __________________ Intelligence is not knowing all the answers, but knowing where and how to find them! www.google.com

06-04-2006, 12:59 AM	#4 (permalink)
Mcurves Tunicate Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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!

06-05-2006, 01:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
slb11106 Midas Blenny Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: tampa, florida Posts: 108 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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 __________________ 90 gal glass Tank Euroreef rs5-2 Skimmer Little Giant 4-MDQ current 4-65 260w light 50 lbs Live Sand (DSB) 50 lbs aragonite 125 lbs Live Rock 25gal sump plus 25 gal refrugium w/3" LS/mud 1 tank bred clown,2 bar gobies,1 royal gramma,1 purple tang,1 four stripe damselfish, 1 pigmy angel,1 blue tang,2 emerald crabs,2 peppermint shrimp,2 cleaner shrimp,turbo snails,sm hermit crabs, 1 snowflake eel

02-03-2007, 11:07 PM	#6 (permalink)
l3atman3 Tunicate Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 17 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick does this kick ich work in reef tanks of just folr

02-03-2007, 11:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
cheeks69 Wannabe Guru Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northeast Posts: 6,663 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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. __________________ Robert My Cube “A spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.” Albert Einstein

02-04-2007, 12:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
PhilOlsen Has been struck by the ban stick Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Glendale Hts. Illinois (Chicago transplant to humor my wife) Posts: 646 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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.

02-04-2007, 02:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
Mcurves Tunicate Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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!

02-04-2007, 08:56 AM	#10 (permalink)
cheeks69 Wannabe Guru Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northeast Posts: 6,663 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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. __________________ Robert My Cube “A spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.” Albert Einstein

02-04-2007, 10:04 AM	#11 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 19,905 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: attack of the ick Here is a good article about garlic and what it does and doesn't do. http://www.reefs.org/library/article...tes-jorge.html __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. In Loving Memory Of Z 01/22/07 - 08/19/08

02-07-2007, 12:36 PM	#14 (permalink)
2003Slobra Bryozoan Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 43 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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?

02-08-2007, 01:09 AM	#15 (permalink)
Mcurves Tunicate Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: attack of the ick 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. :-)

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)