Ick or..............

[subie_driver]

I added a fire fish a couple weeks ago and it died with in 18 hours. The other night I noticed 2 of my other fish acting strange and noticed little white dots. I thought to my self great here we go again with the ick. So I went to a LFS and talked to the guy there and decided to buy Kick-ick and keep the fish fed adding garlic and a multi vitamin. I get home last night and I was going to do the first step of the Kick-ick treatment and I noticed none of the fish had the white dots on them and were acting fine. All the fish are eating great for the most part. I don't know if I was seeing things or am over cautious because I lost all my fish before due to velvet. HAs anyone seen anything like this before or am I losing my mind. I had my fiancé check and she said didn't see the spots in the first place.

 

[PSU4ME]

Ick has a cycle......the "spots" dropping off is part of that cycle.......you likely have ick and Kick-ick will not help you. Either treat them (external to your talk with Copper or hypo) or try to feed them good and hope that they can outlast it.

 

[subie_driver]

How will Kick-ich not help. Isn't is supposed to kill the free swimming stage of the disease?

 

[PSU4ME]

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/fish-with-white-spots-that-went-away.57175/

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/curing-fish-of-marine-ich.52236/

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/marine-ich-myths-and-facts.23132/

Treatment:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/copper-treatment-use-problems.23130/

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-hyposalinity-treatment-process.23131/

 

[PSU4ME]

Read those......there are only two treatments that work, Kick ick isn't one of them

 

[subie_driver]

Is there an option that doesn't require setting up of a second tank?

 

[PSU4ME]

Depending on what's in your current tank, you could do hypo there but most times it does require treating the fish externally and letting the main display go fallow.

 

[subie_driver]

I have some inverts and corals. I'm just not sure I can have a second tank set up for 8-10 weeks.

 

[dilligaf29]

qt tank is required to treat ich u need to leave ur tank fishless for atleast 90 days and qt and treat those fish in the qt tank kick ich will not work

 

[Jim Tansey]

I don't know if I buy this 90 day fishless thing, I had a Hippo Tang quite a while back that would break out with ich on a regular basis. If I went fishless every time that happened I never would have had a fish in my tank, he was the only one that ever got it.

Jim

 

[PSU4ME]

I agree that its not always perfect but it's likely because ick was introduced back into the system OR ick is evolving! Ick needs a host to reproduce and with no host you break the cycle and then the existing ick dies off. Introduce fish before it all dies off and bam, a host and more ick. The tough part is knowing when the ick is dead. 90 days doesn't ensure its all dead but i guess its a good guideline.

Dealing with ich is tough.....I did the "proper" treatment with a PBT twice......he kept getting ich and i couldn't figure it out. Thank goodness Hurricance Sandy killed him (kidding but it was from ich again).

 

[dz6t]

Kick ich is a old timer snake oil but they are highly profitable because people keep buying it and it does not work at all, then people buy more. Very sad.

 

[William]

Even with hyposalinity, tank transfer,copper in qt, or a fishless tank for 90 days, I still don't believe you ever fully rid crypto. I feel like it will continue to live within the fish and it will show up again if something stresses the fish.

 

[G.T]

If the fish are Healthy, and Well Fed and i mean well fed. They will create an immunity to it. Ick in my eyes is no biggy. Now if its Velvet, thats a different story

 

[JohnK]

Even with hyposalinity, tank transfer,copper in qt, or a fishless tank for 90 days, I still don't believe you ever fully rid crypto. I feel like it will continue to live within the fish and it will show up again if something stresses the fish.

Science disagrees

 

[William]

Science disagrees

John, I have yet to read a scientific study that speaks to certainties with crypto but maybe you have something up your sleeve? Most scientific research I have read can't even agree on the life cycle and why certain strains live longer or respond differently to different treatments.

 

[JohnK]

I used the word "science", but "known facts" would have been a better choice.

Credible research on disease in captive saltwater fish is not happening. Nobody is paying for that.....

That said, ick has a well understood life cycle and can be effectively eradicated from home aquariums. It can be difficult, and may not always be the best choice, but when done correctly existing treatments do work. There are some debates and mixed info on some of the details, but in the end eradication is possible.

I'm just trying to argue that a tank can truly be "ick free", and against the notion that "every tank has ick". (Most tanks probably DO have ick, I'm not denying that)