ICK question

[Shark Bait]

I know everyone says all fish need to be taken out and put in QT. I do have ick-x but havent used it yet. How do people feel about letting it run its course in the tank? Live stock is 2 clowns, firefish, red sea sailfin, blackspot angel, diamond goby, scooter blenny, cleaner shrimp, and pep shrimp. The reason i have ick is because the sailfin chases the angel around throughout the day, so im probably going to get the angel out. They have been in the tank for 3 weeks now. The clowns had a little ick when i turned the lights on this morning but its gone now. Everyone eats good which is why i was thinking maybe i could get away with not treating at all, or possibly using the ick x.

 

[Rick C]

From my understanding, once the tank has the ich present, it will remain so. If it is suddenly gone, are you sure it was ich to begin with? I'm sure others with more expertise will chime in. Either way, good luck.

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[JohnK]

Fish aggression doesn't cause ick, it just stresses the fish and makes them more susectible. It's like fleas on a dog, if there are no fleas in the first place they can't develop out of no where.

Plenty of people opt to "manage" ick and live with it. Some do OK, some end up having ongoing problems and losses. If the tank and fish are healthy and there is little stress in general ick can even seem to go dormant, not gone, but not causing obvious problelms. Ick-x does nothing.

 

[Shark Bait]

What would you suggest for "managing" the ick? I have read some people run uv sterilizers, but im not sure if that would be a waste of money.

 

[JohnK]

Good feeding, not overcrowding, UV, feeding garlic, anything else you can do to minimize stress (keep lights on timers, don't constantly walk right past the tank, keep parameters as stable as possible....), all can help. That said, personally if anything I would reccomend treating the fish and keeping the tank fallow for 12 weeks to actually eradicate the parisite, but I aknowledge that "managment" is an alternative that others prefer.

 

[Shark Bait]

Everyone eats good, parameters are consistant, and i do need a better light schedule because they are usually on to long (9am-8ish pm). Wouldnt keeping all these fish in a QT with nothing to hide behind create a more stressful envirnment?

 

[JohnK]

Yes, QT is often stressful, but if Hyposalnity or copper are used in QT the parisite is killed off. Sometimes the stress of QT can kill fish, it's not without risk.

To live with ick is one kind of risk / gamble. To treat and eradicate has risk but if you can get the fish through it you won't have the ongoing risk of having your fish get sick anytime something goes wrong in the tank.

All I can say is read read read, then decide. I'd suggest starting with the stickies at the top of the RC fish disease treatment forum.