What To Do
- Thread starter Luke.
- Start date
wtac
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2018
- Location
- Calgary and Toronto
When I was in this business, ich isn't an issue compared to other "nasties" like velvet, Uronema m., flatorwms, etc. Unfortunately, there isn't much one can do for an ich outbreak in a reef system other than PolypLab Medic and 1/4-1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide per 50gal 3x/day.
UVS will work provided that you have a "zap rate" of 190,000microS/cm2 at a flow rate that it 10x to your DT. Ideally, UVS should be plumbed in a closed loop vs a flowthrough from the return pump. That said, one will drop a "$h!it brick" when one sees the $ of the proper wattage to achieve such a number. All most UVS will do is create water clarity and minimize algal and bacterial film growth rates on surfaces.
Save your $ from buying a UVS and amass a med warchest of malachite green, foramalin and chloroquine phosphate from whatever source you can get them from. A bath in 10xdose for an hour per volume in eht container that the fish are acclimating in. Then a NSW and then a DT water dip to rince off the meds is the easiest you can do compared to the expense, space and maintenance of QT system. In the last 5 years before retiring from this biz, I have been very successful with this method of adding new fish to a clients' system.
UVS will work provided that you have a "zap rate" of 190,000microS/cm2 at a flow rate that it 10x to your DT. Ideally, UVS should be plumbed in a closed loop vs a flowthrough from the return pump. That said, one will drop a "$h!it brick" when one sees the $ of the proper wattage to achieve such a number. All most UVS will do is create water clarity and minimize algal and bacterial film growth rates on surfaces.
Save your $ from buying a UVS and amass a med warchest of malachite green, foramalin and chloroquine phosphate from whatever source you can get them from. A bath in 10xdose for an hour per volume in eht container that the fish are acclimating in. Then a NSW and then a DT water dip to rince off the meds is the easiest you can do compared to the expense, space and maintenance of QT system. In the last 5 years before retiring from this biz, I have been very successful with this method of adding new fish to a clients' system.
Nano reefer
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2020
- Location
- Durham
Yup exactly. A lot of fish already have disease and such in and on them. When the immune system is comprised the issues get a foothold. Short of harsh medications the only real way is keeping water good quality and a variety of good foods to keep fish healthy.
I would go as far to say most if not all of our tanks have diseases in them. Sure there are measures in place to slow down contamination and containment but I personally think “contamination” is inevitable. Quarantine is great. But IMO unless the fish is medicated for a variety of ailments it’s almost pointless. The fish and water may still carry larva, eggs etc. Sure, we’re smart and have many great advancements in this hobby, however, at the end of the day Mother Nature and the micro world of bacteria are smarter than us.
Don’t beat yourself up over a speed bump. Keep at it
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Reefgrrl
New Member
Might sound a bit off the wall, but when I spotted the very first signs of ich a couple years ago in my fully stocked and running Reef (I believe it came in on snails) I decided to manage it by doing what’s been said already (feeding, keeping stable water parameters, using Selcon etc) and I ALSO fluffed up the sand every night just before lights out, using a turkey baster, to increase the chances of keeping the free-swimming stage of the larvae off the sand and up in the water column so it could go into the overflow and then be caught up in the filter floss in the filter cups.
I followed this each night with bubble scrubbing for 4 hours, to further increase the chances of removing the larvae along with the particulates in the water. Then every morning, I swapped out the dirty floss in the filter cups, for new stuff. Did it help? I can’t prove it, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt. And within a couple weeks, there was no ich visible on any of the 4 fish that looked like they had it.
I wouldn’t let this make you give up, and one of the things I learned in the process was not to panic when seeing the dreaded white spots. HTH
Thanks everyone for the support and story’s I wouldn’t think someone like me would consider going out after 6 years but I’ll keep her going ! And do what’s listed above as I have been now for the past week ! Thanks again and fingers crossed !