Recurring Ich with my boxfish

[Planoi]

My yellow box fish has been battling with Ich forever since I first got him about 2 months ago. The first time I treated him with copper for 4 weeks, it worked well and I return him to the display tank. After a week, ich again, and off he go to Q-tank. This time I treated him with Paraguard, it worked well, and he was back in the display after 2 weeks. First week was fine, but then the second week there it is again, I kep my self from Q-tanking him hoping that he would recover... but it seems like I would need to remove him tomorrow.

I fed him flakes soaked with selcon/ZOE/spirulina powser in every meal. All water parameters are good. The fish is eating like a pig and always come out to greet passer by. I am clueless why this is happening. All other fish in the display tank are fine.

[FishBait]

I don't know about others, but I hear an awfull lot about boxfish and ick. I can't say for sure what your problem is, but here are some possible reasons and cures. If boxes are indeed very sensitive and prone to ick, maybe the transport from q-tank to show tank is just stressing it to the point of reifestation. Second, maybe let him stay in your show tank and add the Kyolic garlic extract to the menu. Too many people have beat this bug using it to make it a coincidence. Third, if he continues to develop symptoms in the main tank, look for signs of aggression, bullying, or other stressors that could add to the problem. If all water params are good, possible agression or tank transport would be my main guesses for the situation.

[Terry B]

Adding some garlic to its diet for a while may help. The core of the problem is that you are treating him and putting him back into an infected tank. To eliminate the problem all the fish in the aqaurium must be treated (even if only one is showing spots) and the display should remain fishless for 4 to 6 weeks. It generally takes about a week or so to see visable spots once they are exposed. Your other fish are probably infected as well but they may only have parasites in their gills. The boxfish is least resistant. Eliminating stress can certainly help control an infection, but no amount of stress can cause an infection if the parasite is not present on your fish or in your system.
Terry B

[TangHeaven]

Boy I hope this doesn't come off sounding very stupid....but I have known many new boxfish owners thinking that they have ick, due to the white spots that they normally have. When they start getting new spots they are very tiny and it can look like ick...but it really isn't and after they really start watching they realize that. I did the exact same thing when I got mine...treated it with in the first week....Ick will be on the tail also...so look very closely and see if the tail has it...

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Learn by experience-preferably other people's

Tami :)

[Terry B]

Good point Tami! White spots are not alway Ich. Sometimes it can be stress spots but not if the fish has a lot of them. Other parasites can also look like white spots.
Terry B

[Planoi]

Thanks for the info.

My box fish has way more white spots and lots on its tails too. I have not yet removed it to the Q-tank since its niether worse or better. I have no access to the garlic stuff.. so the best I can do it is to keep feeding it well with selcon/ZOE.