Disease Problems

[nwappleby]

I have been running since january 1, 2002, I have had a couple of fish but they arent lasting. The last couple of fish have had ICK. I have tested the water with a kit, all water qualities are good. I was reccomended kent RXP, well that product killed all my fish after 2 weeks worth of use. What is the best thing to do now, there are no fish in the aquarium at present. I also had the local fish store test my water, and they are amazed at my water quality, and wonder why everthing is dead. I do have a living coral banded shrimp and some hermit crabs. I do a regular monthly water change on my 46G bowfront. I have a CPR backpack P.S.. Lights are 3 corallife 30watt(2 actnic 1 daylight)

Frustrated, please help me out

if you need more specifics, email me nappleby@marathonoil.com

THank You

[FMarini]

Hi fellow Houstonian:
Simple things first. Lets leave the main tank w/o fish for at least 45days. In the mean time lets exchange some water in the main tank to ensure all of this medicine is out of th system. Second since you have 45days lets set-up a quarentine tank. A nice 20-30gal rubbermaid sump, a sponge filter, and some PVC hiding areas are more than sufficent. Use the main tank water to start. and cycl the filter using you main tank.

Now wait for the ich to die out in your main tank.
When you buy a new fish add it to the quarentine tank(make sure the Qtank has cycled first) and watch it for 3 weeks. Get it happy and healthy in your Q tank-then transfer it to you main tank. if you quaretine all fish first, you should experience ich again.

Perfect water paramters do not ensure freedom from ich.

Are you a member of www.MARSHREEF.org ? our local marine aquarium society? we meet next tuesday. This way you might be able to talk w/ fellow hobbists and get some better ideas

frank

[nwappleby]

I thought ick was not actually a disease from what I have read, its a reaction to harsh water, or lots of stress.

I still have a coral banded shrimp, will he get ick, or carry ick for 45 days.

thanks

[FMarini]

Hi:
May I recommend you read up on ich.
Ich is a disease of fish, not inverts, and yes stress will allow the fishes immunity to drop enuf that ich will infect. Its an indirect reaction to harsh water or stress, but its a real disease.
believe me we field enuf of this question to prove its a diseae
frank

[nwappleby]

OK thanks, I have heard many stories from diffrent sources on this. How come kent RXP didnt work after 2 weeks of treatment?

So I really need to let ick die of for a month or so........

thanks

[billsreef]

Ick is a wee little protozoan parasite. The only ways to kill are to:

1. Treat with copper, which is not invert safe.

2. Treat with Hyposalinity, which is again not invert safe.

3. Leave the tank fishless for 4-6 weeks and starve the little bastards out of the tank.

You will notice I didn't list any reef or invert "safe" treatments, reason being is there simply aren't any reliable cures that won't kill your inverts. While there are many products out there that claim to be reef safe "cures" and even stores that will sell it as such, they can all be lumped together as "snake oil" IME.

Follow Franks advice and you'll be well on your way to keeping healthy ick free fish ;)

[martinojon]

what about powdered garlic? Is garlic safe for corals and anemonies

[billsreef]

Garlic Oil, not powder, can have some affect in light cases, and has not shown any problems with corals or other inverts.