SW "Ich"

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:09 pm

I just wanted to report on how easily this parasite is "cured" by a 1x FW dip. I purchased a psychedelic Mandarin from a local reefer for really cheap. By the next evening, it was covered in tiny white spots. I took it & placed it in FW for 5 minutes. It's 24 hours later & still not a speck left on this fish!

WilliamtheMan · Post by **WilliamtheMan** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:56 pm

What dip would you do for a brackish tank?

Apocalyptictoast · Post by **Apocalyptictoast** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:03 pm

But wouldn't that still leave ich in the tank?

WilliamtheMan · Post by **WilliamtheMan** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:04 pm

I think a water change could help to reduce the amount of ich in the tank.

perek · Post by **perek** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:49 pm

Lemmie know how much luck you have keeping that gobie. That is like my SW dream fish.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:50 pm

Apocalyptictoast, It's a new fish in QT.

WilliamtheMan, No water change necessary yet, just set up the QT, all that is in there are LR & corals.

perek, Very difficult fish to keep! Lost my 1st 2--bought from a LFS. this one is from someones home & already eating prepared foods. Only kind of Mandarin I'll buy for now on.

Meander · Post by **Meander** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:53 pm

Mandarins seldom if ever get ich because their slime coating is very thick, oily, and toxic. Are you absolutely sure it was ich/crypt? Mine will often dig around in the sand and the sand embedded in their slime coat makes them look hideously diseased like they were covered with crypt. Mine do this fairly often. Next time try hosing him off with a turkey baster inside the tank - it may just be sand or detritus particles on him.

If you ever run out of pods I can ship you some. I culture them in huge quantities. Even though many mandarins take prepared food they seem to still need some pods to munch for good health.

The Mandarin FAQ at Reef Central -

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php? ... page&pid=3

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:31 pm

Where did your live rock and corals come from - were they in a tank with fish prior to going in the QT?

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:59 am

Meander, Since the fish is in QT, there are no pods in there, so I'd love if you could send me some! It was definately ich.

Kelly, A friend from Reef Central was getting out of the hobby. Everything came from his 2 tanks & had been in there quite a while.

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:38 am

How long had it been since the live rock and corals had been exposed to a fish beside the mandarin?

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:22 am

It came from the same tank as the mandarin & several other old fish.

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:42 am

Whatever tank the rock & fish came from - more than likely has the parasite. Ich can be transported on anything wet - water, rock, corals, inverts, macroalgae, fish, etc. The only way to rid a system of ich is to leave it fallow (fishless) for 4-6 weeks. Cryptocaryon requires a fish host in order to complete its life cycle. I would recommend not using or placing the rock or corals in any tank with fish. The ich is still in the QT.

Here is a good thread on ich & treatment ( saves me some time from retyping the information

:
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic31173-10-1.aspx

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:55 am

Thanks Kelly. Weird though... No signs of the parasite in the tank I got the fish/corals/rock from. Some of the corals were placed in my main tank--no signs of disease in there. No spots on the Mandarin since FW dip.

Post by **Puffer Queen** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:01 am

The fish in the previous system could have built up resistance or their immune systems were good or minor infestations due to immunity that went unnoticed. This is a common scenario. When a new fish that has not been exposed and is stressed is introduced to this tank, there is an outbreak - often blamed on the new fish bringing in the parasite instead of the parasite being in the tank.

Quarantining everything wet, not only prevents the introduction of the parasite to the display tank and allows the new fish to get used to living in a glass box, build up its immunity and get used to eating prepared food.

The life cycle of the parasite is three stages. Check out the previous thread. Just because there are no spots, doesn't mean there are not parasites.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:04 am

Yes, I understand all that but this fish/coral/rock all came from the same, long established home tank, not from the recent wild.

Thanks for the article--I will read when I'm not getting ready for work.

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SW "Ich"

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