Neptune Aquatics

Ich: Finding My Truth (amidst the gazillion philosophies, schools of thought and approaches)

Many thanks, David and Mark.

That is EXACTLY the type of information that I needed.

OK. Now I'm thinking QT tank for fish as per standard practice. I'll have to trap that Goby some how. Thing is, access to the overflow is limited and space within the overflow is smallish with 3 dursos and 2 returns - and the pesky little guy is at the bottom. Netting him is impossible. I almost fell in my tank and crashed 4 Vega modules trying to do it once.

We will see how I go.

I've gotten bits of advice to just let things run their course and see if the fish kick the ich on their own and get some sort of immunity. Thing is I want my fish to thrive and not just survive and if they are feeling bitten or stung or any kind of pain related to ich (even if they have some immunity), I won't be at peace with that.

Does a fish with immunity, still feel the pains (pricks, bites, stifled oxygenation from gills being full of it) of ich infestation? The questions just build and build around this. Does any one know of a reputable journal or article or magazine to reference. I am definitely marking my calendar for the Feb 9 BARs event.
 
Regarding Goby:
Does the Durso pull out of the bulkhead?
If it does, he should get slurped down the drain into the sump, with a waiting net.
Depends on pipe sizes and so on of course.

Side note : A Catalina Goby is a cold water fish.

Tiny barbless hook with a bit of shrimp might work as well. Go fishing.
 
rygh said:
dmhinsf said:
... If I opt to do hypo salinity treatment for my fish -- is there any reason that I couldn't take the corals out of my DT and put in another tank and leave the fish in the DT and decrease the salinity to levels that would kill ich (1.009, for example)? Then once the 10 weeks is over bring the corals back over. Are there any risks associated with this approach. ....
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There are some risks.
1) The hypo will kill a lot of life in the live rock and sand bed.
2) The hypo does negatively affect your bio filtration, as the bacteria change over from salt to brackish.

Combine the die off with poor filtration, and you could easily see a big ammonia or nitrite spike.
And since your DT is large, water changes to compensate will be an issue.
Plus, you have the issue when you change back to full salt water as well.
Plus, you cannot medicate with copper in the DT, if you give up on hypo.
Click to expand...

FWIW IIRC most bacteria found in NSW conditions do just fine in brackish conditions, as will quite a bit of the life in the sand and rock.
 
rygh said:
Regarding Goby:
Does the Durso pull out of the bulkhead?
If it does, he should get slurped down the drain into the sump, with a waiting net.
Depends on pipe sizes and so on of course.

Side note : A Catalina Goby is a cold water fish.

Tiny barbless hook with a bit of shrimp might work as well. Go fishing.
Click to expand...

No, its a sub-tropical fish that can adapt to warmer tanks. Cold water would be a temperate fish, and they do not live past Santa Barbara for the most part, so they don't live in that much of the temperate zone.
 
You might want to purchase The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook that our February speaker Lance Ichinotsubo co-authored. It discusses different ways to treat various common diseases including cryptocaryon (ich).
 
Thanks ALL!

And thank you for the reference, Gimmito. I will be at the talk and will buy the book (if not sooner, at the event).

Re: goby in overflow...I may try some sort of suction technique to get him out. It would be so much easier if I could just remove my corals and do hypo in the DT.

I'm going to go read up on that 5 gallon bucket routine. Lord knows I have a ton of em.
 
Also, any comments on fish with perceived immunity (note that I am not stating with certainty that immunity to ich is a reality proven scientifically) having discomfort associated with the parasite. If they are "immune" does that mean ich stays off them or does it just stay undetected?
 
I wouldn't say the fish become immune to ich, but rather learn to live with it. Cryptocaryon will go through it's typical life cycle and that's why many aquarists think their fish have built an immunity to ich when they don't see any spots...only to see it rear its ugly head towards the end of its life cycle.
 
When I first read dmhinsf's immunity post I was about to go off on a 'there ain't no such thing' rant. I read thru this thread on Reef Central ( http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2159738 ) and found out there is work under way to develop vaccines to prevent Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans). So maybe it is possible to develop some sort of natural immunity.

Perhaps it's a resistance that is possible when they are heathy and have robust immune systems? Stronger cell walls, 'better' slime coat, or a slime coat that can react to the invasion more effectively?
 
I've heard some research being done in the area of probiotics. Hopefully, one day we will never have to hear those dreaded words "my fish have ich."
 
ReefLove said:
tankguy said:
Id like to add that once you've kicked ich to the curb, treat your tank with vitamin c. Ive been ich free for a long time. Ive tried almost every medicine and none have worked
Click to expand...

Just for my info. How to treat with vitamin C ? I'm going to do it from day one. And strict QT.
Click to expand...
I add it straight to the tank every other day
 
tankguy said:
ReefLove said:
tankguy said:
Id like to add that once you've kicked ich to the curb, treat your tank with vitamin c. Ive been ich free for a long time. Ive tried almost every medicine and none have worked
Click to expand...

Just for my info. How to treat with vitamin C ? I'm going to do it from day one. And strict QT.
Click to expand...
I add it straight to the tank every other day
Click to expand...

Orange Juice ? :)
 
BAYMAC said:
rygh said:
... Side note : A Catalina Goby is a cold water fish...
Click to expand...

No, its a sub-tropical fish that can adapt to warmer tanks. Cold water would be a temperate fish, and they do not live past Santa Barbara for the most part, so they don't live in that much of the temperate zone.
Click to expand...

Agree that sub-tropical is a more precise term.
But everything I read says they prefer 65 degree water, and will slowly cook and have a short lifespan in our 78+ reef tanks.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lythrypnus.htm

I am not trying to be like the "Tang Police", and I have no personal experience with them.
But Dennis seemed to be concerned with fish Thriving, more than just Surviving.
 
I haven't ever seen any credible evidence that Vitamin C is effective at anything in reef tanks. It seems to be one of those things that floats around that no one can supply evidence for except that they heard it works. As usual, I would love to be wrong. :D
 
Thales said:
I haven't ever seen any credible evidence that Vitamin C is effective at anything in reef tanks. It seems to be one of those things that floats around that no one can supply evidence for except that they heard it works. As usual, I would love to be wrong. :D
Click to expand...

How about bananas ? :p
 
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