2 weeks fishless.

Sorry to hijack your thread but this will work too? I'm don't have a problem or anything just future reference. So if I go to the grocery store and get a jar of minced/diced garlic that's floating in all of that juice, it will work exactly the same? I don't have to go buy the special marine garlic soak stuff?

 

its ok... that adds to learning too
so i only keep my fish in treatment for 3 weeks?? but then what do i do after the 3 weeks since i cant put them back to the main tank? and copper is running on the QT tank (its running with carbon, the instructions said i could leave it)

in the instructions said im supposed to dose 5ml for every 4 gallons. and it lasts a month with one dose.

 

anyone?

 

If you were running carbon and dosing ich meds, there's a good chance the carbon absorbed anything in those reef safe ich treatments that could have been helpful. I'm still a little confused as to why you went through all that you have already? I could see tearing down the tank and nuking everything as an absolute last ditch option, but only after all else failed . . . and was given time to be proven a failure.

I never liked the "reef safe" ich medicines all the reviews I have read on them are hit or miss (mostly miss). The green water thing could have been resolved by water changes and fresh carbon. get the carbon out of the QT ASAP.

The garlic thing does not really boost a fishes immune system in any way. It does, however boost a fishes appetite and the more a sick fish eats the faster they will recover. If your thinking about adding to your fish food, get some selcon as well, that will get your fish healthier.

~Will.

 

The expensive marine stuff has the exact same ingredients as a $3 bottle of chopped garlic in water (garlic, water, and citrus acids) but the marine stuff is much more concentrated.

~Will.

 

Ok, gotta take a step back here. I agree that this has, perhaps, not been handled in the most ideal way from the get-go, but we have to deal with things as they are.

First off, the so-called Reef Safe ich meds are not very effective, in general. So if they have dyed your water green, run carbon and clean things out as best you can. Change the carbon after a couple of days to rid your system of the stuff.

Regarding your fish, my recommendation is as follows (and others may disagree). They will stay in your quarantine/hospital tank for a total of 8 weeks, while your display tank (DT) will remain TOTALLY FISHLESS for those 8 weeks. Inverts and corals can stay in the DT.

While your fish are in the quarantine tank (QT), I would treat them for 3 weeks with copper. You will have to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates daily to be sure that the water isn't getting toxic, and will need to do very frequent water changes (and top up your copper accordingly, using a copper test to be sure you don't overdose copper).

After 3 weeks of copper, I would run carbon and do a total (100%) water change to totally get rid of the copper. Let your fish go for a week with absolutely no medication. Then, if you want, you could treat for another 2-3 weeks with Seachem Paraguard, which will clear up any bacterial/fungal/secondary infections your fish may have.

At the end of 8 weeks, slowly re-introduce your fish to your DT a few at a time so as not to overwhelm the system with a new bioload.

Sound complicated? It is! But it will work if you do it meticulously. By the way, I speak from personal experience, as this is how I defeated ich in my own tank. Been totally ich-less since then.

EDIT: Oh, by the way, regarding garlic....any form of garlic juice is fine. All it does is increase apatite - immune effects are arguable. Personally I prefer to soak my fish food in Selcon, which is a vitamin supplement that increases the nutritional value of the food.

 

As for breaking your tank down and rinsing everything. Did this kill the ICK parasites? Maybe, maybe not. But I think if your fish are healthy and you acclimate them properly they should be ok even if some of the ick made it. I had an ick outbreak in my DT, just used garlic to keep them eating. They are all fine, and have added new fish without another outbreak of ick. It is probably still in my DT, but as said healthy fish can fight it off. I think to many people panic, and have knee jerk reactions to ick. This is just my experience.

 

I might agree with you if he had not already quarantined the fish and treated with copper. At this point their immune systems are very weakened, both from the stress of the move and from the meds. I think that, at this point, if he re-introduced the fish too soon they would very likely just get re-infected.

 

I agree, they need to be very healthy. Finnish treating them in HT, and make sure they are eating and fully recovered before trying to transfer them. Sorry if I forgot to say that.

 

alright thanks