ick problem!

[Goldmoon]

hi,
We too had a problem with ick about 4 weeks ago.. And we were going on vacation a week after it started. Our flame angel had so many white spots on him, he had some even on his eyes when we left. Now no sign of it anymore.
WE have a 46g tank with inverts and corals. And with the fews days before leaving, we could not use a hospital tank. We just fed the fish food soaked in garlic twice a day for the week we were there. The day before we left we recieved and install a uv sterilizer. The week we were gone, no need to say we could not feed garlic food. When we came back, there was only one fish hitching a little on the rocks, but no white salty spots on any fishes. We went back to feeding garlic once a day (not twice anymore) and left the uv on. Today 4 weeks later, alls seems back to normal. No more hitching. But we keep feeding garlic and we keep the uv still on. No deaths to report. All the fishes made it through. Hope this help..

 

[BBReefkeeper]

Do you use a special type of garlic? Where do you get it? How much do you use?
I'm starting to see a few spots on my sailfin tang.
Bryan

 

[purple_tang2001]

BB

I use Kyolic extract. get from any helath food store. one good "squirt" works for me when i soak the food.

 

[Goldmoon]

Same as Purple-Tang, Kyolic extract bought at GNC. I put enough on the food to soak it all up and let it stand a bit. I remove the juice that has not been absorb before feeding the fishes. When I feed frozen I put some on the food while it stands, I give a little less to be able to put some flakes on the mix so the flakes absorb the juice (and garlic) it makes when it thaws.

 

[McReef1]

I have never used garlic before for Ich, but I keep hearing great things on these threads. I have a Purple Tang that gets a few spots on occasion.

Is garlic a good preventative of Ich? In other words, would there be a problem if one used it regularly even if you do not see Ich?

Are there any other benefits to using it?

Thanks,

McReef

 

[naesco]

Reef garlic works but it is to early to tell if there are any long term effects.
IME opinion I would use it at the first sight of ich for a period of 2 weeks. (feed only garlic soaked food.) I would also use it a bit before I added a new fish and for a period of time after. (I would not wait to see ich on the new inhabitant.
I think there is enough good news about garlic extract to merit everyone keeping a bottle in their fridges just in case so it is there to use immediately, IMO.

 

[Goldmoon]

I have read that garlic was good for prevention of infections. It helps with parasites (external as well as internal) In some case garlic is the easyest way if not the only way to cure internal infestation (worms), that is as long as the fish is eating. But they also say that too much garlic is not good, in fact it can be dangerous. How much is too much? I can not answer that..

 

[Jerrod]

Yesterday I noticed 2 fish in my fish only tank that seem to have ICK. I have used copper(cupramine) in the past and it has worked. Saturday I bought a bottle of Kent Marine Garlic Xtreme and have been soaking the food in this. I also have a large container of No-ICK Marine by fish-vet and was thinking of trying this also.

Has anyone used NO-ick and if so did it work?

Thanks in advance

Jerrod

 

[naesco]

Jerrod Please check the label on the Kent Garlic stuff. Is it pure garlic extract?
Set out here what the ingredients are on the label, size and how much you paid for it.
IF what you are feeding is unflavoured garlic extract which you can get at any health food store, that should be enough if you soak food in the extract and feed this exclusively for a week and a bit. You should see improvement in a few days.
I would be reluctant to use copper or other ich treatment unless it is too late for garlic and you use it in a Quarantine Tank (QT) IMO.

 

[salefen]

My tank has ick, It is a 135 with 250 lbs of rock with inverts. Tearing the tank down is not an option, is there anything I can do for them. What are the chances of the fish making it through this? Will they die for sure or maybe die or some die and not others?

 

[purple_tang2001]

I have become a firm beliver in the use of garlic.

 

[salefen]

my sailfin tang had ick and had not eaten for 3 days, I thought for sure he was going to die. This morning I don't see any ick on him and he is eating like a pig, I don't understand this. Can ick come and go like this that quickly?

 

[Jerrod]

I checked the label on the Kent Xtreme
It contains 99% Allium Sativum Extract and in Parens it says says Garlic Juice. The rest is Citric Acid and Asorbic Acid. It smells awful.

I am soaking the food in this. The instructions also say that if the fish are eating you can put 1 drop per gallon into the water.

I have used copper and it works, but it takes forever to get it out of the tank and for this round I want to keep the tank as pure as possible.

Thanks for your help and thanks to anyone else who can give a suggestion

Jerrod