I'm trying to cure a tang with ich in my reef tank. I'm currently using Kick-ich but I thought that I should turn off my UV. I know that UV light can break down some chemical bonds, has anyone had experience using ruby reef Kick-ich and UV. Any info would be helpful.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
HELP?? Kick-ich and UV?
- Thread starter aliendomain
- Start date
I was running an 8 watt UV on a 12 hour basis for the problem of ick in my 90. I discontinued the use of the UV due to the fact that they do kill good things as well as bad. I have been using garlic as a suppliment with food and do believe that it helps, but its not the cure. What makes the difference is water quality and constant temperature. Also the use of cleaner shrimp and wrasses can also be a natural way to help the ick problem. I would stay away from any chemicals added to a reef tank and only use them as a last ditch effort...Good Luck!!!!!
Thanks Tanger,
All the levels are right on the money and I've started using Garlic but I think that it may be too late for that to be a help, I wanted to keep using the UV as well as the kick-ich to try to do everything I can for the fish. All the inverts in the tank look great. I am just worried that the UV may neutralize the active ingredients in the medication if I turn it on.
All the levels are right on the money and I've started using Garlic but I think that it may be too late for that to be a help, I wanted to keep using the UV as well as the kick-ich to try to do everything I can for the fish. All the inverts in the tank look great. I am just worried that the UV may neutralize the active ingredients in the medication if I turn it on.
There is only shaky anecdotal evidence that kick ich works at all. I wouldn't use it, I have in the past, but never would again. Waste o money and it can cause problems.
Is the tang new? What stressed it so it got ich in the first place?
Best bet for a cure would be to find out what is stressing it and remove that stress, and feed the crap out of it with good food. While the evidence for garlic is also radically anecdotal, you could still use it as it is cheap and won't hurt nothin' in your tank.
You could also remove the tang, put it in a Q tank and treat with copper. I don't advise this, as it usually stresses the fish more. Or you could do hypo salinity, but I think it is more work that it is worth.
UV in a reef is also sketchy. I wouldn't use it either.
Is the tang new? What stressed it so it got ich in the first place?
Best bet for a cure would be to find out what is stressing it and remove that stress, and feed the crap out of it with good food. While the evidence for garlic is also radically anecdotal, you could still use it as it is cheap and won't hurt nothin' in your tank.
You could also remove the tang, put it in a Q tank and treat with copper. I don't advise this, as it usually stresses the fish more. Or you could do hypo salinity, but I think it is more work that it is worth.
UV in a reef is also sketchy. I wouldn't use it either.
It's now day four and the ich is gone (for now), All inverts are doing great. I did get an answer from a friend who owns a LFS. Normally this means little but he has a degree in marine bio. He said that kick-ich will get broken down with any light, UV or other. His suggestion was to treat after the lights are out cut the skimmer and start the skimmer up the following morning. I understand that most of you would rather cut off a limb before putting this stuff in your tank. Believe me I'm only doing this because I fear that if I don't treat the tank all the fish will get it.
The light thing makes little sense to me given the product is packaged in a container that transmits light.
If your tank is healthy and params are good, it is doubtful that your other fish would get ich. What is some background on your tank? How bad does your fish have ich?
How long are you supposed to dose kick ich for?
If your tank is healthy and params are good, it is doubtful that your other fish would get ich. What is some background on your tank? How bad does your fish have ich?
How long are you supposed to dose kick ich for?
The good news is that this snake oil seems to be working. All the fish are currently spotless and eating well. The tang looks great.
As far as stress I'm not sure. The tang is the largest fish in the tank, eats like a horse (even while it's had ich), and it has plenty of hiding places.
This tank is only 6 months old. I watched the tang at the LFS for a month before taking it home (currently I have no QT although after this I will). The tang started out with just a few spots so I added a cleaner shrimp. when the tang got worse I somehow (PFM) got it out and gave it a FW bath, afterward I let it sit in a medicated bath before putting it back into the tank. The tang looked allot better the next day but the following it was covered (bad). When I saw another fish scratching against a rock I knew that it would not be long before the rest of the fish got it as well. I've been keeping reefs for fifteen years and with small tanks like this 55 I've seen ich bloom fast and the fish eventually can't defend against the higher number of parasites.
As far as stress I'm not sure. The tang is the largest fish in the tank, eats like a horse (even while it's had ich), and it has plenty of hiding places.
This tank is only 6 months old. I watched the tang at the LFS for a month before taking it home (currently I have no QT although after this I will). The tang started out with just a few spots so I added a cleaner shrimp. when the tang got worse I somehow (PFM) got it out and gave it a FW bath, afterward I let it sit in a medicated bath before putting it back into the tank. The tang looked allot better the next day but the following it was covered (bad). When I saw another fish scratching against a rock I knew that it would not be long before the rest of the fish got it as well. I've been keeping reefs for fifteen years and with small tanks like this 55 I've seen ich bloom fast and the fish eventually can't defend against the higher number of parasites.
aliendomain":2xt8hsa7 said:The good news is that this snake oil seems to be working. All the fish are currently spotless and eating well. The tang looks great.
Cool. I hope it continues. However, it may not be the snake oil that is doing anything for the ich. Your fish may have fought it off, or this may just be a lull in the life cycle of the parasite.
How long has the tang been in the tank?
The tang started out with just a few spots so I added a cleaner shrimp.
Cleaner shrimp do nothing for ich. Ich is microscopic and to small for for CS to get at.
RR
The tang has been in the tank for about five weeks. As far as the life cycle of ich goes I know I'm not out of the woods yet. Are you sure about CS I saw it on the tang a few times, my six line wrasse was even cleaning the tang.
I did have a though about what could be stressing that tang, my cat loves to get right up to the glass and stare at the fish. Any thoughts?
I did have a though about what could be stressing that tang, my cat loves to get right up to the glass and stare at the fish. Any thoughts?
My remedy for Tang Ich has always been food, food, food, green food, meaty food, and food.
Use a clip with seaweed selects 24/7 and feed meaty stuff soaked in garlic and maybe some selcon at night. Fish are like people, an unhealthy person gets sick more then a healthy person. For Tangs Healthy = Fat.
Lol..not sure about the cat thing. It could stress the fish out to see an object close to the glass moving all the time.
Use a clip with seaweed selects 24/7 and feed meaty stuff soaked in garlic and maybe some selcon at night. Fish are like people, an unhealthy person gets sick more then a healthy person. For Tangs Healthy = Fat.
Lol..not sure about the cat thing. It could stress the fish out to see an object close to the glass moving all the time.
I have a hippo tang with ick. I tried one cure called Oodinex which made no difference. The instructions said to turn off skimmer and UV (30w on 90 gallon tank.
I then tried Exodin, but then the corals looked a bit flaky so after 2 of the 4 does, I abandoned the treatment and have turned the skimmer and UV back on.
I have some Marc Weiss Immuno-Vital which is not wasy to obtain in UK, hopefully this will help. Fish look OK although on of the Royal Grammas is not eating and looks a bit miserable.
I then tried Exodin, but then the corals looked a bit flaky so after 2 of the 4 does, I abandoned the treatment and have turned the skimmer and UV back on.
I have some Marc Weiss Immuno-Vital which is not wasy to obtain in UK, hopefully this will help. Fish look OK although on of the Royal Grammas is not eating and looks a bit miserable.
Please describe your experience with the product.
There are real problems determining if a product is responsible for ich going away. Often multiple 'treatments' are used at the same time - more food, better food, garlic, water changes, kick ich, removal of stressors, long term acclimation - and it becomes impossible to trace the remission of the outbreak to one source. Also, since ich often clears up without any treatment, it is difficult to tell if any act against the parasite has any effect at all. Did the product really help, or is is simply that the ich went away after the product was added and the assumption is the product cause its departure.
Anyway, I am very interested to head the details of your experience.
RR
There are real problems determining if a product is responsible for ich going away. Often multiple 'treatments' are used at the same time - more food, better food, garlic, water changes, kick ich, removal of stressors, long term acclimation - and it becomes impossible to trace the remission of the outbreak to one source. Also, since ich often clears up without any treatment, it is difficult to tell if any act against the parasite has any effect at all. Did the product really help, or is is simply that the ich went away after the product was added and the assumption is the product cause its departure.
Anyway, I am very interested to head the details of your experience.
RR
my purple tank broke out with a case of ick and all i did differently was to add the kick ick and turn off my skimmer, and it went away. my normal routiene is a well asorted diet i feed 2 types of pellets and about 6 diff. frozen foods every 3 or 4 days.
I would guess the kick ich was not responsible. Tangs often get outbreaks that go away quickly, with or without treatment. In your case, one could also argue that turning off the skimmer is what cleared up the ich, not the kick ich.
This line of reasoning is called 'post hoc, ergo proctor hoc' - it came before, therefore it was caused by -, and is not great reasoning. People have used it to argue that concieving babies in the morning begets girls, that magnetic healing bands cure colds, and other such nonsense.
It may be the case that kick ich does something, but the testing is simply not there. I think it does nothing because the ich goes away/kills the fish equally with or without the medication.
This line of reasoning is called 'post hoc, ergo proctor hoc' - it came before, therefore it was caused by -, and is not great reasoning. People have used it to argue that concieving babies in the morning begets girls, that magnetic healing bands cure colds, and other such nonsense.
It may be the case that kick ich does something, but the testing is simply not there. I think it does nothing because the ich goes away/kills the fish equally with or without the medication.
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
