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yesjenks

Advanced Reefer
Location
Clifton NJ
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Hey MR,
I have a small hippo tang that has ick. I purchased a 10 gallon tank last night. Was hoping for something a little bigger but petco was out.
I have a UV sterilizer and bought Ich Attack. Can I run the UV while using the Ich Attack? Or, will the UV kill whatever the Ick Attack does? If I can't use them both at the same time which would you recommend I start with?
 

KathyC

Moderator
Location
Barnum Island
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Is this the only 1 fish you have?
If you have other fish, ALL need to be removed from the tank and treated whether you see Ich on them or not (it is not always visible!).

Technically to eliminate Ich from a tank, the tank must be devoid of all fish for a period of about 8 weeks so that the parasite dies off as there will be no host for it.
If you do not do that, you will always have Ich in your tank :(

Next, take the Ich Attack and return it to the store. The stuff does NOT KILL THE ICH PARASITE..all it does is irritate the heck out of the 'skin' of the fish so the Ich will be less prone to attaching. It is NOT a cure.

You need a cure, meaning something that will kill the Ich parasite.

What you want to buy is a product called 'Copper Power' AND a copper test kit! Without a test kit, you will have no clue what level of the medication you have in the water of your QT. Realizing that you will be doing frequent water changes in the QT tank (as the tank will want to try & cycle..you need to keep a very watchful eye on the ammonia level in there by testing daily and doing water changes).
If you do not have the proper level of copper in the QT tank, you will not cure your fish.

Here is a GREAT place to learn about Ich, and QT/hospital tanks and what amount to dose for the most effective treatment.
http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/marineich.html


While UV lights can be helpful, and they will kill the parasite - there is big downside...the parasite itself MUST swim into the in-flow of the UV filter to be killed. Ich also tends to settle on the substrate of the tank before it begins its free-swimming stage (in hopes of reattaching to a host fish)., and you can't possibly direct all of that water into the UV. Also remember that a UV will also kill good bacteria. So as a cure for Ich, not necessarily a good choice, though it may help a little bit.
 

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