There seems to be ICH going around here, so..

[ralph atl]

A couple of days ago, I noticed that Steven Pro was cruising our site, so I asked him by pm:

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Originally Posted by mysterybox</span> </span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's been a couple of years since you put out that awesome 3 page article on numerous ways to cure ich.

what would be your top 2 or 3 ways that you would recommend?
what would be your number 1 way if it had to be in a display tank?

I don't have ich, just to help others as I value your opinion greatly.
Ralph</span></span></em>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/member.php?u=158">[COLOR=#800080]Steven Pro</span></a></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Copper and hyposalinity would be my top two choices in a quarantine/hospital tank. For in the display, I have not found anything that works consistently</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]This is not say that there aren't any other choices available. I know that Jeremy has a plan that works and so does our ex-prez, Brandon.</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I do believe that doing nothing is a very good idea, though.</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Here's Steven Pro's 3 page article:</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php</a></span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#800080][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]</span></span>[/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]

 

[fish scales2]

Great info. What are Jeremy and Brandons methods?

 

[ralph atl]

here is Brandon's older article:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3661">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3661</a>


I don't recall Jeremy's, but I'm sure that it would be very effective.
"As Brandon mentioned, Formalin will darn near kill anything." I beieve it's a 2 part process, one being Formalin. I do not know the other one.

 

[cameron]

Do nothing keep the fish happy that was always my plan and still think it is the best.

 

[skriz]

I feed my fish well and keep them happy. That's the best way to attack ich. I've never lost a fish to ich this way.

 

[ralph atl]

Proper quarantining is of even greater importance in a reef aquarium — if a fish gets sick it is difficult to treat them effectively because most antiparasitic medications will kill invertebrates. Another problem is that it is often difficult to remove a fish to treat it in a hospital tank. By quarantining your fish first, you will have the opportunity to observe, and medicate as appropriate, before they are introduced to the display aquarium.
What do I mean by properly quarantining your fish? First, let's consider the aquarium itself. I prefer using a 10- or 20-gallon aquarium that has no substrate. The simpler the better — you will tear the tank down and sterilize it after each quarantine period anyway. You need a light to observe your fish, set to a normal day-night cycle, and a heater and thermometer to maintain the proper water temperature. For biological filtration you can use a sponge filter or a power filter or canister filter filled with a plastic filter media (no crushed coral or carbon should be placed in these filters). A sponge filter, placed in the trickle filter on your display aquarium, or a functioning power or canister filter can be moved to the quarantine aquarium when you're ready to get a new fish.
After the quarantine period is completed it is very important to sterilize the filter and filter media before placing it back on the display tank. To do this, soak the sponge filter media or the inside of the filter in a mild bleach solution (2-percent chlorine bleach, the rest tap water) for 24 to 48 hours, and then rinse it repeatedly with freshwater until the chlorine smell is gone. To ensure that all the bleach has been reduced, place the sponge or filter media in a bucket of freshwater or place some water in a power or canister filter and add chlorine remover.
If you do not have the use of an established biological filter, you can just add an air source (airstone) and do frequent water changes (every second or third day change about 10 to 15 percent of the water) to prevent the buildup of nitrogenous waste products. Although you need to make sure your fish is properly fed during the quarantine period, it is important not to overfeed. Remove any uneaten foods from the aquarium immediately.
The quarantine tank should also have plenty of hiding places so the fish feels secure and less stressed. Plastic flowerpots with a hole cut in one side and a rock set on top to weigh them down work great as, do sections of PVC pipe. Stay away from hard coral skeletons and any calcium carbonate substrates (e.g., crushed coral) because they pull some medications out of solution and are more difficult to disinfect.
Your quarantine aquarium should not be set up near your display tank, because parasites can be spread more easily this way, and it should have its own set of utensils (e.g., net, thermometer, scrubber pad). The reason for having separate equipment is to prevent the transfer of parasites from the quarantine to the display aquarium.
It is also possible to transmit pathogens from the quarantine to the display aquarium on your hands. To prevent this from occurring, vigorously wash your hands after working in the quarantine tank — but not with soap!
Between each quarantine period all utensils, decor and the aquarium should be disinfected. Fill the quarantine aquarium full of water, place the utensils and decor in the aquarium, add a small amount of chlorine bleach and let it set for 24 hours. Then remove the water and rinse the aquarium and accessories thoroughly and soak them in tap water with added chlorine remover.
As far as the quarantine procedure is concerned, I would recommend keeping your fish in quarantine for at least three weeks. It is important to observe it carefully during this period and to promptly treat it if a problem arises. If treatment is necessary make sure you leave the fish in quarantine at least 10 days after treatment is completed to ensure that the fish has fully recovered.
As a final disease treatment measure, some aquarists will give their fish a freshwater dip before moving them from the quarantine to the display aquarium. This is done by placing the fish in a bucket (which is designated for aquarium use only) containing freshwater. The freshwater in the bucket should be dechlorinated and the same temperature and pH as the quarantine aquarium.
Leave the specimen in the bucket for five minutes, but watch it carefully and remove it and place it in the display aquarium if it seems extremely distressed (e.g., swims about the bucket erratically, lies on its side). The freshwater in the bucket may contain parasites that have dropped off as a result of the change in salinity, so try not to transfer water from the bucket into the display tank. The best way to avoid this is to quickly lift the fish out of the bucket and into the aquarium with a soft fish net.
One important rule when quarantining is that a fish must go through the entire three-week process without being exposed to any other fish. If a new fish is added to the tank while another specimen is still being quarantined, you should start the whole three-week process over again.
I know of few treatments that can be used to eradicate parasites in a reef aquarium. One of the few medications I have tried, with limited success, is metronidazole. This can be used to treat velvet disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum</em>). I would not use any copper- or formalin-based medications with invertebrates, no matter what the manufacturer says!
Dropping the specific gravity to about 1.016, over several hours, for a duration of two weeks, is another method some have reported success with in treating ich (Cryptocaryon irritans</em>). It has been my experience that this procedure has no or little impact on parasitic infections. Others have reported that it is necessary to drop the specific gravity to 1.012 to successfully eradicate ich, which would also kill your inverts. If you try dropping the specific gravity to 1.016, it is important to monitor and maintain the proper calcium and alkalinity levels so that you do not kill your corals.
One final way to rid an aquarium of a parasitic infection is remove all the fish for two months. In this time period all the spores should hatch, and if there are no hosts to feed off, the parasites should die off.

 

[rbredding]

OK... I'll be printing this one for reference...