Ick

[SubMariner]

My Brother n law has a 55 gallon tank with a mixture of Mbunas and Peacocks. Recently he purchased some Mbunas and a Pleco from Congressional Aquarium for his show tank. Apparently, one of the Bumble bee Mbunas or Pleco's had ICK. It Crashed the whole tank! It was devasting! He lost at least 10 of his African cichlids including all his catfish.

Nevertheless, can anyone offer some suggestions on how he should address the situation? What should he do to eliminate the ICK that has infiltrated his tank. Has anyone had this problem before?


Thanx,


SubMariner

 

[maddog10]

First thing he should of done was quarantine the fish for a minimum of 2 weeks, i usually do it for 4 weeks.

I used Rid-Ick the one time I had ick (in a quarantine tank). I just followed the directions, but did it for twice as long as the bottle said.

 

[Sonny Disposition]

If he doesn't have any fish in the tank, he can try pouring a couple of bottles of drug store hydrogen peroxide into the tank. H2O2 pretty much destroys all proteins it comes in contact with, if the exposure is long enough. Then, after a day or so, it completely disintegrates, so there's no trace of it left.

You can use it as an algae treatment--at concentrations that don't hurt fish, but destroy algae. That would be 6 teaspoons per ten gallons.

I haven't had ick in my tanks for a long time, so I don't know how the six teaspoon per ten gallon dose would work again it. I'm thinking it would do pretty well. I've had similar maladies come through the tanks, in which the fish were "scratching" from some kind of parasite that was too small to see. The day after the peroxide dose, the fish weren't scratching any more.



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (maddog10 @ May 4 2008, 07:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

First thing he should of done was quarantine the fish for a minimum of 2 weeks, i usually do it for 4 weeks.

I used Rid-Ick the one time I had ick (in a quarantine tank). I just followed the directions, but did it for twice as long as the bottle said.[/b]

 

[Pat Kelly]

To me the biggest thing is the time like Maddog said.

Ick does go in cycles. You think you have it licked and then its back if you do not

treat long enough. Make sure you treat at least a couple weeks if not longer.

And dont forget the water changes and siphon the gravel.

 

[phishphorphun]

Never had Ick. And that includes my big clown loaches. I think it is because of the salt I add to the water.

 

[cyradis4]

I've been fortunate never to have ick, but if memory serves, salt does do a big number on the stuff. I think a friend of mine had a betta who got it.

Ditto on the quarenteen.....

Good luck!
Amanda.

 

[SubMariner]

Thank you guys!

 

[dogofwar]

Often ick will go away just by increasing the temperature - over 84. I accompany with Nox ick or quick cure. I use Aquarisol in quarantine tanks as a preventative.

I've had a couple of cases this year in quarantine tanks (of fish that I've had shipped in during the winter) and from an unexpected drop in the temp of my fishroom (the space heater that warms the room didn't come back on after a power outage).

Ick's certainly not a big deal unless left untreated... a little heat and TLC and the fish will be back in business. In fact, the fish that got ick from the temp drop in my fishroom ended up spawning during the treatment (i.e. temp rise)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SubMariner @ May 4 2008, 05:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Thank you guys![/b]

 

[Pat Kelly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dogofwar @ May 5 2008, 09:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Ick's certainly not a big deal unless left untreated... a little heat and TLC and the fish will be back in business. In fact, the fish that got ick from the temp drop in my fishroom ended up spawning during the treatment (i.e. temp rise)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SubMariner @ May 4 2008, 05:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you guys![/b]

[/b][/quote]

I lost a whole tank of fish last year to ick.

Was a tank full of albinos that I added an albino pleco to.

Found it hard to see the darn stuff on the albinos. By the time I noticed it was too late.
My stupidity. Bought the pleco from somewhere and did not quarantine it lone enough.

 

[dogofwar]

That sort of thing's happened to me in the past as well. Bottom tank. No light. Small, light-colored fish. Hard to see white spots until it's too late... Live and learn!



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dogofwar @ May 5 2008, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Often ick will go away just by increasing the temperature - over 84. I accompany with Nox ick or quick cure. I use Aquarisol in quarantine tanks as a preventative.

I've had a couple of cases this year in quarantine tanks (of fish that I've had shipped in during the winter) and from an unexpected drop in the temp of my fishroom (the space heater that warms the room didn't come back on after a power outage).

Ick's certainly not a big deal unless left untreated... a little heat and TLC and the fish will be back in business. In fact, the fish that got ick from the temp drop in my fishroom ended up spawning during the treatment (i.e. temp rise)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SubMariner @ May 4 2008, 05:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you guys![/b]

[/b][/quote]

 

[Sonny Disposition]

The other thing about ick is that a stage of the parasite lives in the gravel. If you can move them to a gravel-free tank while you're treating them, that will also help.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dogofwar @ May 5 2008, 12:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

That sort of thing's happened to me in the past as well. Bottom tank. No light. Small, light-colored fish. Hard to see white spots until it's too late... Live and learn!



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dogofwar @ May 5 2008, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Often ick will go away just by increasing the temperature - over 84. I accompany with Nox ick or quick cure. I use Aquarisol in quarantine tanks as a preventative.

I've had a couple of cases this year in quarantine tanks (of fish that I've had shipped in during the winter) and from an unexpected drop in the temp of my fishroom (the space heater that warms the room didn't come back on after a power outage).

Ick's certainly not a big deal unless left untreated... a little heat and TLC and the fish will be back in business. In fact, the fish that got ick from the temp drop in my fishroom ended up spawning during the treatment (i.e. temp rise)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SubMariner @ May 4 2008, 05:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you guys![/b]

[/b][/quote]
[/b][/quote]

 

[DeeCee]

Yes, I've had the same thing happen once, long long ago. I raised the temp & added salt, then treated with Rid-Ick. I think I DID end up losing a couple of fish, but the rest all recovered with no ill effects.

DC