Ich Outbreak!!!!

[wagnutz69]

I'm trying to locate the problem of my recent Ich outbreak in my 125. Nothing in the tank had changed when it broke out. My Blue Angel is the worst, and then there are my Rock Beauty Angel, Scopas Tang, Clown Tang, and formerly a Mandarin Goby, and a Bicolor Blenny (one died from ich complications i'm guesing, and the Mandarin was munched on by my 15" saddled anemone). All of my corals look excellent, and water parameters tested out great. I performed a 25% WC, and also removed another biowheel from my Emperor to convert them into simple waterflow units. This caused a slight ammo spike, but oddly enough the ich started to get better (guessing it's changing stages of life?}. Sure enough it's come back, all of the fish are covered with Ich, but they all seem to act normal. Thinking of a UV sterilizer? What should I do as I'm trying and trying to get these fish out to FW dip, but am having no luck. Hopefully somebody has a clue as to what I should do. Thanks.


WAGZ

[dark horge]

Sorry for your troubles, w.

The ammonia spike probably hurt the parasites, which would explain the slight relief from symptoms.

You already seem to know enough to seek removal of all fish into treatment tanks. From there it is a matter of medicating the fish (dip, garlic, etc.), and starving out the display tank parasites of ANY fish hosts. The starve-out is usually pegged at two-three weeks, with a failsafe of 72 days.

But if you ABSOLUTELY CAN'T get the fish out, you might then attempt in-tank garlic treatment: Try feeding the herbivores small bits of raw garlic, and the carnivores garlic-laced regular food.

Hopefully you will see a relief of he symptoms. But the parasites ejected (and the ones dormant in the substrate) are usually still viable. You theoretically could keep feeding garlic for 72 days, at the levels that obtained ejection of the parasites, keeping them off the fish and thus starving out the bugs even while the fish remain in-tank.

Theoretically.

Good luck,
and please observe, measure and record what you can, and report any interesting results.
horge