| Marine Ich (ick) is one of the most common diseases | | | | can make the existing fish stress as they now have |
| found in the saltwater aquarium industry. Saltwater | | | | more ich to deal with and fight off. |
| ick, or Cryptocaryon irritans, is a protozoan parasite | | | | There are many treatments out there for Saltwater |
| that attaches itself to the gills and skin of the fish. | | | | Ich. However there are very few that are considered |
| Ich is present in almost all environments at all times in | | | | "reef" friendly and those are questionable. I would like |
| low levels. Healthy fish with good immune systems | | | | to attack this from more of a holistic standpoint. |
| can effectively fight off the parasites with little to no | | | | While copper, Maracyn, Ick Cure, and more have |
| visual detection. Ich is a stress induced disease. Once | | | | shown to be effective at treating Saltwater Ich, |
| a fish gets stressed, the parasite then multiplies and | | | | there are many side effects that ultimately stress |
| takes over as the immune system of the stressed | | | | the fish more than the Ich itself. Since you cannot |
| fish is not as strong to fight it off. Signs of ich can | | | | dose these in a reef tank, you would have to catch |
| be many. The obvious sign is the white spots on the | | | | the fish and setup a hospital tank to treat the fish in |
| skin that look like salt grains. This is not to be | | | | question. This alone can be very stressful. A lot of |
| confused with Amyloodinium, or Velvet, which looks | | | | the strains of Ich today have become resilient to |
| like a fine white dusting on the fish. Other signs may | | | | these medications as well. |
| include loss of appetite, flashing, lethargy, or breathing | | | | So looking at this from a holistic standpoint, the logical |
| heavy. | | | | thing to focus on is the health and immune system |
| As previously stated, Ich is a stressed induced | | | | of the fish. There are several things you can do once |
| disease. Any healthy fish with a solid immune system | | | | you notice there may be a problem. The key is to |
| can fight off Ich without a full blown infection. The | | | | notice the problem early and act quickly instead of |
| important thing in treating Ich is to find out what the | | | | waiting until it is too late. Once a fish is completely |
| stressor is. Stressors can be anything from | | | | covered in ich and not eating, the chances of saving |
| aggression, temperature fluctuations, diet, lighting | | | | it are slim to none with any treatment. Assuming the |
| period, water quality and introduction of new fish. | | | | fish is still eating, the best thing to do is feed, feed, |
| Temperate stability in a saltwater tank is very | | | | and feed. Six or seven feedings a day or more would |
| important. There should never be more than a 2 | | | | be a common treatment. The idea is to keep the |
| degree fluctuation is a 24 hour period. Buy the best | | | | immune system as healthy as possible to fight off |
| thermometer you can afford. A digital logging | | | | the infection. Now of course feeding that many times |
| thermometer is best as this will help you determine | | | | per day brings a whole new potential problem. Water |
| the lowest and highest temperature. Many hobbiests | | | | quality still has to be kept high so this may also |
| fail in this part and buy the cheap glass thermometer | | | | involve more water changes. Garlic has proven to be |
| and never know they have a problem. | | | | effective when soaked in the frozen food. Garlic is a |
| Aggression is also at the top. When selecting fish you | | | | natural appetite stimulant and makes the fish want to |
| should always research compatibility. Knowing your | | | | eat. I have also had luck adding garlic to the tank |
| fish are compatible and not trying to kill each other | | | | when a fish stops eating. Wait about 30 minutes and |
| will have a long lasting effect on your tank. Lighting | | | | sometimes you can get them to eat. |
| period in a tank should be pretty obvious. You would | | | | During this time you need to focus on the potential |
| be surprised though how many people I have talked | | | | stressor. If it is temperature, get it stable. It may |
| to that will have the lights cycle on and off 2 or 3 | | | | involve adding a heater, putting a fan on the tank to |
| times a day. This is a big no no. Messing with the | | | | cool it, raising the temperature, etc. Anything from 76 |
| lunar cycle will defiantly stress your fish. 4-8 hours is | | | | - 81 degrees is acceptable, but the key is stable. Is |
| ideal for any aquarium. Reef tanks have been proven | | | | there another fish picking on other fish? If this is the |
| to be just as healthy with 4 hours of light as 8 hours | | | | case there may be no other choice but to remove |
| per day. Figure out the best time to have your lights | | | | one of the fish. What are you feeding the fish? This |
| on that works with your work schedule. Just make | | | | is very important. Tangs for example have ample |
| sure they go on and off only once per day. | | | | food on the reef and constantly graze on algae. So it |
| Diet is a whole other topic. Here we are just going to | | | | makes sense if you have a tang showing signs of ich |
| make the statement that researching the diet of | | | | to feed a lot of seaweed, spirulina, etc. Keep water |
| each fish is very beneficial. You may be able to keep | | | | quality at its highest. Protein skimmers are your best |
| a yellow tang alive on brine shrimp, but that does not | | | | friends the in reef hobby. Not all protein skimmers are |
| mean it will be healthy and will have a good immune | | | | created equal. You get what you pay for on this |
| system. Water quality is another topic for another | | | | piece of equipment so don't expect to spend $50 on |
| day, but again, optimal water conditions will do | | | | a skimmer and have it perform as well as the $300 |
| wonders at keeping a healthy tank. Also the addition | | | | skimmer. |
| of new fish can in a way be considered a stressor. | | | | In summary, reef fish are a lot more delicate then |
| Putting a new fish in the tank that already has an ich | | | | their freshwater cousins. Optimal conditions are |
| outbreak and is stressed out will allow ich to rapidly | | | | required and will help prevent problems in the future. |
| reproduce in your tank. The rapid reproduction of ich | | | | |