# Ich coming bach!!!!!!!!!



## dhritiman (Mar 21, 2007)

In my 105 litre fish only aquarium Ich is continuously returning back. This time when the ich broke out then i had moved my fishes to QT. Raised the temp of the main tank and kept for atleast 3 months.In the Qt the fishes were healed. But still i found that the Ich is attacking the fishes when i introduce them to the main tank.I have heared that applying Copper medicines to main tank may help.But in India they are very much costly.Any idea??????????
Thanx for repling......................


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

To cure ich, you have to understand the cycle. You can not do anything about it when it is on the fish. When the fish no longer have signs of ick is when you have to treat it. The ich has fallen off, this is when it is alright to treat. Once off the fish it has a 24hr window to found a host unless it will die. If you do not have any inverts or corals lower the salinity to 1.019, here the ich can not survive and will die. Also what type of fish do you have and what are your water parameters? Also if you do not have one get a UV Sterilizer, this will help by killing any free floating ich parasites that are in the water.


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## The-Wolf (Mar 15, 2007)

yes copper based meds will help with resistant strains of ich, however copper is a very toxic substance to fish and other aquatic life. as little as 0.3 ppm can be fatal to an entire tank.

do you have access to a copper test kit in India, or a place that will test for copper for you? are any of your coins made from copper?

I ask because you can put one small copper coin in your filter and as it water passes over it, it releases copper ions into the water, however I wouldn't do this unless I had a way of keeping an eye on the levels of copper in the water. once the coin is in testing the levels should be at least on a weekly basis. oh and you can't have carbon filtration with the coin as the carbon will absorb the copper ions thus defeating the object of having it in there in the first place.

on another note
I have had good sucess treating resistant ich with FMG (formalin aka formeldahyde and malachite green). here in the UK you can buy it premade but I have no idea if the same applies to India.
I have a recipe to make your own but I'd need to know if you can get both chemicals locally.

HTH


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

The-Wolf said:


> yes copper based meds will help with resistant strains of ich, however copper is a very toxic substance to fish and other aquatic life. as little as 0.3 ppm can be fatal to an entire tank.
> 
> do you have access to a copper test kit in India, or a place that will test for copper for you? are any of your coins made from copper?
> 
> ...



The copper coin is really no longer used as much as ich will get used to the copper and it will not be as effective. Also its not good to use copper in saltwater tanks, as it will kill all inverts. Also when placing copper in a saltwater tank you will never get all off it out as it will be asbored by the sand/crushed coral or live rock. It will leach backinto the water over time slowly. The best way is has I stated purchase a UV sterilizer if you dont have one already.


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## The-Wolf (Mar 15, 2007)

I didn't realise this was in the saltwater emergancy forum, didn't even realise there was such a thing.

I don't have much experiance with marine tanks but know enough to retract anything I said above and the use of copper.


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## nbassis (Apr 12, 2007)

I had a similar problem. Once i got the UV had no more problem. They work wonders.


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

nbassis said:


> I had a similar problem. Once i got the UV had no more problem. They work wonders.


Yes they do, I still have a tiny ich problem but thats because I have 3 tangs, and everyone knows tangs and ich go tgether like peanut butter and jelly.


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## dhritiman (Mar 21, 2007)

Thanks a lot for all of your replies....

My tank:
I have the tank for five to six months. 
Nitrate and nitrite is normal but there is full of red algae. 
No live rock but one small(very small) crab(don't know name.10% water change every 1 month. 
150 Watt 'Resun' thermostat.2 Common Clowns(2" nearly),1 Clarkii Clown(1"). 
Shell dust.Diet-Frozen shrimp,Tetra bits,Tetra marine flake food,Bio grains. 
Situated in the dining room.The tank is about 10ft away from window.Sunlight falls on it both on morning and afternoon. 
I place in QT for 3 weeks for new arrivals.

The problem is that in a Under-devoloped country like India,no UV sterelizers are found.But I have a bit of the copper metal.Will i place it in my tank.I cannot test copper level because there is no Copper test kit.

I think I am in great trouble.Please help....


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