what next?

[smm607]

Ok so i posted a thread over a week ago about my purple tang possibly having ich... He has been in the qt tank for over a week he has been eating fine and not acting that abnormal, eating like a pig describes it better... Anyways i have done a few FW dips and it doesn't seem to be helping, he still has the with spots which seem to be getting a little bigger and possibly a few more... My question would be if it is time to start thinking about using a low dose wide spectrum med such as "Kordons Rid-Ich" It is supposed to treat a wide variety of things other than ich.... Should i use it or give it a while longer and maybe a couple more freash water dips and see if it finally does some help

[Percula9]

Definitely treat with copper or Rid-Ich. Without a medicant you can't stop the cycle of infection. Soak food in Garlic extreme for 20 min. Garlic is a immune booster. Fresh water dips can't stop the cycle of infection. Meds only kill the parasite in the free swimming stage. This will stop the fish from being reinfected.

[m2434]

My experience is that if a fish is eating well, it usually will do okay and I try not to stress it out too much (i.e. freshwater dips etc...). I wouldn't suggest taking it out of quarantine yet, but it's probably good to let the fish rest and recuperate.

[smm607]

yeah i wasn't planning on taking him out of the qt until this problem is rectified,even though he is eating well he isn't getting any better as far as the infection/'s go and whether or not i should go ahaed and start treating with a med

[m2434]

It's a tough call without seeing the fish... If it's a copper med, just remember that copper is pretty nasty stuff, as far as fish are concerned... Ich can often be overcome by the fish's own immune system if it is healthy enough, and that fact that it's eating well suggests it might be. I tend not to use meds and have had much success. I tend to belive that many people kill their fish by overmedicating, but that's just an opinion...

[smm607]

I agree, i don't want to medicate unless i have to, he is eating very well still, spots have gotten a little bigger and maybe added a few, he is beginning to swim into the flow of the powerhead which i read was a common reaction to the ich but he isn't breathing heavily or anything yet so i guess i will wait it out, Would you suggest another FW dip in the future if it doesn't start to clear up on its own?

[Chibils]

Soaking their food in garlic extract is an immune system booster. Unlike tropical ich, marine ich can usually be overcome on its own.

The problem with fw dips is that it "shocks" the tormonts off and stresses the fish, which causes them to burst and then when you put it back in the qt tank, they reinfect the fish.

[Mavrk]

What about hyposalinity as a treatment? Or would that stress a purple tang too much?

[kau_cinta_ku]

don't use copper with tangs. go with the hypo treatment

[T Man]

Agreed, do not treat tang's with copper, it does intestinal damage. Put the tang in a hospital tank and try hyposalinity. T

[smm607]

since he isn't relatively large would a 10G tank be ok to do the hyposalinity in?