Garlic for treatment of Ick?????

[doubletap4311]

It happened. My blue tang I've had for 3-4 months has a few white, crystal spots on his side. I started soaking my fish food with garlic extreme today. Will this take care of the Ick??? I have also started to lower my salinity from 1.022 to 1.020. Any suggestions??

[sandry75]

I had the same problem with my Blue tang & my Sailfin - They both got it bad. I took your approach (with coral in the tank not many other options). Both cleared up in about 3-4 weeks. Have not had the problem since. Now they both look great :)
Good Luck!!!
Sandry75

[bertoni]

I wouldn't lower the salinity in a tank with live rock, and 1.020 probably won't help, anyway. Garlic might encourage fish to eat, but it doesn't do anything else, as far as anyone can tell. I'd use hyposalinity, but the fish might be able to fight off the infection by themselves.

[doubletap4311]

I cannot catch him with 175 lbs of live rock. The other fish seem healthy. I am going to raise the temp slowly to about 80-82. He is eating very well.

[cloak]

No ick, but all my fish get it.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w16/jAb83_2007/dcp_1741.jpg

[doubletap4311]

so a daily regiment of garlic will help if not prevent ick????

[stuccodude]

yes, it cured my ich in about a week. going on 1 year with no problems since i started soaking food with garlic but i know i know garlic will not cure ich?

[mouscacha]

My fish hate the garlic soaked food. I think they're spoiled.

[bertoni]

There's no evidence that garlic helps ich, and no reason to believe so. Fish get well on their own sometimes, whether garlic is added or not. The immune system of many fish can fight the disease off, if only partially.

[stuccodude]

i believe theres evidence when your fish are infested with ich and you treat with garlic and the ich is gone, probly added 8 fish since and no signs of ich. i usually dont chime in on this issue but every once in a while i do and always get the same results that hypo and copper are the only way to treat ich but it is not true, maybe it doesnt kill ich but the ich will not host a fish with garlic in its system and ich dies with no host. so your right garlic will not cure ich it just keeps it off your fish.

[bertoni]

There's no reason to believe that ich won't host on a fish with garlic in its system. Given the various posts on this forum, it's fairly clear that the parasite <b>will</b> host on garlic-fed fish.

[harryk]

There is no scientific proof that garlic will cure Ich. People do swear by it though. It will increase fish appetite, possibly boost their immune system to help fight off Ich naturally. Some fish are naturally resistant to it so they won't get it again. I would use it and just keep an eye on it. chances are the parasite will always be in your tank waiting for a suseptable fish to attack. If you really wanna irradicate it you have to treat all your fish in QT and leave your tank fallow for 6 week but up to 3 months depending on the strain of Ich. Good luck

Harry