Ich problems!!!

[jimfed1]

My tank has been up for awhile now, but I just noticed my Blue Hippo has ich. There is no way I am going to be able to catch him short of tearing down the whole reef (not really an option). I want to try soaking his food in garlic but do not have any access to Garlic Extreme. Is there a regular kind of garlic I can use other than the Marine stuff?

Any other suggestions, as he is my favorite fish.

[Patrick12]

He really needs to be pulled and QT'd and treated properly and the tank left fallow for at least 4 weeks at 80F. Short of doing that, there are some things that can help, but ultimately this will be a recurring problem. Gotta QT them first before getting added to the display...but you know that by now. UV sterilizers, ozone and really goos nutrition are about all you can try....that will have a positive impact. I use garlic guard. I strain my food and add it to a cup. Then add just enough GG to cover the food and add a few drops of Vita Chem. I get about 3 days feeding out of a cup. Keep it in the refrigerator in between feedings (incase that was not obvious).

[scaast]

Kordon makes an organic ich treatment...worked great...and reef safe.

[mhaith]

FWIW, I crushed a bunch of fresh garlic, mixed with a couple ounces of tank water, let it soak for an hour and strained. I sealed the juice in a jar and keep in the refrigerator and now soak all food in it.
It eliminated (or something did-haven't seen any Werewolves (or is it Vampires?) either) the ICH on my Sailfin Tang and it (the ICH)hasn't come back.
Could be coincidence, could be the garlic, could be magic.
Doesn't seem to hurt anything though.

[jonthefb]

you can also use garlic extract gel caps that you find at any pharmacy

[jimfed1]

How do you mix the garlic extract gel? I assume break open the gelcap, but how much water per cap. All I want to do is soak the food in it. I really have thought about tearing the reef down to get him, but he is still eating and swimming. Has been in the tank for nearly 3 months.

I have been fighting a battle with my calcium and just started dosing Kalkwasser into my topoff. Have also been dripping straight calcium in every couple days as my calcium was down to 240. Could this have sparked thge troubles? I assume I should leave the calcium issue alone for now, as it is 300-310.

Thanks for the replies.

[adams0816]

my cleaner shrimp helped with mine on top of using garlic

[jimfed1]

I have 2 cleaner shrimp and I have seen them cleaning all the other fish at one time or another but the Blue Hippo will not enter their cleaning station. Stupid fish!!!

I got some garlic gelcaps, and am going to soak food in that and see if it helps. Otherwise I will have to get some garlic extreme mailorder.

[pherbert]

I have a Hippo who was quarantined, was fine in my tank for a month, and then still got ich. I thought about tearing my tank apart to pull the speedy little freak out, but read about treating the food with Garlic Guard and making sure he has a varied and nutritious diet. Not wanting to kill him or the other fish with stress I decided to give it a try. The results thus far have been good. I have a skunk and a fire shrimp that also worked him over pretty good when he was all "ichy."

I've read some who say tangs will never be free of ich unless they are quarantined and treated with various potions, and others say hippo tangs in particular are hopeless "ich factories" that will inevitably get sick. So far he looks good and is getting bigger, and none of my other fish have had any problem, but YMMV.

[ricklee]

You can also feed frozen food for Discus with garlic. Jack Watley community health food made by Ocean Nutrition. I use it every couple weeks just to prevent ich my hippo and other tangs look great , no problems with ich.

[Frankenpora]

From what I've heard ich is a natural part of the fish and will develop under the right conditions even if there is none present in the system. I have had many Tangs come down witth the white spot ich and they usually recover on their own. I understand that using seaweed in their diet helps...
As far as catching him you could build a fish trap. But I think it will be an ongoing battle. Try garlic and seaweed.

[jonthefb]

A lot of commercially available foods are now advertised as having garlic in them, Ocean Nutritions Formula 2, Sera marine granules, Omega Sea Flakes, etc.

With the gel caps, i just pop one cap on the food that i am going to feed and let it soak for about 1/2 hour.

Cheers~!
jon

[jimfed1]

I have some formula one and formula 2 pellets both with garlic, but is the amount of garlic in them as much as it would be if soaked in a product like garlic extreme?

i did get some gelcaps, and just opened one up and soaked for a bit. I drained all the extra water, as i was not sure if a bunch of garlic water getting dumped in the DT. Not sure if necessary or not. We will see what happens. The Tang is still swimming and eating ALOT so hopefully he comes out of it.

[rkl303]

Leave some Nori for the guy to eat as well.

[spstimie]

i used spectrum thera+a as well as my ocean caught cleaner goby(1 in every tank) and cleaner shrimp(every tank without my large blue star leopard wrasse)