Real world experiences with Paraguard in a reef tank

GCosio · 02/17/2015, 09:38 PM

I hope this message finds everyone well!

I have a 300g reef tank and recently ran into an issue with some fish (Tangs ofcourse) contracting ich. I have a number of corals and inverts in the tank.

I want to take every effort to try and save my Tangs in the tank but dont want to risk losing mass corals. My tank is really rocky and I will likely have to tear down the rock display to catch the tangs, a process which will likely stress the other fish. So I am considering dosing the DT to treat the ich. I have read the information and FAQs on Seachems site but the information is not really conclusive.

Hence why I am here, I wanted to solicit the feedback from the community as to what experiences my fellow reefers have with Paraguard in a reef tank...

Thanks in advance for the assistance!

jason2459 · 02/17/2015, 09:52 PM

There is no reef safe treatment for cryptocaryon irritans. Anyone that says they have successfully used a reef safe treatment because they saw no more "ich" on their fish after they started using it basically saw their fish go through the normal life cycle of the parasite. It's still there in the tank somewhere.

Reef Frog · 02/17/2015, 10:51 PM

Paraguard is a less toxic alternative to formalin which was once popular as a fish dip to rid them of some external parasites and give the fish some relief. It is not a cure or treatment for ich and I don't believe the manufacturer, Seachem, even makes that claim.

So it won't work and may cause other issues in a reef...who know what. I wouldnt use it in the display.

GCosio · 02/17/2015, 10:55 PM

Jason, thanks for the response. I completely agree with your POV. There is definitely risk and the best bet is copper and waiting out the entire lifecycle of the parasite. Unfortunately I dont have those options.

I am trying to get some folks to chime in with their specific experience using paraguard in a reef tank. I just want to get some insight into what I can expect from folks that have actually done it and feedback on which corals were most susceptible.

We have a second, much smaller, tank in the house and I am not adverse to moving some of the more susceptible coral to that location. Hence why I am looking for advice from folks that have actually done this.

jason2459 · 02/17/2015, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCosio

Jason, thanks for the response. I completely agree with your POV. There is definitely risk and the best bet is copper and waiting out the entire lifecycle of the parasite. Unfortunately I dont have those options.

I am trying to get some folks to chime in with their specific experience using paraguard in a reef tank. I just want to get some insight into what I can expect from folks that have actually done it and feedback on which corals were most susceptible.

We have a second, much smaller, tank in the house and I am not adverse to moving some of the more susceptible coral to that location. Hence why I am looking for advice from folks that have actually done this.

tank transfer method and copper are both very effective against ick. Other wise I hear some buzz about CP and new life spectrum ich shield.

Good luck.

Reef Frog · 02/18/2015, 12:51 AM

CORRECTION: I just read the label again on my bottle of Paraguard. It says "...for the use against fish ecto parasites (e.g. Ich)". So they ARE making that claim!

To the OP: You may wish to ask this question in the Fish Disease Forum on RC. Very experienced folks there.

Reef Frog · 02/18/2015, 01:39 AM

Also check out the search function on RC. You're not the only one looking for an easy way out of an ich issue. I could not find any confirmed success stories with Paraguard for Ich, much less in a DT with coral after scanning a few dozen pages.

You will find this statement however directly from Seachem:

"We do not recommend using Paraguard in a tank with invertebrates."

There ya go - right from the source.

GCosio · 02/21/2015, 08:20 PM

I went ahead and tried para guard for a few days in my DT. Unfortunately it was too late to save the fish, I just bought a QT and will be setting it up shortly. Unfortunately a QT is really the only absolute easy to treat ich.

Using para guard in my DT worked for seceral days but after the fourth day it really started to adversely impact my corals. I had to cease dosing as it became evident I was doing more harm good.

If you are serious about having a well established Reef tank there is no substitute to a solid QT and quarantine protocol.

It just sucks to learn the hard way.

Thanks everyone.

jason2459 · 02/22/2015, 11:27 AM

Why would you do that? That's not even learning the hard way but just ignoring common sense. The company themselves says to NOT use the product with inverts in the tank.

jbvdhp · 02/22/2015, 12:42 PM

I have first hand experience with para guard killing my cleaner shrimps and sps. I had some in a holding tank, accidentally spilled some into that bin and the Sps had rtn within hours and the shrimp froze up and died a few hours later.

Don't put it in your reef as it is NOT invert safe.

02/17/2015, 09:38 PM	#1
GCosio Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13	Real world experiences with Paraguard in a reef tank I hope this message finds everyone well! I have a 300g reef tank and recently ran into an issue with some fish (Tangs ofcourse) contracting ich. I have a number of corals and inverts in the tank. I want to take every effort to try and save my Tangs in the tank but dont want to risk losing mass corals. My tank is really rocky and I will likely have to tear down the rock display to catch the tangs, a process which will likely stress the other fish. So I am considering dosing the DT to treat the ich. I have read the information and FAQs on Seachems site but the information is not really conclusive. Hence why I am here, I wanted to solicit the feedback from the community as to what experiences my fellow reefers have with Paraguard in a reef tank... Thanks in advance for the assistance!

02/17/2015, 09:52 PM	#2
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	There is no reef safe treatment for cryptocaryon irritans. Anyone that says they have successfully used a reef safe treatment because they saw no more "ich" on their fish after they started using it basically saw their fish go through the normal life cycle of the parasite. It's still there in the tank somewhere. __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank

02/21/2015, 08:20 PM	#8
GCosio Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13	Thanks I went ahead and tried para guard for a few days in my DT. Unfortunately it was too late to save the fish, I just bought a QT and will be setting it up shortly. Unfortunately a QT is really the only absolute easy to treat ich. Using para guard in my DT worked for seceral days but after the fourth day it really started to adversely impact my corals. I had to cease dosing as it became evident I was doing more harm good. If you are serious about having a well established Reef tank there is no substitute to a solid QT and quarantine protocol. It just sucks to learn the hard way. Thanks everyone.

02/22/2015, 11:27 AM	#9
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	Why would you do that? That's not even learning the hard way but just ignoring common sense. The company themselves says to NOT use the product with inverts in the tank. __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank

02/22/2015, 12:42 PM	#10
jbvdhp Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,131	I have first hand experience with para guard killing my cleaner shrimps and sps. I had some in a holding tank, accidentally spilled some into that bin and the Sps had rtn within hours and the shrimp froze up and died a few hours later. Don't put it in your reef as it is NOT invert safe. __________________ This hobby = no more money Current Tank Info: 8' 240 gallons of headache

02/17/2015, 10:51 PM	#3
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	Paraguard is a less toxic alternative to formalin which was once popular as a fish dip to rid them of some external parasites and give the fish some relief. It is not a cure or treatment for ich and I don't believe the manufacturer, Seachem, even makes that claim. So it won't work and may cause other issues in a reef...who know what. I wouldnt use it in the display.

02/17/2015, 10:55 PM	#4
GCosio Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13	Jason, thanks for the response. I completely agree with your POV. There is definitely risk and the best bet is copper and waiting out the entire lifecycle of the parasite. Unfortunately I dont have those options. I am trying to get some folks to chime in with their specific experience using paraguard in a reef tank. I just want to get some insight into what I can expect from folks that have actually done it and feedback on which corals were most susceptible. We have a second, much smaller, tank in the house and I am not adverse to moving some of the more susceptible coral to that location. Hence why I am looking for advice from folks that have actually done this.

02/18/2015, 12:51 AM	#6
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	CORRECTION: I just read the label again on my bottle of Paraguard. It says "...for the use against fish ecto parasites (e.g. Ich)". So they ARE making that claim! To the OP: You may wish to ask this question in the Fish Disease Forum on RC. Very experienced folks there.

02/18/2015, 01:39 AM	#7
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	Also check out the search function on RC. You're not the only one looking for an easy way out of an ich issue. I could not find any confirmed success stories with Paraguard for Ich, much less in a DT with coral after scanning a few dozen pages. You will find this statement however directly from Seachem: "We do not recommend using Paraguard in a tank with invertebrates." There ya go - right from the source.