# Saltwater Ich?



## Angels (Nov 30, 2011)

So I have saltwater Ich (white spot) What do use to treat it? I am lowering the salinity to 1.010....Its at 1.014 right now.....I have already lost my Royal Gramma to it because I didn't see it right away.... And I think that my clown might die...Its starting to turn to its side and I don't want it to die because I made a mistake! Help?? Please?? What can I do...I am treating with saltwater ich cure and it seems to be working....


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Be careful to not lower the salinity too quickly or your fish might have a hard time. Freshwater dips are a good idea, and the medication is also good. You are doing what needs to be done. I hope your fish make it.


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## Angels (Nov 30, 2011)

I am changing 1 gallon every other day...Thanks, I do too....He will not eat anything besides B. Shrimp that has been in garlic juice for 5 mins....He ate more today then he did yesturday...He ate 3-4 full grown shrimps! The day before he only ate 2.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Eating is a good sign. Is he swimming better now?


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

How many gallons is your tank? Have you added any new fish or coral recently? If not, I'd check your parameters. (pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Alkalinity) Ich normally only arrives with un-quarantined fish, but can really come into your tank on almost anything wet. Usually, the immune system of your fish is strong enough to fight off a dormant parasite, but as soon as something gets stressed, it multiplies and overwhelms the tank. 

I'm assuming you Live Rock or other inverts? If so, your best bet is to set up a sterile QT tank with a sponge filter, a heater, and some cover. Treat that tank with copper (per instructions) and be sure that there is no other medication or carbon in the QT to interfere. Monitor all levels in the QT, and perform water changes as needed. Once the fish is out of the display tank, it must remain empty for eight weeks so that any remaining parasites die off. After that, it will be okay to re-release the treated clown back into the DT!

Good luck, and if you have any questions, just ask. We have tons of SW expertise here, but I've only got the basics down. :fun:

Welcome to Fish Forums, and again, good luck! I know how stressful MI can be, and I've learned my lesson...


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Don't drop the salinity if you have inverts in the tank. I'm guessing you already knew that, but hey, just in case.
1.008 is what you want. 1.010 will just slow it down.

Add garlic to the food. Garlic baths aren't much good at all; you need to get the garlic into the fish in order to make thm taste bad to the parasites. Eight weeks of garlic food should eliminate the ickies from the tank completely.


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## Angels (Nov 30, 2011)

Its a 20 gallon...Yes I know bad size...Ok, .008, got it....Yes I have been adding garlic to his food And the others too...Thats the only way he will eat it! I soak it in homemade garlic juice for like 5-10mins and then give it to them He loves it! Yes he is swimming much better Yes, Live Rock and fish...I think that I might have some sort of....Grr can't think of the name...A clowns host thingie....Its white and it has gotten bigger then when I got it...I could not see it when I 1st got it and now its the size of a dime..Its in DT...Yes, a Royal gramma....But that was a month before I got ich


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Angels said:


> I think that I might have some sort of....Grr can't think of the name...A clowns host thingie....Its white and it has gotten bigger then when I got it...(


An anemone? You think you have a hitchhiker anemone? That would be very rare.


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## Angels (Nov 30, 2011)

Yes thats it! I am almost 100% sure.. Yes I do think I do have one on my live rock....I also think that I have a rare red algea too...I looked it up in one of my many saltwater books and it looks the same, like to a t....


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Aiptasia is a hitchhiker anemone that can be quite a pest. They will eventually take over the whole tank if left unchecked.









Majano Anemones are also a pest. These guys can take over the tank and sting corals, and fish if you dont remove them.


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## Angels (Nov 30, 2011)

bmlbytes said:


> Aiptasia is a hitchhiker anemone that can be quite a pest. They will eventually take over the whole tank if left unchecked.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nope, don't look like that...The top one is closer to what it looks like...Its white has like very white bulbs at the end...


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Can you get some pictures? If you were to start a new hitch hiker thread, it would be easier to help too.


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