RXP and Ich

[luvnsalt]

Ok, so I think I have a small outbreak of ich in my tank. So, I have began treating with RxP. I am looking for others that have used this product. Those of you that have, How long did it take before you saw any improvement? Did you see any improvement?
Thanks.
Dashia

 

[steve-s]

I haven't used it and if you'll excuse the advice, I would suggest you don't use this product either. Pepper based remedies, like others will not work each and every time they are used and results will vary from set up to set up. More commonly they do not work at all. I would also not include this product as any kind of "reef safe" remedy. If you look at the back of the bottle, there is a list of invertebrates and fish that must be removed prior to it's use. That has to tell you something about how potentially damaging it could be.

Do you have a quarantine tank and how many fish/what species are in the tank? Which fish is infested/how long have you had it?

Cheers
Steve

 

[luvnsalt]

So far I have seen it on 2 of my fish. Again, I won't swear that it is ich- I have never seen it in person. But, it is whiteish....they are eating and not scratching. I have already dosed 2x. I only have one starfish and the guy at the LFS said that he used it in his tank with inverts and they did fine. I do have a QT but have heard mixed reviews on that as well....And, I appreciate the advice so there is no need for "excuse."

Oh, It is on a clown and a purple pseudo.

 

[Terry B]

I would not recommend using any of the so-called reef safe remedies for ich. They usually don't work. If you are having problems using a quarantine tank then it is probably because you don't keep a cycled Qtank running at all times to avoid problems with water quality.

Terry B

 

[wrightme43]

Do you have inverts in your tank?
If not you can use hyposalinity in tank.
If so what kinds are they?
Just trying to help some.

 

[mjdf]

I have used that product in my reef with great sucess too. I know it was a gamble, but I did not notice any ill effects on any of my corals or inverts. They did close up when I dosed treatment, but they all came back just as beautiful as before. I was happy with the Rxp and I'm sure my tangs are aswell. Just my two cents.

 

[luvnsalt]

Well, at least there is a little good news, thanks mjdf! I really didn't want to treat, but this is my 1st outbreak and it is on my very 1st fish purchased that I have had for 1 1/2 years. So, I was a little desperate. So far, no damage. I only have 1 sand sifter and softies.

 

[steve-s]

I have never seen it in person. But, it is whiteish....they are eating and not scratching.

Pic attached, see if that helps...

I only have one starfish and the guy at the LFS said that he used it in his tank with inverts and they did fine.

Unfortuenatley that is not a good idea to follow. The damage to echinoderms may not be immediately appearant and can often shorten their already low survival rates in aquaria. I would urge you to reconsider this direction.

I do have a QT but have heard mixed reviews on that as well....

As noted by Terry, the main failing of quarantining animals is the lack of a cycled tank. It does not mean that is will fail from the get go, just that it will be alot more effort on your part. With the right treatment in place (hyposalinity in this case) the use of nitrogen sorbing media (polyfilter, Purogen, PARA pad), biological material from the display tank and frequent daily water changes; you can still come out of this for the better. For two small (?) fish, this will thankfully make it much much easier overall since controlling nutrient import/waste will be lower.

How is your QT set up, size, is it cycled and do you have a refractometer?

Cheers
Steve

 

[luvnsalt]

I guess the picture you sent is close enough that I would say ich. Just seems that my clown's white is a little more smeared, not so spotty. My QT has not been up and running, I guess I should keep it going all the time. Thanks Steve for all your imput.

 

[wayne in norway]

It did not work for me period. It did not cure ich. It did not even reduce, and I followed the instructions to the letter.

 

[luvnsalt]

Thanks Wayne. Well, I am doing another water change (30 gall) tomorrow. It seems that both my 2 that had the ich are clearing up-but it could be that the ich has jsut "jumped off" and will be worse when they reattach. We will see.

 

[steve-s]

Your time frame for re infestation is anywhere from a few days to a month.

Too many factors involved to narrow it down but the norm seems to be about 5-7ish days. Please be sure you do not add anything wet for at least the next 6-8 weeks. If you get the QT to where it can safely hold the fish or even will to do the extra water changes and such, that would still be your best option. At the very least, it will give you peace of mind for future additions. It's really the only way you'll be sure the parasite has been erradicated from the tank. Treat the fish in the QT and fallow the main.

Cheers
Steve

 

[luvnsalt]

What do you mean "do not add anything wet"?
I did a 25 gallon change last weekend and am mixing 30 more gallons up today and will do that tomorrow....again the next week. I won't be adding any new fish for a while-

 

[steve-s]

What do you mean "do not add anything wet"?

Anything from another tank has the potential to bring in any parasite/problem. It's not just adding fish that you need to worry about but what corals, rocks, snails and the like may carry in with them. As long as the surface area remains wet, the parasite will live to infest the tank. If allowed to dry, ie decorative items (rock/shells/coral skelatons), the parasite will die off. The same is true if using a QT and you have an unexplainable death. Best to start from new with a bleached/air dried tank and set up again.

It's also not just fish parasites that are a concern but parasitic inverts (flatworms/snails), the notorious red bug (if aquiring acropora sp) and other nuisance hitchikers like hydroids, worms, nudibrancs and so on.

Water changes are fine.

Cheers
Steve