Using Kick-Ich

[Derek]

I am using Kick-Ich right now. I do not know if it is okay to do my water change. The bottle doesn't say anything against it. My water is getting pretty nasty and I would like to do a water change. Is it okay to do a water change during these treatments?

[Timfish]

I would go ahead and do it. You could treat just the new water to maintain theraputic levels of Kick-Ich.

[pbnj]

Based on what I've read and also through personal experience, I have to say that those "reef-safe" ich treatments are a lot of bunk.

Most just seem like water and garlic extract.

[+Hydro]

I used kick ich once and within hours my scooter blenny that was fat, healthy, and ich free died. I never used it again and wouldn't recommend it, also I went ahead and left it in the tank and it didn't work.

Garlic, frozen foods, and nori have worked way better than the kick ich for me. Good luck with the ich, sucks to deal with.

[Timfish]

I've had inconsistent results with Kick-Ich which I understand uses a variant of Metronidiazole. It'll work in one tank but not the next. I haven't had much better success with Metronidiazole (it's a lot cheaper) and had one tank where the frogspawn stayed partially closed up during treatment until I removed it with carbon but I've never lost any thing that couldn't be blamed on the parasite. I much prefer UV sterilizers. I would use Kick-Ich or Metronadiazole as a stop gap measure until I could get a sterilizer setup if neccessary.

[versace]

Do you using Kick-Ich in yous main tank????????

I dont think its good idea.

You need hospital tank.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/sp/index.php

[Timfish]

Do you using Kick-Ich in yous main tank????????

I dont think its good idea.

You need hospital tank.

http://reefkeeping.c...12/sp/index.php

I quarintine my fish and IF a fish can be caught easily I wholeheartily support the use of a hospital tank. But with most of my tanks the corals are VASTLY more valuable than the fish and pulling most of the corals and rock out of a tank to catch the fish is not a realistic option. The cost of an oversized U.V. Sterilizer plus installation is going to be significantly less than the cost of labor tearing apart a tank, catching the fish, putting the tank back together and hospitalizing and treating the fish, this is without taking into consideration the stress on all parties involved and remember stress kills.

As I understand it Metronidiazole and it's derivatives are protozoan specific and should not affect anything not protozoan. It is my belief though, I don't know any specifics, even if it is only killing protozoans it's going to be getting some good with the bad. Why my frogspawn was affected I do not know and there are enough variables what I need to do is set up a tank just with frogspawn and add Metronidiazole to see what happens but I'm a little short on time and space to do that.

[+Hydro]

This is the one that I have

http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B000G7Z3O0

That is really overkill for tanks less than 200 gallons IMO. I wanted a high flow rate on mine and the higher the flow rate they more cost. Here is a more affordable version that would work great for a tank less than 200 gallons, it's 4 GPM

http://www.home-wate...C4.php?ref=base

You see there is a $200 difference to go from a 4 GPM to a 5 GPM, the 4 GPM is much more bang for your buck. They even sell 1 GPM but it is only $20 less than the 4 GPM.

They can either be ordered in regular stainless steel or in 316 stainless steel for an extra $50.

[Timfish]

Do you using Kick-Ich in yous main tank????????

I dont think its good idea.

You need hospital tank.

http://reefkeeping.c...12/sp/index.php

I quarintine my fish and IF a fish can be caught easily I wholeheartily support the use of a hospital tank. But with most of my tanks the corals are VASTLY more valuable than the fish and pulling most of the corals and rock out of a tank to catch the fish is not a realistic option. The cost of an oversized U.V. Sterilizer plus installation is going to be significantly less than the cost of labor tearing apart a tank, catching the fish, putting the tank back together and hospitalizing and treating the fish, this is without taking into consideration the stress on all parties involved and remember stress kills.

As I understand it Metronidiazole and it's derivatives are protozoan specific and should not affect anything not protozoan. It is my belief though, I don't know any specifics, even if it is only killing protozoans it's going to be getting some good with the bad. Why my frogspawn was affected I do not know and there are enough variables what I need to do is set up a tank just with frogspawn and add Metronidiazole to see what happens but I'm a little short on time and space to do that.

My post has been bugging me and I wanted to make it clear I would never use antibiotics or most other medications in a reef system. Vercace is right most of this needs to be done in a hospital tank if a fish can be caught easily otherwise my vote is for the corals.