Extended Lighting cycle and ICH

[AlfaRomeo]

I have noticed that my Achiles Tang is relatively free of ICH when the MHs switches on but when the lighting cycle is near the end, there is significantly more spots of its body and the cycle is repeating every day since the last week or so. Point to note is that its a new addition to the Tank.

Rest of the Fishes including several other tangs are ICH free in the morning but will have a few spots late at nite.

Can it be that my extended lighting duration is causing the fishes stress and leading to the ICH at the later part of the lighting cycle?

Lighting Duration is 12 Hours (10 Hours MH)

PH and temp is pretty stable (8.2-8.4/26-27)

Opinions? Advices? Observations?

[weileong]

Here's what I tried.

One of the PBT kanna ich till quite terlok like almost going. I black out the tank for 4 solid days and I meant really black out till totally no lights. On the 5th day it has just a few dots left on it's body. Maybe the lighting can stress it??

[kschew1498]

hey hey....I have the same experience also......my MH is switch on in the evening.....so during the day....I notice there are fewer white spot.....but when my MH is full blast (all 3 on)...... .....magnificent sighting.....the damp ich is covering the whole body of the PBT!!!! Sigh!

My 6th day of medication......a little bit of improvement.......lesser white spot.....but I doubt my PBT is going to make it......its so skinny liao.......even though it nipples the lettuce I fed them...... SIGH!

[AlfaRomeo]

kschew1498, is the amount of ICH present on the body more when compared between the first 1 Hr of MH and the last 1 hr of MH?

[AlfaRomeo]

Hi Guys, replies in Ultimatereef.net which confirms my suspicion about daylight hours affecting fishes especially Tangs. So for those with extended lighting periods... cut down to 8 hours! and your fishes will thank you...

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/index.p...=0entry201406

[patrick123]

This is really interesting. I need to start reducing my hours.

[weileong]

No wonder 4 solid days of total black out/darkness has saved my PBT

If white spot outbreak again in my 2ft cube I will black out for 2 months Maybe the fish also gone blind by then.

[patrick123]

So why you did block out light for 4 days in the first place? To kill algae?

[weileong]

I thought stress was causing the white spot on the PBT so by having a solid black out the fish has no stress and can have good rest. It doesn't even know day from night

[Domino]

I don't think it can be too good to have 4 days of darkness. A week with shorter daily photoperiod sounds more rational so the fish has a chance to feed everyday during the few hour of light and gain more strenght to fight the parasite.

[chrislwp]

I read somewhere that when light is on, ich will tend to swim towards the light, this also make it more easier to find a host.

If light is off, ich will not swim freely to find a host. Don't know how accurate.

[weileong]

I dunno if this will work....

Totally black out the tank.

Then install a UV sterilizer. At the inlet of the pipe leading to the UV sterilizer install a light source so all the ich swims toward the inlet then get suck into the UV and get killed!

I black out 4 days because the PBT was almost up lorry so since like almost no cure so just try it out!

During these 4 days I still throw in a little bit of food.

[AlfaRomeo]

A worthy point to consider is a closed loop in the main tank with a UV unit or maybe a bank of UVs...

Question: Can SPS and other coral survive a day or 2 w/o Lights?

[weileong]

I think to tackle the problem we've to use multi-approach.

1. mask the fish smell with garlic, feed them good food with vitamin to build up their immune system.

2. use the black out + lights + UV tatic

3. use neon gobies to clean them to reduce stress

4. buy freshwater mollies put in betta box then light up betta box so the ich attack the mollies

so i have like 10 batch of mollies then every day I change the mollies... those used finish one I put back freshwater for 2 weeks so the ich cannot hatch.

[surfedelic]

I had been battling with ich for about 6 month initially when I start up my aquarium. In the end my tang still survive for about 2 years already coming to 3.

What I did to fight ich :

1) switch off for about 2 days. Usu this parasite need to find a host within 24hrs or 48 hrs (can't remember the actual figure) if not they will die.

2) siphon off the top layers of sand - have to do it cautiously if you do not have a refugium. The reason is because the eggs will reside on the top layers of the sands so siphon the eggs out and throw the water away. If there are sands just wash the sands thoroughly

3) feed with garlic

other measures :

1) reduce salinity (not suitable for coral tank but not so effective)

2) fresh water dip (not so effective also as the fish usu goes into a shock and die)

3) stop feeling any live food eg. brineshrimp or small fresh water fishes.

4) increase temp which will shorter the white spot parasite's lifespan.

hope it helps.

[AlfaRomeo]

Status Update from Tokyo:

Family members just called to say that AT has called it a day and went to Tang heaven. sob sob...

[roidan]

condolences, hope the rest of your tangs will not be too affected by ich

[AlfaRomeo]

I hope so too... *fingers crossed*

[patrick123]

I think the best way to combat ich is to reduce fish stock. I know with the given tank size, all of us want to fit as many fish as possible. But fish induce stress. I notice that when I have 1 or 2 tangs, the fish will have one or 2 dots of white spot, and then it just go away in a few days. If I start adding more fish, the ich is more persistent.

[kschew1498]

Alfa, I share your sadness.....Sigh!.....My powder brown also went up the lorry few days ago....then follow by my Brown Tang (who had been with me since my 2 footer). Before these, my anthias and my bi-color benny also up the lorry!!!! AAARRRHHH>>>>>$#@$%#$%@!@!....bloody ich almost wipe off my LS!!!!!

Now left with my yellow, sailfin, blue and yellow eye........looks like my kole tang also...... .......

Damp it.....its my 8th days of "KILL ICH" medication.....and I already have 4 casualty!!!!!......yesterday found a dead blood shrimp as well.....

I am losing confidence after all this.......sigh!!!!

SHIT....a bit lost already.....$#@$##@$#!@!#$

[tineng]

don't loose heart bro....what i have experience in battleing ich is that they are most often induce by stress....just reduce your light period and cut down on your feeding. Resist the tempatation to stick your hand into the tank and leave medication as the last restort....

[kschew1498]

don't loose heart bro....what i have experience in battleing ich is that they are most often induce by stress....just reduce your light period and cut down on your feeding. Resist the tempatation to stick your hand into the tank and leave medication as the last restort....

Thanks bro.....I think I have a mis-perception here.......I feed a lot to the remaining tangs......especially spinach........thought the fishes will be stronger to battle the ich...... ....and I only on my protein skimmer alternate days as it will dilute the effectiveness of the "Kill Ich" medication....... Am I wrong? Bloody lost of ideas already......maybe I should just cover the whole tank into total darkness for a day or 2, like what weileong said.........but then my LPS how huh??? really in a dilemma.....sigh!

hmm...resist temptation sticking my hand into the tank?

[weileong]

I black out for 4 days and my bubble is still kicking

Maybe you like to check on the oxygen level in your tanks. Most probably you do not have sufficient DO already and by stopping the skimmer when you dose the medication, you made it worst.

Get more flow in your tank and try

[boxfish]

so the lighting has something to do with ICH...hmmm

during the previous outbreak I thought was just lighting doing tricks to my eyes.

this time Again is my boxfish gana. It was so "clean" after the previous outbreak which killed all the fishes...

it was still ok after I add the yellow tang half year ago

but lately I added 2 anthias.....

bought a few more CS and try cutting down the lighting....

still eat like no tomorrow but hopefully won't become hungry ghost

[boxfish]

removed boxfish from main tank and put in a container with total darkness for 2 days already.... ICH still there but boxfish still ok.... tomorrow if ICH still there will try fresh water dip then total darkness again ...