Question about supposed 24-48 hour ick treatments

Lukara

Lukara

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Jan 13, 2003
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I've done some reading on the net regarding ick and the stages of this disease. My question is regarding medications such as Quick Cure (supposedly gets rid of ick in 2 days) or Jungle's Ick Guard (supposedly eliminates ick within 24 hours AND raising the temperature is apparently not even necessary), how do meds like these work? Given that the ick parasite is only vulnerable at the Theront phase of it's cycle and based on the temperature of your aquarium that part of the cycle may not be taking place for days or even weeks to come. I'm just really curious and would like to understand how these meds attack the parasite. Thanks.
 
Good question. Just knowing how language can be used in various meanings (isn't English grand?) I wonder if the statements "gets rid of ich in 24 hours" is meant to indicate that the fish is rid of ich in 24 hours not the tank. Obviously this doesn't prevent reinfestation. This isn't a grand claim since if the temp is raised, the natural life cycle would have the bug mature and drop off in that time. Although, in the meantime more are infesting the fish. It's a vague point I know, but hopefully you get where I'm going?

On the other hand, I've heard mention by colleages of mine that they knew of preliminary studies to suggest certain meds (I think it was malachite green) to be effective against the encysted stage (adult form lying in gravel and multiplying).

I've been meaning to update my ich knowledge as well. I believe theskepticalaquarist.com has links to universities that have/are studying ich. If you find something b4 I do, post it as a new thread. We would all benefit!
 
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Lukara, you're right to be dubious. Your reasoning is right too.

Proceed from there!

beviking, maybe you should casually discuss Ich with your colleagues and see how they've come to this conclusion about a medication that's effective on the briefly encysted phase of the Ich lifecycle. Could be some jumping to conclusions there...
 
maybe i'm cynical but...
if a fish gets ich and you buy a 48 hour cure; because the white spots drop off anyway, combined with maybe a partially effective disease treatment you think the problem has gone. it then comes back a couple of weeks later...you think i know i'll get some "brand x" it worked last time; another sale for the company.

keep treatment going for a week or two (longer if you're at half dose for eg clown loaches) and raise the tank temp above 80F. its your best chance.

regards
 
My colleague's days in the lab are at least a decade gone and I was going on a recollection. Anyway, I found this somewhere...

"...and drops away as a
"tomont." Some biologists count this brief interval as a fourth life stage (in which it is
susceptible to medication, by the way, according to Dr. Peter Burgess, the resident "fish
doctor" at Practical Fishkeeping magazine)." --from theskepticalaquarist.com.

I think that's what my colleague meant. Geesh, trying to get these kids to research anything is like pulling a tooth from a wild boar...when drunk...on a dare....

BTW wetmanNY, I suspect you get great satisfaction having others quote your page. Hats off to you!
 
;)
 
Well, from my experiences with Quick Cure and Jungle's Ick Guard, I haven't had any problems with the nitrifying bacteria and had no need to recycle my tank. I can't speak for the other meds though since I haven't tried them.
 
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