[Larryjack]

bought hippo two weeks ago. Did great until yesterday. staying on bottom, breathing hard, fading coloration and, of course, ick. Am treating food w/ garlic for the ick, but obviously something else is wrong. It did eat a little today. Any sugestions?

[leebca]

If your diagnosis is correct and the fish contracted Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) then the garlic won't help and the fish may die from this parasite.

Hopefully the fish is in quarantine going through a quarantine process. If not then the fish needs to be caught.

The fish needs to be moved to a hospital tank where either it will be treated with hyposalinity or copper. Some general 'myth' information about Marine Ich can be found here:
Marine Ich - Myths and Facts

Information regarding copper treatments can be found here:
Copper - Treatment, Use, Problems

Quarantine process information can be found here:
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com
and:
A Fish Quarantine Process

If you're interested in reading more about the myths of garlic:
Garlic: What has been Studied Versus What has been Claimed by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

We've also spoken of garlic in several threads here on Reefland. You can find those by doing a search.

Good luck!