A Canundrum

[CleoMania]

I am a devastated avid follower of Reefland. My powder blue is undergoing hypo in the QT. I've replaced the yellow and kole from QT back into the DT. They each had one spot and after two weeks in QT they've shown no signs. I'm thinking all is well an we are on the verge of reuniting the family when I read your thread MI myths and facts.

Now, without delving too dep into the facts of the equation, let's suffice it to say that I have a 150 G system with 100+ lbs of handcrafted show quality aquascaping that is nearly 3 feet deep. Along with it are 21 fish including damsels, anthia, and wrasse. I.e. IMPOSSIBLE FISH TO CATCH.

Are you honestly telling me that I have to choose between dismantling this established, multi-thousand dollar, show quality, news worthy, reef setup and watching these innocent, magnificent, priceless (though inexpenensive) creatures suffer to be eaten alive by a common, everyday, household killer, simply because this "bug" snuck in under the radar?

I read your post as I have many in the past and I do not, in any way, doubt your expertise. However my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer by her regular. His remedies consisted of disfiguring surgery or sickening radiation. She respectfully sought a second opinion. That was ten years ago. Today, through holistic medicine, she is happy, healthy and disease free.

I do not disagree with nor doubt a single word of your article. And yes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. However, it can't all be hellfire and brimstone. There must be some way, some how, to tackle this common nuisance without having to implement such extreme and irreversable measures. Once again, I turn to the master: please help...but have a heart.

[leebca]

Well. . .I neither created the parasite nor stipulated its life cycle. [Just kidding].

What makes your think your fish are infected with Marine Ich? One spot isn't much to go on. I think diagnosis is your first step before you take any action.

If your fish are infected with MI and it is your desire to rid them of this parasite, then the way forward is here: Curing Fish of Marine Ich

I can discuss the points your bring up, but I won't come across as being very sympathetic. Nothing is more important than the well being of the fish, in my opinion. The inconvenience, cost, or upsetment it will take to cure them is secondary, to me. Take your concern over catching the fish.

The wild caught fishes were caught in an ocean by a collector. All you need to do is catch them in a container. As far as how that is done, there are many choices, covered here: How to Catch Fish -or- Goin' Fisin'

You and I are not fish collectors (the people who catch the fish in the wild). I used to work in an LFS, so I have had more experience in netting fishes in a tank. However, what you are feeling is the anxiety and lack of experience of catching fish. But if you feel it needs to be done, I'm confident you'll outsmart the smartest of the fish you own.

Millions of US Dollars are lost each year in the food fish industry because of Marine Ich. I truly wish there was another way to combat this parasite, but the scientific community just can't find anything better than the non-prescription methods I've outlined. If there was such a wonderful cure, it would make headlines, and your farm-raised food fishes would come down in costs. But. . .It isn't there.

Yet all the 'miracle cures' proposed by hacks and those wanting to make money off of hobbyists in your position, could spend the $500 or less to have their product independently tested to certify their product cures all marine fishes of MI. But. . .They don't. And that is simply because there are no such products.

I can tell you this, if it helps any at all. Professional aquarists and the top notch marine aquariums (public and private) spend tens of thousands of Dollars each year quarantining and testing new marine fish acquisitions before releasing them into their tanks. They do this because there is no such thing as an inexpensive easy cure for an infected fish tank.