Ich & Slime Coat

[heath]

With all the talk lately about protecting the slime coat on our fish to try to avoid/prevent ich, can we safely add slime coat to our water (in the qt tank) or is this just a waste of money..
I know that some stores will add slime coat stuff to the bag of water when the fish have been caught (fresh water) but I have never seen it with salt water.
I am doing a lot of reading on ich because my new tank is going to predominantly tangs, ich magnets...
Please chime in with options..

 

[reef keeper]

I'm not sure on the slime coat additive. I believe it's a mild irritant which forces the fish to produce more slime. I believe that's what is is for bass fishing anyway lol.

I have mostly tangs in my tank and I had a brutal ick outbreak a few months ago. I treated them and have added more tangs since and no issues. I keep salinity at 1.026 and feed 2 or 3 times per day. I think consistency and good water is the biggest key to preventing ick.

 

[theyangman]

soak your food in garlic and feed it to the tangs. Make sure you vary their diet as well. Don't just feed meaty foods, nori and the like help a lot as well.

It helps boost their immune system. An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure.

 

[heath]

totally agree, I want to be pro active not reactive... you commented on a varying of foods, I feed, meaty and nori anything else out there. I have never fed pellets should I?

 

[theyangman]

I feed 5 different things to my tank:

Reef cuisine
PE mysis
NLS pellets
Nori
Aegis flakes

I usually alternate the pe and reef cuisine and only use the pellets and aegis flakes when I'm in a rush and don't have time to thaw the frozen stuff. Nori is added twice a week as a supplement. Plus it stinks my house up while soaking in garlic.

 

[AdInfinitum]

It's easy if your tang tank is going to be fish only....

It's the inverts that complicate the whole business...one way or another some of the new life medicated food and bath would be a good investment.

 

[heath]

thanks everyone, it is going to be a fowlr tank...

 

[heath]

I do make my own food, it contains, pacific shrimp, Mysis and brine shrimp, garlic and vitamin enriched flakes..I just don't want to hundreds of dollars on the tangs and not have them thrive..

 

[reeferkeeper420]

Dried seaweed is supposed to be really good for them aswell.

 

[derrick orosz]

soak your food in garlic and feed it to the tangs. Make sure you vary their diet as well. Don't just feed meaty foods, nori and the like help a lot as well.

It helps boost their immune system. An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure.

how do you use garlic...I just break a piece off the clove and cut it into three of four pieces then let it soak in water for 20 mins or so they take the garlic out, strain all the liquids out then feed....

 

[theyangman]

There are garlic concentrates available from pet stores.

 

[theyangman]

Seachem makes one:

 

[heath]

I put the garlic cloves through the food processor and add it to the food when I make it, so the food is saturated with garlic, the fish eat it too..

 

[Sewerat]

You can pick up dried seaweed sheets that are used for making sushi rolls at your local grocery store. Sometimes need to go to Asian markets to get it.