wasp

Peter, you have a good point. Because white spot can come and go, feeding garlic, and then seeing the white spot gone, proves nothing. This is the problem, as some repeatedly keep pointing out. It really needs a labotatory trial, to demonstrate that white spot was killed by garlic, and none of us has the resources to do that. I have though in the past lost fish to whitespot, and once it gets to a certain point, you can tell that the fish has past the point of no return and is going down. It was a case like that, where I tried garlic, and was astounded at the almost miraculous recovery. On a second occasion, I had a white spot outbreak, and once one of the fish got pretty bad, broke out the garlic, and again, a good recovery. Thinking I had it sorted, I stopped the garlic, and the white spot returned. Restarted, white spot left, stopped, and it returned again. This time I continued feeding for the 2 months period of the whitespot lifecycle and never saw it again. Now of course none of this proves anything because it could all have just "happened". But had you been with me at the time, there did appear a definate correlation between feeding garlic & whitespot dissappearing. Then I found that article showing how garlic is active in several different ways against several parasites that are similar to ich. Unfortunately it has not been (to my knowledge) tested specifically against ich, but based on the evidence presented in the article there is certainly a case to believe it is likely to. So the way I see it is this. It has not been PROOVED garlic kills ich. But there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that it does. You can get enough garlic to do the job for two bucks, so why not? It is completely non disruptive with no need to catch fish or anything, the fish after a couple of days get the taste and really like it, and when I've fed it for a week or two they look better for it. It may cause liver damage, so good not to overdose, although I used to feed heaps and never had a bad reaction. It is also foreign to the marine environment, so confuses the ich when trying to attach to a fish that smells of it, as well as attacking the parasite directly. However, I don't want anyone to see this as being an argument, I am simply putting the case for garlic, nobody need see this as some kind of attack.

Eon, if you want to come over, give me a call at 479-5446, we'll set it up. My tanks are not exactly awesome though, in fact they are probably some of the most budget tanks out there Got any frags? I'm always on the lookout! No offence taken at anything you said at all, just wondered where you where coming from, because at first glance it seems like the shop buys something for sixty, sell it for one hundred and twenty, they're making a bundle right? Just that after I've found what it really costs me to produce and sell a frag, I've realised as you say it is not a way to become a millionaire lol. The people buying from me think I just stick it all in my pocket I'm making heaps. :lol:

Yes pies, correct. Noticed you are doing in this thread what you just chastised me for in the other thread.

Eon, who are you? If you "used to sell and make a tidy profit" why are you no longer in the business? I've been selling frags for a while, but even with my very low expense home set up, I've come to realize that making money on marines is a whole lot harder than it at first appears, if you consider ALL the costs.

Perhaps then you should not do the same thing pies. Respectfully...

Thanks for your assesement of me pies. Maybe you should have been a shrink. Thanks also for bringing up again the argument I had with Layton a while back. Personally I found the argument disgusting, and tried to end it several times. The reason I did it was because I could not make a post here without layton posting within minutes to say I was wrong, whatever the subject. I considered leaving the board altogether, but then decided instead to have it out with him, as long and hard as he wanted to make it. Horrible choice, but at least now I can make a post without immediate harassement from him every time. And I know I will never live that argument down, but I've seen others including yourself get pretty worked up over a lot less.

Sheesh, what I have to go through just for saying garlic should be tried, and presenting an article about it.

Pity you never said what you were laughing at. Way you've been acting lately I just took it as another one of your attacks. Serious? Hmmm... I cannot express an opinion without having the shxt word used at me and accused of being serious? - Lighten up. Just don't see the point in finely chopped garlic being rubbished by guys who never tried it. And I'm not only talking about you chimera, so no need to get all worked up and personal. I'm simply trying to say that IMO this method of using garlic is very effective, not get into a slamming match with knockers that never tried it.

I'll take it from your last post Chimera that you have actually tried freshly chopped garlic as per the article? No? Oh, sorry, pity you don't know what you're sniggering about.

I still think you should feed some finely chopped garlic

What's happening Ben? How's the whitespot situation?

Is that the Sunday after Easter? If so, I can make it.

Yes, that's what I thought. Strange something in such great looking health would be dieing. The bottom pics, were they really bad brown outs when you got them? I've been doing a bit of reading on RC about this, the consensus seems to be that if you buy sps that is very dark brown, there is a good chance to lose it regardless what you try.

They are not too fussy by sps standards about light or current IRA, so that leaves the likely candidate to be water. You'd need to check your salinity really is what your hydrometer is telling you it is, your temperature is what it's meant to be, and then the usual parameters, ca, etc. and if still nothing obvious, then, if you feel it worth it, a huge water change or two.

Brian that fuzzy / hairy appearance is an indicator of prime health, one happy hydnophora They can send out sweepers, although they are not true sweepers, they are feeding tentacles, although I cannot remember the scientific name for them. They have been known to extend up to 4 inches, although 2 inches is a more common limit. They actually sting the victim, latch on, and then extract nutrients from it, killing that portion of the victim. There are some pics of this on RC, if anybody is clever enough to find them. Mine will feed off a small portion of mussell, if I drop it in the crux of the coral, it will entwine all over it with sweepers, and slowly absorb it.

Well that's pretty awesome chimera, didn't know that could be done on this site. The coral is a hydnophora, they are an sps but a little different from most other sps. They are as hardy as any softy and do not need the pristine conditions or high light that other sps do. Growth tends to be slowish but steady, regardless of conditions. My own one I grew from the tiniest frag you could imagine, would have been no bigger than a match head. It was a frag at jansens that slowly died, they sold it to me as a piece of rock, but it had this one little floro green blob on it, must have been down to the last polyp. Anyhow it's now several inches high and wide, and as I keep breaking it I've got a heap of frags of it around the tank. Apparently you have to watch this coral it is meant to be an aggresive stinger of it's neighbours, although I've never had a problem with mine.

I've tried doing nothing, with sad results. Doing nothing may work, depending on a number of other factors, however I'd rather be a little more pro active.

Pies, Yup, still the same 4 year old link, as no matter how many times you keep posting that garlic is no good, I am still convinced from my own experience that it is. Despite knowing you would not approve, I decided to post this link and afford the person the opportunity to read it, they can then make a more informed decision.

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/h_ ... jorge.html

If they are still eating, get some garlic cloves from the supermarket, crush or grate very fine, and feed it to them. Has never failed me yet.

Actually Bonnie (I've figured that's your name!) it's quite funny reading this thread, every question you've asked you got a whole range of divergent opinions! But that's reefing, there is often more than one road to get to Rome.

Take the advise of a guy who has "gone cheap" on skimmers, and as a result has owned 4 skimmers, it would have been cheaper to "go expensive" right from the start. A good skimmer will last you for life, you may need to replace some of the moving parts (pump) once every few years.

IMO the only skimmers to consider nowadays are the needlewheel ones, $700.00 will come somewhere close to getting you the very basic one of these, if you can shop around and find a deal. Normal shop price over a grand though. But as previously stated, the skimmer is probably the most important piece of equipment. Actually, with your sizes of tanks, you will have to go bigger / more expensive on the skimmer.

Yes I did it several times, very successful, and I've even got a few rocks in at the moment. Just wondered if anyone else did.

Remember a while back some guys saying they were going to do this, just wondered if anyone did and how it turned out?