One Liter Treats 75 gallonsTech Info Below, more info then you
probably ever wanted to know!!!
FAQs about
RUBY REEF
KICK-ICH™
What is
KICK-ICH™?
KICK-ICH
is a treatment for freshwater and marine ich (a.k.a. “whitespot disease”) that
is safe for all freshwater and marine aquaria.
KICK-ICH™
has a long shelf life at room temperature and is supplied in easy to use,
self-dosing bottles.
Is
KICK-ICH™
reef safe?
Yes.
KICK-ICH
is safe for all fish, corals, invertebrates and macroalgae, as well as the
facultative anaerobes and nitrifying bacteria essential to biologic filtration.
Is
KICK-ICH™
safe for planted freshwater aquaria?
Yes.
KICK-ICH
is safe for all freshwater aquaria and fish including scaleless fish.
How is
KICK-ICH™
different from other “reef safe” ich products?
·
What’s in it?
KICK-ICH
‘s safety has been widely proven in hobby and commercial applications.
KICK-ICH
contains precisely blended reagents, of certified pharmaceutical purity, whose
specific methods of action have been identified and confirmed in research and
clinical laboratories around the world. It was therefore possible to develop
KICK-ICH
as a product focused specifically on ich,
without unwanted side effects and secondary activities. No previous
manufacturer has been able to provide 5-nitroimidazole reagents in a neutral
aqueous solution, nor in any aqueous solution that confers stability upon
dissolved nitroimidazoles.
·
What’s
not in it?
No Copper!
Nor does KICK-ICH
contain mysterious “natural ingredients” or other undefined “extracts” whose
stated effectiveness is based largely on folklore. Further,
KICK-ICH
contains no hyper-irritants
(e.g. Tabasco sauce and similar hot pepper extract preparations) that induce
super sliming, exfoliation of epidermal layers and attending extreme stress for
the duration of the treatment period (Imagine there is no available shade and
you have a 2nd degree sunburn!). Similarly,
KICK-ICH
does not pretend to provide a one step treatment for ich: the
KICK-ICH
strategy is based on a 12 – 15 day time course to cover the entire peak period
of release of free swimming, infectious “tomites” from maturing trophonts (e.g.,
in the sand bed). Fish that have been stripped of spots by hyper-irritants,
with the attending secondary effects and stress, are especially vulnerable to
reinfection by tomites that may be present in the water, as well as to
opportunistic infection by parasitic bacteria and fungi.
Can
KICK-ICH™
be used in combination with other RALLY™?
Yes.
In fact, the
simultaneous use of KICK-ICH
and RALLY™
is often recommended and is safe for all aquaria.
Can
KICK-ICH™
be used in combination with other products or antibiotics?
KICK-ICH
can be used with phosphate and ammonia adsorbants, but not with activated carbon
or similar products. Use of KICK-ICH
with antibiotics or other medications is not recommended.
What is the shelf life
of KICK-ICH™
and how should it be stored?
KICK-ICH
is stable for at least one year if stored at room temperature and out of direct
strong light.
Do not freeze or store in
the cold. Do not shake bottle prior to or during use and replace caps
immediately after use.
Why is
KICK-ICH™
so expensive?
The reagents in
KICK-ICH
are expensive to produce at commercial scale, even for applications requiring
only technical or even industrial grade levels of purity; by comparison
KICK-ICH
contains the highest pharmaceutical grade available. The unique 1-liter and
2-liter bottles with calibrated dosing spouts are expensive to purchase and
label, while staging and filling require unique, customized operations to meet
long-term stability requirements. Finally,
KICK-ICH
must pass rigorous chemical quality control tests at every stage of production
and packaging.
RUBY REEF Inc.
TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
#1.
TO: INDEPENDENT RETAILERS OF
RUBY
REEF
™
PRODUCTS
FROM: Sam Grillo, Ph.D., President
Re:
KICK-ICH™:
A reef safe water treatment that controls "Ich" by
disrupting the life cycle of
C.
irritans
(marine) or
I. multifiliis
(freshwater). Does not contain copper.
KICK-ICH™
is a scientifically developed water treatment, which was proven effective during
two years of national test marketing, for stopping C. irritans and
I. multifiliis
infections. The KICK-ICH™
formulation is specifically designed to interrupt the free swimming stage (i.e.,
the “tomite” stage) of their life cycles, thereby stopping progressive infection
and reinfection, without use of copper, malachite green, hyper-irritants or
other chemicals that are toxic to many aquarium inhabitants. In addition,
KICK-ICH™
does not affect nitrifying bacteria (e.g., Nitrosomonas and
Nitrobacter) and is biodegradable.
During the typical “Ich” lifecycle, a
free-swimming tomite penetrates the host skin, where it undergoes metamorphosis
into a “trophozoite”. The trophozoite matures within the host skin -- forming
the “whitespot” cyst – until it emerges from the cyst as a “trophont” and leaves
the host. The trophont secretes a thick, highly resistant mucous coat
immediately upon exit from the host: the mucous coat protects the trophont as
it undergoes replication and division into hundreds of infecting units, which
emerge as new, fully infectious tomites upon rupture of the ripe trophont.
It is generally impractical or
impossible to attack, by chemical or drug therapy, maturing trophozoites
residing between dermal layers of skin. [NOTE: It is possible to cause spots
to "slide off" by employing highly stressful and sometimes toxic hyper-irritants
that induce sliming and shedding of dermal layers.] Similarly, it is virtually
impossible to attack [or irritate] the mucous coated trophonts. However,
practical interruption of the infection cycle can be accomplished by attacking
the unprotected, free swimming tomites.
KICK-ICK™
is a water treatment that, when used as directed, can be directly and safely
added to any marine, reef or freshwater aquarium to effectively interrupt the
tomite stage of the Ich life cycle, without concern for the health and vigor of
fish, corals, invertebrates or nitrifying bacteria.
TOMITE
INTERRUPTION:
LIFE CYCLE OF
I.
MULTIFILIIS & C. IRRITANS
1.
TROPHOZOITES MATURE BETWEEN THE DERMAL LAYERS OF THE SKIN CAUSING “WHITESPOT”.
2.
MATURE TROPHOZOITES (TROPHONTS) LEAVE THE INFECTED FISH. TROPHONTS SECRETE A
THICK GELATINOUS COATING.
3.
TOMITES (INFECTING UNITS) DEVELOP IN MATURE TROPHONTS.
4.
TOMITES (“SWARMERS” OR “FREE SWIMMING PARASITES”) ARE RELEASED UPON RUPTURE OF
MATURE TROPHONTS.
5.
TOMITES PENETRATE THE SKIN OF FISH HOST AND BEGIN CYCLE AGAIN.
RUBY REEF
Inc.
TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
#4
TO: INDEPENDENT RETAILERS OF
RUBY
REEF™
PRODUCTS
FROM: Sam Grillo, Ph.D., President
Topic #1:
Simultaneous use of KICK-ICH™
and RALLY™
in quarantine tanks.
Ruby
Reef™
has received many inquiries regarding safety issues surrounding the use of
KICK-ICK™
and RALLY™
at the same time. Thanks to the fine work of several beta site investigators,
and supplemental reports filed by a host of intrepid service pros and shop
owners, there is now substantial evidence that simultaneous use of these water
treatments poses no threat to marine fish, invertebrates or corals. In
addition, one beta site investigator has reported no effect on cycling, based on
measurements facilitated by sensitive instrumentation. It therefore appears
that KICK-ICK™
and RALLY™
can be used together in any marine or reef aquarium. Similar reports are
beginning to accrue for freshwater aquaria and systems, but the total
information and data gathered to date are not as substantive as for marine
applications.
There was one report of a potentially harmful effect, but the
observation has not been reproducible. A beta site investigator reported lion
fish mortality when a mixed population of fish was quarantined in the presence
of KICK-ICK™
and RALLY™.
However, this observation has not been reproducible at the reporting beta site,
nor are there any corroborating or comparable reports. Other beta site
investigators, distributors and a large service and maintenance pro have
specifically reported observing no harmful effects on lion fish. These
observations are consistent with reports indicating there are no harmful effects
on Gobis, eels, sharks (only 2 reports for sharks) or a wide range of
invertebrates and corals.
The
beneficial
effects
of simultaneous application of
KICK-ICK™
and RALLY™
in marine quarantine tanks include a safe and easy method for control of Ich,
many dinoflagellates (e.g.,
marine velvet) and other diseases transmitted through the water. Specifically,
beta sites and shop owners that import large quantities of marine fish report
that routine combined use in quarantine tanks results in improved overall health
and vigor of fish, and reduces -- sometimes very sharply -- mortality rates. In
addition, reports filed to date indicate that combined use is indeed effective
for controlling the spread of diseases resulting in open sores and other visible
lesions, primary and secondary bacterial and fungal infections, and
dinoflagellate pathogens such as
Amyloodinia
(marine velvet)
and possibly
Brooklynella
(clownfish’s disease). The latter benefits are imparted primarily by the action
of RALLY™.
Topic #2:
Preliminary Report. Use of
KICK-ICH™
in fresh water systems.
Two of our most dependable beta site investigators have recently
been reporting, along with hobbyists and shop owners, on use of
KICK-ICK™
in freshwater aquaria. It is becoming apparent from their reports, especially
with large tank/system applications, that the dosage often needs to be increased
by 50% to 1˝ times the recommended amount. Previous testing has shown this
dosage level to be safe for at least 30 consecutive days of application. The
attributes and effects of shortening the application interval (e.g.,
from every third day to every second day) are under investigation.
RUBY REEF Inc.
TECHNICAL
MEMORANDUM
# 5.3
SUBJECT:
Use
KICK-ICH™
and RALLY™
together to control complex reef tank infections involving "Ich" and other
parasites including
Amyloodinia
(a.k.a. marine velvet).
KICK-ICH
is a safe and effective treatment for ich (C. irritans), the external parasite
most common to marine fish, but it affords no protection against other parasites
including dinoflagellates, flukes, bacteria or fungi. Often, however, fish are
infected with ich and
a second parasite, most frequently the lethal dinoflagellate
Amyloodinia
("marine velvet").
Amyloodinia
symptoms can include smallish white spots that are often confused, especially by
hobbyists, with classic ich “salt grains”. Other symptoms indicating the
presence of the dinoflagellate (e.g., flashing, scratching, rapid gill
respiration) resemble symptoms of ich, and can easily be lost against the
background of an active ich infection. When
Amyloodinia
(or other dinoflagellates, especially
Brooklynella/clownfish’s
disease) infections are missed and only ich is addressed,
i.e.,
with KICK-ICH,
lethal dinoflagellate blooms can occur. Therefore, whenever the possibility for
complex infections exists in marine or reef tanks, the simultaneous use of
KICK-ICH
and RALLY
is recommended.
RALLY
is effective for the control of dinoflagellates such as
Amyloodinia
and
Brooklynella,
and is also effective in the control of flukes and bacterial fin rot. Thus,
KICK-ICH
and RALLY,
when used together, provide blanket protection against a wide range of
parasites. However, unlike copper or hyposalinity treatments, combined use of
KICK-ICH
and RALLY
poses no threat to biological filtration, corals and other invertebrates,
coralline algae or other reef biota.
DOSAGE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Add 2 – 3 ounces of
KICK-ICH
per 25 gallons of total system water every 2nd or 3rd day,
as indicated by the severity of the infection and tank parameters1.
Add 1 ounce of
RALLY
per 10 gallons total system water with each
KICK-ICH
addition. However, when
Amyloodinia,
Brooklynella
(i.e.,
marine velvet or clownfish's disease, respectively) or a similar dinoflagellate
parasite is suspected, add 1.0 ounce of
RALLY
per 10 gallons total system water on days 1, 2, 3 and 5, 6, 7; a brief polish
with activated carbon or Polyfilter is recommended immediately prior to applying
RALLY
on day 5.
1
See Technical Memorandum # 6.
RUBY REEF Inc.
TECHNICAL
MEMORANDUM
# 6.3
SUBJECT:
When
to accelerate the KICK-ICH™
dosage regimen.
The dosing regimen recommended on the
Kick-Ich
label is 2.0 ozs/25 gals every third day,
i.e.,
on days #1, #4, #7 …. , with the protein skimmer off. However, it is
occasionally beneficial to “accelerate” the dosage regimen for reasons
including:
·
Need or desire to operate a protein skimmer, ozonizer, UV sterilizer, electronic
nitrate removal device or similar equipment during treatment with
Kick-Ich;
·
Unusually heavy or persistent ich infections,
·
Unusually rapid degradation of
Kick-Ich
reagents due to a large excess of biofiltration capacity.
STANDARD AND ACCELERATED DOSAGE REGIMENS
STANDARD RECOMMENDED DOSE:
2.0 ozs. per 25 gals on days 1, 4, 7, ……
OPTIONAL “LOADING” DOSE (Day #1):
3.0 – 4.0 ozs. per 25 gals
ACCELERATED DOSAGE REGIMENS:
Level #1:
2.0 ozs. per 25 gals on days 1, 3, 5, ……
Level #2:
3.0 ozs. per 25 gals on days 1, 3, 5, ……
PROPHYLACTIC DOSAGE REGIMEN
1:
3.0 – 4.0 ozs. per 25 gals on Day #1
followed by
2.0 – 3.0 ozs. per 25 gals on Day #3
MAXIMUM ONE-TIME DOSE:
4.0 ozs. per 25 gals total system water
1
For protection against ich outbreaks that commonly occur when new fish are
added to an established aquarium.
