I stupidly didn't quarantine a small atlantic blue tang In my smaller reef tank and I noticed yesterday that he was showing signs of ICH. Tonight while I was watching my tank I watched my cleaner shrimp pick off some of the white dots and eat them, in fact the tang looks much better today and seems to be purposely hanging out with the cleaner. So is that something unusual or is it common for cleaner shrimp to eat ICH and I just never heard of it? tried searching it out but get conflicting reports in old posts.
Cleaner shrimp eat ICH?
- Thread starter cyricdark
- Start date
ThRoewer
New member
The white is not the parasite but just the inflamed skin tissue above it. The parasites sit in general too deep for the shrimp to reach. The shrimp just eats the dead skin tissue.
And even if the shrimp gets to a few parasites it won't make much of an impact.
That the fish looks better is likely just due to the fact that the parasites finished feeding and left the fish to multiply - it is the normal cycle of ich.
In about a week the spots will be back, likely more than before.
And even if the shrimp gets to a few parasites it won't make much of an impact.
That the fish looks better is likely just due to the fact that the parasites finished feeding and left the fish to multiply - it is the normal cycle of ich.
In about a week the spots will be back, likely more than before.
Exactly.
Deinonych
New member
If you are not treating the fish for the parasite, it will return in greater numbers.
MatnNatsReef
New member
This.
I've got a quarantine setup and ready, if it looks like it's coming back I'll drop him in. But some fish do fight off ich when conditions are good and fish is healthy otherwise so I'm giving him the chance. I can handle ich, never lost a fish to it yet and I own 8 tangs, I've definitely dealt with ich,lol. Just never seen cleaner shrimp eat at it before, was the point of the thread.
I am going to have to disagree
My clownfish had ich once and then went away and never came back. Its been 3 months without anymore ich.
(high immune system does wonders)
Deinonych
New member
Ich does not have to be visible to be present.
No but it's life cycle is around 30 days, if he hasn't seen any in 90 then he's good, technically you could argue, and many do, that all marine fish have ich all the time and just fight it off when healthy, going by your logic of it still being a problem after 90 days of no visible infection we should all just run copper all the time.
They do not eat ich. On topic enough?
scooter31707
New member
Agreed, and ich just don't go away without treatment. I just you are an expert now!! Good Luck!!
Deinonych
New member
Not all marine fish have ich. In order for ich to be present, it must be introduced. This usually occurs via introduction of an infected (unquarantined) fish. Fish can still be carriers without showing symptoms (subclinical infection). To the point above, if ich is not treated and eliminated, it won't just go away.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164
ThRoewer
New member
This isn't entirely true either. There have been enough cases where it went away due to the fish acquiring immunity. I had this myself more than once.
But in most cases treatment is required, especially if tangs or other ich prone fish are involved.
Yes that was my question, thank you for your answer.
And yes when it comes to treating ich I do feel I'm an expert, I have 13 tangs total, so I ask you, how could I not be? here's pictures of the ones aren't camera shy atm so u know I'm not BS'ing.
Well six days now and still no visible signs of ich. I keep my tank that he's in at 79-89 degrees so should know for sure in another week if its gonna come back. I did add two more cleaner shrimp to the tank and they all grouped together and made a fish wash/cleaning station in the bottom right corner of the tank, the tang visited it several times a day initially but not at all now.
Then you should update your profile. However having tangs does not indicate expertise, especially with the questions you ask indicating otherwise.
You know it's ok to ask a question if you don't know the answer, it doesn't mean that I don't know how to treat ich with copper or hyposalinity, I can/have and will do lots of a that. But I'm always looking for a more natural way to handle it, I've tried selcon, vita-chem, herb-tana(haven't tried ich-attack yet) and other things to boost immunity sometimes with success and sometimes without, and if you think you can have 13 tangs and not deal with ich, then you're very naive, tangs are the most ich-susceptible fish I've ever dealt with and anyone with any knowledge of the subject would agree with me. I probably won't respond to any more of your comments , I was looking for helpful advice maybe things with a scientific backing or even experience like some other posters in the thread have given with their opinions, and frankly I've wasted enough time on someone who's obviously just trolling my thread.
