If a fish survives a parasite episode like brook or velvet that kills all the other fish, are they immune to the parasite? What stops the fish from dying? Can the parasite not attach to this specific fish be ause of the slime coat or something? Does any one have any info about this?
Fish immune to disease
- Thread starter OllieDog
- Start date
wooden_reefer
New member
I read that fish might have some enhanced immunity against ich, but the aquarist should not rely on it.
The lifecycle of ich is that attacks will come in greater and greater waves that will overwhelm any enhancement in immunity. The closed nature of the tank will still be the decisive factor for ich.
Fish may acquire effective immunity against many bacteria even in a tank.
The lifecycle of ich is that attacks will come in greater and greater waves that will overwhelm any enhancement in immunity. The closed nature of the tank will still be the decisive factor for ich.
Fish may acquire effective immunity against many bacteria even in a tank.
Newsmyrna80
Active member
Recently there was a thread addressing this subject. Basically, yes a fish can be resistant to velvet. Usually this can last up to 6 months. IME 3 fish were exposed to brook and one got it. One was prophylactically treated with formalin dips and another one was just put into a separate QT. It never got it.
Deinonych
New member
The mechanism for this temporary immunity is not well understood. One theory is that antibodies are produced in the epidermis (or possibly slime coat) which attack the parasite when it attaches.
This is the part I'm not understanding. If a tank is basically fallow except for 2 fish that can't contract the parasite, the parasite will never die off?
Deinonych
New member
It's not that they can't contract the parasite, it's that this temporary immunity prevents the disease from manifesting. They carry the parasite in a subclinical state without succumbing to a full blown infestation.
but the parasite exists and can reproduce through on going life cycles and remain even though the host doesnt succumb to infection?
Newsmyrna80
Active member
Yep, the thread I referred to (which was between Snorvich and Humblefish) stated that perhaps putting another fish in with the "resistant" fish and see if the new addition does contract a disease...kind of like a canary in the mine scenario.
Which is why I think it would be wise to always QT more than one fish a time, especially if you are only observing or just running the fish thru TT. The odds of encountering a fish being immune/resistant are pretty low... the odds of encountering two fish at the same time have to be next to impossible.
Newsmyrna80
Active member
Agreed
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