How long do Ich Cysts Live?

[mikecc67548]

I see we are up to 12 weeks now. Seems to be getting longer and longer.

 

[MrTuskfish]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2041951 Just the opening post will give you an answer. IMO, some ich strains are simply adapting to life in captivity.

 

[Deinonych]

There are circumstances (usually lower temperatures) where the cysts can survive for up to 72 days. Some aquarists are just being extra careful by extending the fallow period to 10-11 weeks.

 

[HumbleFish]

I see we are up to 12 weeks now. Seems to be getting longer and longer.

There's no 100%, so you just gotta play the odds. From this sticky:

These percentages are known as the "empirical rule". What this means for Cryptocaryon irritans is that leaving a tank fallow for 3 weeks will give you a 68% chance that you have eradicated the parasite, leaving a tank fallow for 6 weeks will give you a 95% chance of eradication, but if you want 99.7% chance, you will leave the tank fallow for 9 weeks. That is the reason you see different numbers being used on Reef Central and in the literature.

So basically, people keep running up the number of weeks because they are trying to get a tad bit better than the 99.7% going fallow for 9 weeks gives you. Trying to get closer to 100%.

However, in one study conducted by Colorni and Burgess in 1997; they found that at least some of the theronts didn't emerge from a group of tomonts for 72 days. So, that's more than 10 weeks.

Source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164

 

[mikecc67548]

So at what point do we call it? 8 weeks? 10 weeks? 12 weeks? At what point does it start to become misinformation? Everytime I turn around somebody adds 2 weeks to it.

 

[mikecc67548]

Bam! saw 16 weeks in the sticky thread!

 

[mikecc67548]

Link to Ich thread

 

[Deinonych]

So at what point do we call it? 8 weeks? 10 weeks? 12 weeks? At what point does it start to become misinformation? Everytime I turn around somebody adds 2 weeks to it.

Again, it's about how to you want to play the odds. Crypt is a living organism that has the ability to evolve, so there are no "rules," per se. Personally, I am comfortable with 11 weeks based on the standard deviation discussed in snorvich's thread linked above.

 

[kv2wr1]

Again, it's about how to you want to play the odds. Crypt is a living organism that has the ability to evolve, so there are no "rules," per se. Personally, I am comfortable with 11 weeks based on the standard deviation discussed in snorvich's thread linked above.

+1 I did 12 to play it safe, but that was just me being overly cautious. I could have gotten away with 10 or 11 most likely.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I go fallow for 16 weeks,just for better odds.It's no fun catching fish out of a 240 gallon tank,and going through qt with a bunch of fish.

 

[HumbleFish]

If Chuck Norris is comfortable with 6 weeks fallow and 95% chance of eradication, then that's what Chuck Norris should do! :thumbsup:

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I thought if Chuck Norris had a tank with ich the ich would pack up and move out.

 

[mikecc67548]

When Chuck Norris walks into a LFS all the Ich jumps out the tanks and runs!