How long does Ich live without Fish?

[julianp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11961433#post11961433 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by frednwilma1999
has any one ever thought ich is a stress related ailment??

Ich (cryptocaryon irritans) is a parasite, not a disease. Stress can cause a weakening in the fish's autoimmune system and trigger an ich breakout because of this, but no level of stress will cause an outbreak if the parasite does not exist in the tank.

The ich parasite can also survive just fine in a stress-free tank. All it needs to survive is a single fish. That's why as much as it sucks to do so, it's important to quarantine every fish added to a tank to insure that the parasite never gets introduced.

 

[Patrick12]

Not flaming so no one take offense, but some serious reading is on order about marine fish diseases and parasites. Especially given the very susceptible and expensive species that being talked about here.

Cryptocaryon irritans has had numerous research studies and the lifecycle and survivability fo the parasite is stone cold known. There is absolutely no way that the parasite would survive thru the tomont/tomite stage on dry rock for a few days, let alone a year, to then infect any system. In fact drying out anything wet is one of the 100% mechanisms to kill crypt. Crypt has a very exquisite and definite lifecycle. It is possible that the addition of the rocks had something on it that affected the water quality or changes the territories or something to induce a stressful event and then the outbreak occurred. More likely is that the PBT was a carrier of the parasite and after sveral days, the lifecycle completed and the fish shoed the signs of infection from that. it can take a week sometimes to show up. Crypt is not "caused" by stress of any kind, but stress can weaken an fish's immune system and make them more susceptible to the parasite and an outbreak. The "cause" of the infestation is and always will be, the mere presence of the parasite in the system. The dried and dead rock that was a year old, was a total coincidence and not the cause of the "ich". Hope that helps. Bob Fenner has a great post on wetwebmedia about crypt. Try typing cryptocaryon irritans and wetwebmedia in google and it should come up.

 

[frednwilma1999]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11963626#post11963626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by julianp
Ich (cryptocaryon irritans) is a parasite, not a disease. Stress can cause a weakening in the fish's autoimmune system and trigger an ich breakout because of this, but no level of stress will cause an outbreak if the parasite does not exist in the tank.

The ich parasite can also survive just fine in a stress-free tank. All it needs to survive is a single fish. That's why as much as it sucks to do so, it's important to quarantine every fish added to a tank to insure that the parasite never gets introduced.

Thank you for the info.. Jeff

 

[alprazo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11858721#post11858721 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Patrick12
If you are really serious about a crypt free system, if would be best to not do hypo and copper the fish in a QT tank. Just my opinion. I'm sure there are others....and you'll hear them.

Update - 4 weeks of hypo 11-12 ppt and my rabbit fish continues to have Ich. Temp 81. I did lose one fish - a sixline.

I was my first time trying hypo, and I am not a fan. Once I get the salinity up I will take your advice and go with Cu.

It will give the ich in the display another month free from fish.