ich free now

[goochesfish]

My blue hippo recovered from ich. Despite QT of all my fish for 6 weeks and no new fish for 4 months, this tang got ich.

Question is, is there any point to QT any future additions if there is already ich in the tank?

 

[Jstdv8]

Ich can come into your tank from otehr tanks on more than just fish. inverts, corals, LR, sand and decorations can all carry ich right into your tank if not QTed.
And when you say QT did you actually do any medications or just a visual quarantine?

 

[RBU1]

Yes I would still continue to QT fish even though your main tank has shown ich. It is a good idea to keep from adding anything new to the tank.

 

[mattsummers]

it is my understanding that all fish have ick, but only have breakout when a fish becomes stressed or ill. or is this not true

 

[Recty]

Even though you've apparently got ich in your main tank, I would still quarantine new fish for 2 weeks at least.

1) They get settled in and used to life in captivity without having to fight for food in your main tank. You can easily feed just one fish at a time while in QT.

2) They might have some other diease, like velvet, that kills fast. It's much better to lose one fish in QT than have it wipe out most or all of your main tank.

 

[RBU1]

it is my understanding that all fish have ick, but only have breakout when a fish becomes stressed or ill. or is this not true

Not true.....

 

[mattsummers]

is there a way to kill it in the main tank?

 

[RBU1]

Only way to kill it in the main tank is to remove all your fish and leave the main tank fishless for 12 weeks.

 

[goochesfish]

Thank you. I QT my new fish for 6 weeks but never treated because they showed no signs of disease during QT (maybe I should have used copper). I did not QT inverts or corals though so I guess ich could have come in as a spore/cyst thingy.

 

[Jstdv8]

Only way to kill it in the main tank is to remove all your fish and leave the main tank fishless for 12 weeks.

LOL, seems the number just keeps increasing every time somebody writes something on these things.

Ich's life cycle in it's cyst form from the time it's dropped from the fish until it ruptures is from 3days -28 days. then it becomes hundreds of free swimming tomites which die within 3 days (peak being 4-8 days) if they don't find a host. that's a total of 31 days ich can go without a fish in the tank to feed on. Or 4 weeks. That is at a tempurature that we keep our reefs at aprox 79 degrees, less temp may promote slightly longer periods beofore the cyst ruptures.
So that's 4 weeks of fishless tank to destroy ich.
most prefer to bump it out to 5 or 6 weeks just to be sure.
12 weeks is a little crazy in my opinion.
The numbers listed above are the works of several marine biologists who are far smarter than me.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/mini2.htm

 

[RBU1]

LOL, seems the number just keeps increasing every time somebody writes something on these things.

Ich's life cycle in it's cyst form from the time it's dropped from the fish until it ruptures is from 3days -28 days. then it becomes hundreds of free swimming tomites which die within 3 days (peak being 4-8 days) if they don't find a host. that's a total of 31 days ich can go without a fish in the tank to feed on. Or 4 weeks. That is at a tempurature that we keep our reefs at aprox 79 degrees, less temp may promote slightly longer periods beofore the cyst ruptures.
So that's 4 weeks of fishless tank to destroy ich.
most prefer to bump it out to 5 or 6 weeks just to be sure.
12 weeks is a little crazy in my opinion.
The numbers listed above are the works of several marine biologists who are far smarter than me.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/mini2.htm

In my opinion the longer the better......You have taken the time to remove the fish why not take the extra time to be cautious. I left my tank fishless for 10 weeks and still had some problems.....Do what you want I try to add an extra layer of precaution.

 

[RBU1]

Here is a little quote from your reference article....

The time frame in which tomonts may hatch can vary greatly from 3 to 72 days (Noga, 2000). The life cycle of Cryptocaryon irritans is temperature dependant so an extended period of 72 days is highly unusual and can only occur in cooler waters. At “reef-type” temperatures the tomonts take from 3 to 28 days to excyst (hatch) with the peak between 4 and 8 days (Colorni, 1985). This variance may be a strategy for survival. However, after two weeks in the tomont stage the number of theronts produced and their ability to infect are greatly reduced (Colorni, 1992).

Even though it says 72 days is highly unusual.....Are you willing to take that chance? I am not....

 

[Jstdv8]

if you read the whole thing it says highly unusual AND can only happen at cooler temps. Like I mentioned in my original post.
of all of the tests these and other biologists did, in controled environments there hasn't been any documentation that I've seen that shows anything longer than 32 days at our reef temps for marine ich.
I think where people get crossed up is that they confuse marine ich with freshwater ich, or they see things like 9 weeks at lower temps and associate it with all ich in all environments.

 

[RBU1]

I know it said unusual.....But my point is why not increase your chance for success by waiting it out for an extra few weeks. Patience is the key.

 

[Jstdv8]

The part I was trying to emphasize was "can only happen at cooler temperatures" not that part about it being unusual. It can't happen in our reef tanks due to higher temps. It doesnt say its unuasual at in our reef tanks, its says its unusual AND can only happen at cooler temps.

 

[RBU1]

OK.....Got it....But I will still advise people to a 10-12 week fallow period.

 

[jjk_reef00]

The article also says "This variance may be a strategy for survival." that scares me right there, and extra couple weeks waiting is worth it IMO.

 

[Jmonks]

does garlic do anything to help with ick other then help get the fish to eat?

 

[rrrrob]

it is my understanding that all fish have ick, but only have breakout when a fish becomes stressed or ill. or is this not true

fish will naturally resist ich if they are healthy and stress free, as they do in the wild. I have introduced fish with ich to my main tank on several occasions and it eventually cleared up and no other inhabitants EVER got the disease, going on several years now. I used to panic and do the copper thing, or malachite green, or freshwater dips, but that just made things go from bad to worse. Never again.

I have never had a use for quarantine tanks, nor is it practical in any sense of the word.

I know this is heresy, but I'm a firm believer.