Ich on Coral and Rocks

[CarrieB]

I have some rocks I put in a 20g tank to be fallow for 72 days. Later, I got some coral pieces and added those to the tank. Later, I bought some more and added those, too.

So on the face of it, seems like the 72 day clock would start over again each time I add something to the tank.

However, I got to thinking about the ich lifecycle. Since there are no fish in the tank, is it possible for ich cysts on one piece to infect another piece? Or do they just hatch, swim around and die without a host? In which case each rock/coral would have its own clock. That would be a lot more convenient, so perhaps wishful thinking on my part.

@snorvich- perhaps you can set me straight?

Trying hard to do it right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jrp1588]

They should hatch and die as you said. I don't know the safe timeframe off hand though.

 

[CHSUB]

qt rocks and corals for 72 days...wow you're dedicated!!!!

you're right and wrong, the ich swims around and if it doesn't find a host in a few hours it dies. however, in your case, each time you add rocks or corals you don't know when in the next 72 days the cyst will hatch, resetting the clock back to zero. i don't qt corals or rocks, however, and have never had a problem.

 

[jduck]

Yes 72 days, but something you added after may hatch and hitchhike on the day you decide to move another piece out of qt. That's why the clock resets

 

[CarrieB]

Yes 72 days, but something you added after may hatch and hitchhike on the day you decide to move another piece out of qt. That's why the clock resets

I think you are saying that you might just pick one up while it was swimming around, which is true. What if you dip the coral and rinse it off before moving it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CarrieB]

Ich on Coral and Rocks

qt rocks and corals for 72 days...wow you're dedicated!!!!

you're right and wrong, the ich swims around and if it doesn't find a host in a few hours it dies. however, in your case, each time you add rocks or corals you don't know when in the next 72 days the cyst will hatch, resetting the clock back to zero. i don't qt corals or rocks, however, and have never had a problem.

You've never brought anything unwanted into the tank on a coral or rock? That seems pretty lucky to me. I read posts all the time about unwanted hitchhikers that get introduced into tanks, bubble algae, aiptasia, majanos. I started in January and have caught all three in quarantine. Once you've committed to QT, the extra time to handle ich seems sensible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gone fishin]

IMO strictly speaking the clock would reset when a new coral or rock was added.

For example you remove an older coral that had been there 72 days but, a new coral had a cyst that "hatched, you may carry ich over to your DT with some of the water on the coral or your hand. just my 2 cents.

 

[CarrieB]

So what if, theoretically speaking, you take the coral out of the QT tank after 72 days and put it in another clean tank for 48 hours. Now you have gotten rid of the swimmers, right?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gone fishin]

So what if, theoretically speaking, you take the coral out of the QT tank after 72 days and put it in another clean tank for 48 hours. Now you have gotten rid of the swimmers, right?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would be inclined to agree with that but I think I would go 72hrs like a TTM.

 

[CarrieB]

Ich on Coral and Rocks

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating against the 72 days. What I'm trying to do is to figure out if there's a way to keep it from being more than that.

I think that many people don't QT coral because they don't think its practical. If you have to choose between waiting 72 days between acquisitions or setting up a new QT for each one, its easy to throw up your hands and say I give up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CarrieB]

I would be inclined to agree with that but I think I would go 72hrs like a TTM.

Just realized I read this wrong- 72 days instead of 72 hours. Guess I'm tired. That seems a reasonable suggestion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gone fishin]

Just realized I read this wrong- 72 days instead of 72 hours. Guess I'm tired. That seems a reasonable suggestion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I meant instead of the 48hrs I would do 72 hrs. I don't know how much of a difference it would make. Kind of pondering while I was typing.