Ich on Glass

[sbreefer]

what does ICH look like if it attaches to the aquarium glass?

 

[Deinonych]

Tomonts are microscopic, with a max size of ~350µm (about double the width of a human hair). At best, it would look like dust particles, if one could differentiate them from other detritus that accumulates on the bottom of the tank.

 

[jbvdhp]

^I don't think you can see it as they're only microns big. You only see them on fish because that's the reaction the skin produces to the parasite.

 

[sbreefer]

you can see the tomonts on the fish usually.... do they have any apendages? try to decide if these are pods. they dont move at all.

 

[Deinonych]

you can see the tomonts on the fish usually.... do they have any apendages? try to decide if these are pods. they dont move at all.

Actually, the white spots you see on the fish are not trophonts themselves (tomonts are the encysted stage), but a localized reaction of mucous build-up caused by the embedded parasite. Because it is embedded in the epidermis, you can't see the parasite itself. They certainly don't have appendages, as they are single-celled protozoans.

 

[Deinonych]

^I don't think you can see it as they're only microns big. You only see them on fish because that's the reaction the skin produces to the parasite.

Probably true...350µm is just above the resolving power of the unaided eye, hence my statement that it would be difficult to differentiate from detritus.

 

[jbvdhp]

Probably true...350µm is just above the resolving power of the unaided eye, hence my statement that it would be difficult to differentiate from detritus.

I didn't mean to direct my comment at you you and I posted at the same time. the "^" was to the op. [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

 

[Deinonych]

I didn't mean to direct my comment at you you and I posted at the same time. the "^" was to the op. [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

:thumbsup:

 

[snorvich]

You guys must have better eyes than I.

:hmm6:

 

[sbreefer]

I think they are pods of a sort. tiny white dot with about 8-10 tiny 'appendages' they look like little flowers.

 

[ThRoewer]

I think they are pods of a sort. tiny white dot with about 8-10 tiny 'appendages' they look like little flowers.

Sounds more like some form of hydroid polyp or sessile jellyfish. I had those too an checked them with my microscope.

As for identifying Cryptocaryon tomonts - I don't thing that is an easy thing to do without some experience in that field, and for sure impossible without a microscope.
That said, 350µm isn't that tiny - just a third of a millimeter which you should be able to see without a microscope (you may need glasses though) as a dot.
With a microscope, if you know what you are looking for, you might be able to find them if the infection is heavy enough so you have a lot of them and your surfaces are easy to inspect. But in a normal tank I would deem it impossible.

 

[Deinonych]

Sounds more like some form of hydroid polyp or sessile jellyfish. I had those too an checked them with my microscope.

+1

Is this what you see? I had them when my tank first started up, but haven't seen them in months.

http://s109.photobucket.com/user/SpeckledGrouper/media/Miscellanous/Hydroids.jpg.html

 

[jbvdhp]

Sounds more like some form of hydroid polyp or sessile jellyfish. I had those too an checked them with my microscope.

As for identifying Cryptocaryon tomonts - I don't thing that is an easy thing to do without some experience in that field, and for sure impossible without a microscope.
That said, 350µm isn't that tiny - just a third of a millimeter which you should be able to see without a microscope (you may need glasses though) as a dot.
With a microscope, if you know what you are looking for, you might be able to find them if the infection is heavy enough so you have a lot of them and your surfaces are easy to inspect. But in a normal tank I would deem it impossible.

...sigh... I miss seeing all those pods on the glass and back wall when the tank was fallow. Now that fish are back in, haven't really seen much pods or those ten legged things.

 

[ThRoewer]

+1

Is this what you see? I had them when my tank first started up, but haven't seen them in months.

http://s109.photobucket.com/user/SpeckledGrouper/media/Miscellanous/Hydroids.jpg.html

That's precisely the kind I had.