I recently read a post on here (can't find it now) that stated that "segmented vertebrates" like crabs (and shrimp?) can support the ich life cycle - contrary to former ideas. Can anyone comment on this and refer some articles for reading. If this is true, is there any way to make sure that crabs and shrimp don't have ich? Thanks for the help.
Ich Sustained by Shrimp/Crabs
- Thread starter Eldredge
- Start date
Ich cannot survive without fish. However - when ich naturally falls off the fish (within a week) it then attaches itself to just about any surface (including crabs, live rock, coral etc) and will hatch more ich within the next month.
I purchase crabs/corals/live rock from vendors that keep them separately from fish .. helps guarantee that I won't be inadvertently transporting ich into the tank. Some will QT everything that goes into their tank to help insure an ich free tank.
If you keep fish out of the tank for about 5 weeks .. any ich that you may have inadvertently transported on live rock, corals, crabs, snails etc will naturally die off.
Here's a link which discusses the ich life cycle .. may help.
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/marineich.html
I purchase crabs/corals/live rock from vendors that keep them separately from fish .. helps guarantee that I won't be inadvertently transporting ich into the tank. Some will QT everything that goes into their tank to help insure an ich free tank.
If you keep fish out of the tank for about 5 weeks .. any ich that you may have inadvertently transported on live rock, corals, crabs, snails etc will naturally die off.
Here's a link which discusses the ich life cycle .. may help.
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/marineich.html
Kevin,
Thanks for the reply. I have been planning on doing exactly what you suggest, and hoped to avoid ich trouble. However, last week I read a post from someone that seemed knowledgeable that said it had been found that segmented invertebrates as well as fish could support the ich life cycle, and that this can lead to ich being a problem even when fish are quaranteened and treated (if segmented invertebrates are present in the display tank). I wish I would have marked the post. Has anyone else heard of this? Thanks again.
Thanks for the reply. I have been planning on doing exactly what you suggest, and hoped to avoid ich trouble. However, last week I read a post from someone that seemed knowledgeable that said it had been found that segmented invertebrates as well as fish could support the ich life cycle, and that this can lead to ich being a problem even when fish are quaranteened and treated (if segmented invertebrates are present in the display tank). I wish I would have marked the post. Has anyone else heard of this? Thanks again.
Billsreef, thanks for the input. This was contrary to my understanding too, but it caused me some concern because I don't want to go to the trouble of 2 months of quaranteen and find out I wasted my time. I guess if know one else offers some input I will hope that the current theories are accurate. Thanks again, and if anyone else has any thoughts, they would be appreciated.
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