is ick always fatal?
- Thread starter brett7768
- Start date
Brett,
Sure - it can happen, especially in systems with high water quality and various filter-feeding invertebrates (and protein skimmers) that help remove unattached tomites. However, it is more likely that what you are seeing is the all to familiar "syncronous reproduction". When a fish is first infected with Cryptocaryon, the trophonts are all about the same age and attached at the same time. Thus, they tend to go through their life cycles at around the same time. This gives people the mistaken impression that their fish are getting better - the spots go away, only to come back a few days later in much higher numbers (due to reproduction). In addition, these things can reproduce in geometric progression, not simply multiplication, so when the population starts to grow, it REALLY grows.
Quaranting new fish, espeically ones prone to ick (like this species) is always the best idea.
Jay Hemdal
Sure - it can happen, especially in systems with high water quality and various filter-feeding invertebrates (and protein skimmers) that help remove unattached tomites. However, it is more likely that what you are seeing is the all to familiar "syncronous reproduction". When a fish is first infected with Cryptocaryon, the trophonts are all about the same age and attached at the same time. Thus, they tend to go through their life cycles at around the same time. This gives people the mistaken impression that their fish are getting better - the spots go away, only to come back a few days later in much higher numbers (due to reproduction). In addition, these things can reproduce in geometric progression, not simply multiplication, so when the population starts to grow, it REALLY grows.
Quaranting new fish, espeically ones prone to ick (like this species) is always the best idea.
Jay Hemdal
it went away after developing the ich and came back really strong after a few days!!!White Tiger
New member
A fish can beat ick on its on! However, the chances of that are small. In fact, letting a fish defeat ick by itself is equivilent to you getting smallpox and trying to defeat the deadly virus without medical attention. YOU MUST ACT QUICKLY with medication or hyposalinity-------------raising the temperature up to 84 degrees will also help.
XeniaMania
Active member
It is possible for fish to beat ich, but I agree with others, you have to do something to assist it. I like adding iodine to the water for it's disinfectant properties. Couple that w/ vitamin C treatments have worked well for me. I've helped a few fish recover, and have produced Ich resistant fish. I typically sell these fishes at a higher price, and my Midas Blenny is a testament to this possibility. Currently I'm treating a Sailfin Tang, it's starting to develope Ich, but I'm confident that my Midas won't show any signs.
