Opinion - Potential Ich Problem!

[ca1ore]

Impossible to answer this definitively, so experienced opinions solicited .....

1. Ran an overstocked 90 for 8 months with two large Hippos amongst the fish population. On two occasions they showed ich-like symptoms, but quickly went away with no spread to other fish. So I assumed it was not ich.
2. Had a purple tang, along with a few other fish, in my observation tank show early ich symptoms. Removed fish to hospital tank where it got a bad case, treated with cupramine. Observed other fish for 12 weeks with no symptoms at all. Purple went through 4 weeks of copper, then 8 weeks of observation ; asymptomatic.
3. Upgraded 90 to a 265, re homed one of the Hippos, and moved all fish into the new tank. After about 10 days both the purple and the remaining hippo showed a few spots, but they disappeared quickly with no reappearance now for a further 6 days. So I assumed it was not ich.

So I guess my question is, does my tank have ich in the system but because my fish are well fed and healthy they have an immunity? Or am I just paranoid? One of the main reasons I went to a bigger tank is that I'd like again to keep an Achilles Tang.

 

[triggreef]

I think people tend to see a lot of ich where there isn't any. Myself included. Could be sand. Could be just a spec of excess mucus from maybe grazing too close to a sharp piece of rock. Could be Lympho.

I have a hippo too and sometimes see a little white spot here or there, but its not ich and with four tangs in the tank I'm sure it would take off like wild fire if it was.

On a side note, My brother grabbed that tang from you and dropped it right in his tank. I told him you were a QT nazi. lol

I was actually just talking to him tonight and he said he thought the hippo had a spot today but it might be sand. He just did a 12 wk fallow period before swapping to the bigger tank. He has a powder brown that was absolutely covered with ich in his old tank and lived and is now with the hippo and a sailfin.

 

[ca1ore]

On a side note, My brother grabbed that tang from you and dropped it right in his tank. I told him you were a QT nazi. lol.

Thing is, I am! Which is what makes me think I am just being paranoid because I cannot, for the life of me, imagine how ich could have snuck into my tank .....will feel awful if your brother has a problem with that fish!

 

[SDguy]

Maybe clarify what you mean by "show symptoms"?

 

[reeferstace]

I would not trust that those spots aren't Cryptocaryon. If they are then your tank is infected. No way I would add an Achilles to it. That's just me though.

 

[ca1ore]

Maybe clarify what you mean by "show symptoms"?

Both the Purple and Hippo Tangs had a few small white spots (probably no more than three or four) that lasted a day or two; sure looked like ich to me, but no other fish have them, and they have not reappeared, YET - only been 6 days though so still may come back. In the past, I have used Hippo's as my ich-canary, figuring if they stay clean, my tank is clean!

 

[ca1ore]

No way I would add an Achilles to it.

I wouldn't add ANY new fish to an infected tank ... but that's the question, whether my tank is infected or not. I guess time and patience is the order of the day here .....

 

[HumbleFish]

I think people tend to see a lot of ich where there isn't any. Myself included. Could be sand. Could be just a spec of excess mucus from maybe grazing too close to a sharp piece of rock. Could be Lympho.

+1 If you have something in your tank that likes to throw sand everywhere, then it's not unusual to see "white specks" on some of your fish. On fish with thick mucous coats, the sand can be stuck on them for a day or more. If you look closely you'll see it's actually on top of their skin (Ich lives under the skin) and sometimes even dangles a bit.

When in doubt, go look at your thin mucous coat fish (i.e. tangs). If white specks remain on them for any length of time, you know you've got a problem.

 

[reeferstace]

I wouldn't add ANY new fish to an infected tank

:thumbsup: