Ways to introduce Ich to your tank

[sandgoby]

Hey guys,

I wanted to ask some questions regarding Ich and other parasites and diseases. Is it possible to introduce these with LR or corals? I assumed that is was only possible to introduce diseases and parasites through infected fish. I have been running my tank with no new fish introductions for about 2 months now. There have been no evidence of any disease on the fish. All are eating well and look in good health. The only things I have introduced as of late was a stony frag a few weeks ago and a bunch of LR for my cryptic fuge (which looks very cool) that I set up. All levels are rock solid with no wild changes to PH or salinity. So over the last few days I have noticed spores clinging to the glass (looks like Ich), and my Wrasse scratching on the rocks. I just hope it does not spread to the rest of the fish.

I have a QT tank but the reality is I won't be able to get everyone out of the tank without a complete tear down.

Any ideas would be great.

Thanks
S

 

[iamwrasseman]

it is in your tank and will never be 100% gone it comes in on every fish and invert and may also be on corals . ick only "attacks" the weak so if your fish are healthy than you wont see and. also you can dip and Qt the fish but IMO it just stresses him even more and then when you add him to the display tank you stress him again and still have an outbreak of ick .

 

[jrp1588]

You'll get opinions in either direction. I am of the opinion that ich CAN be eradicated from a tank. If you do a proper quarantine and fallow period of at least 6 weeks, it can be eradicated. You have to quarantine all incoming fish after that.

It is possible to introduce it through LR addition. It can also come in through any water in the shells of inverts. Corals may also have it on the plugs. The chances are fairly small though, unless you get your stuff from a tank with a heavy ich infestation. Some advocate QT on corals as well, I don't have the resources for a QT tank for both fish and coral, so I let that slide. I'm not sure if any sort of coral dip would affect the ich. Once in that stage, it's supposedly untouchable.

 

[iamwrasseman]

ick is everywhere waiting for a fish to become weak or stressed and that is a fact .

 

[jrp1588]

Ich is an obligate parasite that WILL die out in the tank without fish. That also is a fact. Wipe out the parasite in QT with copper or hypo and starve it out in the display, and ich will be gone.

 

[Kieth71]

ick is everywhere waiting for a fish to become weak or stressed and that is a fact .

I love some of the facts thrown around in these forums.Where these so called facts come from i have yet to know since every book i read and every expert i have talked to says something to the contrary.Every fish you have may have ich but that is from lack of treating it before it hit your display not because its impossible to get rid of.Go talk to someone in the aquaculture industry and tell them the copper they are useing on the fish is useless and they are wasting their money.The only reason we know about the parasite is from this industry not the hobby itself.Massive losses of fish to this parasite left them scrambling to find a cure.That cure was copper and is what is used today.The other option is hypo but that has pitfalls as well.I wish someone would come out with some miracle cure that was not dangerous to the fish and was easy on the hobbyist but it doesnt seem like thats going to happend anytime soon.

 

[jrp1588]

ich destroying nanobots anyone? The cure of the future

 

[RBU1]

ick is everywhere waiting for a fish to become weak or stressed and that is a fact .

Its people like you that hurt new people to this hobby. Keep thinking that and when your tank gets wiped out don't post and ask for help.

 

[jrp1588]

Come on guys, we don't need to get combative here.

 

[RBU1]

Ignorance really aggravates me,,,,

 

[jrp1588]

Well, yeah, you'll have that. But anyway, quarantine and treatment is the key here. It is 100% possible to kill the parasite forever if you do it right. Does anyone know if any coral dips would kill ich that might be on the coral?

 

[Kieth71]

From what i know it would not because any ich on a coral would be in the cyst stage and can only be killed when in the free swimming stage.The only real sure way is to place the coral in a qt and leave it for about 8 weeks then transfer.Now the chance that you will get it on your coral is alot less then on a fish but the chance is still there.

 

[jrp1588]

Yeah, that was my understanding as well.

 

[RBU1]

Hey guys,

I wanted to ask some questions regarding Ich and other parasites and diseases. Is it possible to introduce these with LR or corals? I assumed that is was only possible to introduce diseases and parasites through infected fish. I have been running my tank with no new fish introductions for about 2 months now. There have been no evidence of any disease on the fish. All are eating well and look in good health. The only things I have introduced as of late was a stony frag a few weeks ago and a bunch of LR for my cryptic fuge (which looks very cool) that I set up. All levels are rock solid with no wild changes to PH or salinity. So over the last few days I have noticed spores clinging to the glass (looks like Ich), and my Wrasse scratching on the rocks. I just hope it does not spread to the rest of the fish.

I have a QT tank but the reality is I won't be able to get everyone out of the tank without a complete tear down.

Any ideas would be great.

Thanks
S

As others have stated yes ich can be introduced on anything wet. The chances are less then with fish but still a possibility. QT is the only sure fire way to keep it out. To my knowledge there is no dip that will work on ich. As someone else stated most ich treatments such as copper only kill in the free floating stage.

 

[iamwrasseman]

RBU1 ,if ignorance irritates you please imform me not ridicule me ! thats ignorance . could i possably be wrong ? yes if i am yes i can admit it so please do tell of the way to 100.00000000% erradicate ick . tick tock go !

 

[jrp1588]

This is what I was afraid of. People are so quick to fight online. hah. We've discussed how to get rid of ich above. Simple process, though a bit of a PITA.

 

[iamwrasseman]

i am not fighting in anyway but am interested in a way to erradicate ick 100% which is something that i have always believed was impossable . sorry and i will not comment on this tread anymore ,i will just read .thanks guys

 

[laf-reef]

RBU1 ,if ignorance irritates you please imform me not ridicule me ! thats ignorance . could i possably be wrong ? yes if i am yes i can admit it so please do tell of the way to 100.00000000% erradicate ick . tick tock go !

run a fishless set up and you'll never have an outbreak of ich

 

[jrp1588]

Haha, well that would certainly do it.

 

[RBU1]

RBU1 ,if ignorance irritates you please imform me not ridicule me ! thats ignorance . could i possably be wrong ? yes if i am yes i can admit it so please do tell of the way to 100.00000000% erradicate ick . tick tock go !

QT.....Is that enough for you?