Ways to introduce Ich to your tank

[KingwoodMarcia]

Ok,

Its been over 3 months since I added a new fish to the main display. Again, the other fish in the tank showed no signs of ich. The new guy as far as I could tell leaving the QT showed no signs of ich.

Are you saying that my main display fish had ich all this time without any visable signs? So the treatment did not kill all the ich? After that treatment, the few fish that had ich, cleared up. As far as I was concered, it was gone.

How could the ich live in the gills without any visable signs? Would not the ich get worst? Or did the fish develop a better immune system to fight off the ich?

Again, I think it is always there, it just needs a good beat down here and there until the fish immune system can fight back hard enough. I try to keep it simple, the fish either has ich or it does not. Grant it, the ich may start off very small, but soon or later you will see it, if it grows and the fish immune system can't fight it off.

But hey, I know there are folks out there that know more than I do about this. I just try to keep to the KISS principle from what I have had in the past.

 

[RBU1]

Ok,

Its been over 3 months since I added a new fish to the main display. Again, the other fish in the tank showed no signs of ich. The new guy as far as I could tell leaving the QT showed no signs of ich.

Are you saying that my main display fish had ich all this time without any visable signs? So the treatment did not kill all the ich? After that treatment, the few fish that had ich, cleared up. As far as I was concered, it was gone.

How could the ich live in the gills without any visable signs? Would not the ich get worst? Or did the fish develop a better immune system to fight off the ich?

Again, I think it is always there, it just needs a good beat down here and there until the fish immune system can fight back hard enough. I try to keep it simple, the fish either has ich or it does not. Grant it, the ich may start off very small, but soon or later you will see it, if it grows and the fish immune system can't fight it off.

But hey, I know there are folks out there that know more than I do about this. I just try to keep to the KISS principle from what I have had in the past.

Ich is not always there......it has to be inttuduced. Thats like saying cleaner shrimp are always in your tank......

Your QT process probably should be a little longer. The ich was either already in your tank and other fish just have not shown signs yet because the outbreak was not bad enough.....

Ich is just like a time bomb. You might think you have everything under control till everyone is covered and breathing heavy. Again you might be able to win the battle but you will never win the war unless you properly QT and never introduce ich to your tank. Its not an easy challenge and some are not willing to do it. But when you spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on fish its not worth it to take a chance.

 

[stealle]

Just wondering...

Can ich survive a 6 week quarantine while being hidden in the gills? It sounds like you can do all the right things (ie quarantine for 6 weeks in hyposalinity or copper treatment) yet only to be under the false assumption that ich is gone because you can't see it hiding in the gills. How can one be sure?

 

[RBU1]

Just wondering...

Can ich survive a 6 week quarantine while being hidden in the gills? It sounds like you can do all the right things (ie quarantine for 6 weeks in hyposalinity or copper treatment) yet only to be under the false assumption that ich is gone because you can't see it hiding in the gills. How can one be sure?

Ich has to go thru a life cycle. It can only stay in the gills for so long then it will drop off. Copper will kill ich in the free floating stage. I guess there is a chance it can only stay in the gills for the entire time but more then likely the parasite numbers will increase and it will become visable. There are other signs such as flashing to look for as well. Thats why I always treat with copper and not just visualy inspect during QT.

 

[kawasaki00]

I had ich twice that was so bad I started to see all my fish go south including my powder blue. I set up 3 tanks in the garage to hypo all the fish. 7 weeks at 1.009 and then the raise back up made 8 weeks that the dt had no fish. After reintroduction I have not had any ich for 2 years now. Anything wet must be qt for 7 weeks for me. I also bought a set of tunze from a fellow reefer that I let dry for 5 days and then hit them with a hair dryer for a few minutes and still let them set another day to make sure they were totally dry so there was no hiding ich.

 

[RBU1]

I had ich twice that was so bad I started to see all my fish go south including my powder blue. I set up 3 tanks in the garage to hypo all the fish. 7 weeks at 1.009 and then the raise back up made 8 weeks that the dt had no fish. After reintroduction I have not had any ich for 2 years now. Anything wet must be qt for 7 weeks for me. I also bought a set of tunze from a fellow reefer that I let dry for 5 days and then hit them with a hair dryer for a few minutes and still let them set another day to make sure they were totally dry so there was no hiding ich.

That is how I am now.....Sad but I am paranoid.....

 

[KingwoodMarcia]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

 

[KingwoodMarcia]

One more link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasitf.htm

You can also, google marine ich on this site. These folks know more than I do. Just FYI.

Not sure on what you ment by clearner ship, always in the tank? I can see cleaner shrimp and I don't treat for them, and/or QT for them as well. I wished I always had them in the tank. Things cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks anyway.

 

[wooden_reefer]

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 .

Ich certainly does not only attack the weak; it attacks the strong when ich is in enough concentration.

Many fish infested with ich when recover from treatment will live for many many years vigorously.

 

[wooden_reefer]

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

Ich can come from any commercial source of water.

I tend to think that if the inverts has never come in contact with any fish after collection, the chance of the water carrying ich is not high but not a chance I want to take.

If the inverts have been held with the same system with fish, then the chance of invert water carrying ich is not low at all.

You don't know so you assume the inverts have been held with fish.

 

[stealle]

One more link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasitf.htm

You can also, google marine ich on this site. These folks know more than I do. Just FYI.

Not sure on what you ment by clearner ship, always in the tank? I can see cleaner shrimp and I don't treat for them, and/or QT for them as well. I wished I always had them in the tank. Things cost an arm and a leg.

Thanks anyway.

Seriously? He was trying to say that ich will never be in the display unless you introduce them. Just like cleaner shrimp, they don't just appear out of no where. They have to be introduced to the tank.

 

[EllieSuz]

If you read the original post, you will note that there have been no signs of disease on any of his fish. The "spores" on his glass could very well be copepods. I know I have a bunch of those on my glass. If you observe these spots with a magnifying glass you can tell whether they have antennae or not. Just because you have seen a wrasse rubbing himself on rock is not necessarily a symptom of ich. I wouldn't recommend you take any quarantine or hospital measures until you see some concrete evidence and observe ich on your fish.

 

[jrp1588]

^+1, we've gone off on a slight tangent here. Don't do anythign drastic until you start seeing the infestation

 

[wooden_reefer]

UV sterilizers are supposed to help prevent a major outbreak, but it won't eradicate it. i'm not familiar with the rest

UV sized for bacteria is not effective against ich at all; does not slow down spread of ich significantly even.

 

[RBU1]

UV sized for bacteria is not effective against ich at all; does not slow down spread of ich significantly even.

Correct thats why you dont want to use a uv sized for bacteria when you are trying to treat ich. You need a much larger unit.

 

[KingwoodMarcia]

stella,

That was the point. From what I saw in the tank, there where no visible signs of ich on any of my fish. The same was said for the Tang in QT, no visible signs. From puting 1+1together would = no ich among the fish. I was wrong. Hence my simple reasoning that Ich was always there. Put new fish in = ich on tang. As of 2051hrs 1 Feb, the Tang is still the only one with ich. Yellow tang, naso, purple tank, angel, clown, no signs of ich.

I will take the advice on longer QT time. I am still doing more research.

Thanks all for the advice and input.

 

[Davidnano]

I find evreyones choices of remedies interesting. Some of what Ive heard about ich is that ich doesnt stay on someones tank. That its more of a "cold" for fish. as humans can catch a cold, fish can catch ich. I heard the most common reason is stressed fish. I have a hippo tang that got ich really bad to the point that it looked like 400 grit sandpaper. And it the same time in the tank was a cherub angel. Well the angel NEVER got ich. And as for remedy I think that using organic things such as green marine algae w garlic is best especially for reef tanks. I think using man made chems only throws something else off in the tank.

 

[sandgoby]

I have no doubt that the Ich came in on the coral or the LR that I introduced to the tank a while ago. (Both came from a system attached with fish) It is Ich I have no doubt about that. The spider looking spores on the glass are not pods or anything else. I have seen this parasite before several times in the past. For the time being I will monitor the tank and if someone seems to be really affected by it I will remove them to a QT and treat. As some have stated I have a 20G QT that I always have running. It is simply not possible to house all my fish in that tank at once. If it is true that the fish will overcome it over a period of 10 or 11 months I will be diligent in my husbandry and maintain the best possible care and not introduce any possible source of contamination to that tank. I believe that this is the best course of action for me now. Thanks for all your responses, after all these years in the hobby I am always learning!

Thanks

S:beer:

 

[RBU1]

More interesting reading....Should keep everyone busy for a little while

http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/the-marine-ich-epidemic/

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/ich.html

 

[Kieth71]

Great links RBU1..i think that pretty much covers it all along with the rediculous claims some make on this parasite-Kieth