Ich in tangs

[Baldy]

Hello all.

I have a quick question regarding ich. I know some people say they accept that their tank has ich and some people go through painstaking trouble to prevent it and get rid of it from their DT. If you ensure that your tank is ich free (hypo all new additions, run the display fallow for 8 weeks, etc,) is it still possible for fish to get ich when stressed? if all the trouble is taken to make sure ich never gets into a system, then its inhabitants should never be able to get ich regardless of stress right?

[gregzz4]

Yes, you're correct
If your tank starts off 100% MI free, and you don't add it with corals fish LR etc down the road, they will never get it again

[Proteus]

I don't think you can ever really be rid of it unless you haven't added anything to tank including frags or inverts.

When I had my 180 going I had a powder blue that would get a spot or two every couple months. Then it would disappear. I think it may have been a little stress. Considering to that none of the other fish would show sign. If your fish ate healthy and eat well and low stress there immune system will do its job

[Baldy]

I've added a couple new fish to my system lately. There is no chasing going on, but my solar fairy wrasse has had a spot or two since I've put him in, and the new joke tang has ich. I'm going to keep an eye on it, but I was wondering if there is a standard I should be strivig for of no ich

[daniella3d]

I never had ick in my display tank because I do a strict quarantine on everything I get and I desinfect my corals.

So when ever the fish are stressed, they are totally free of ick, no matter what.

If it is not in the tank it won't appear out of nowhere. That's the good thing about doing a proper quarantine.

[Baldy]

I never had ick in my display tank because I do a strict quarantine on everything I get and I desinfect my corals.

So when ever the fish are stressed, they are totally free of ick, no matter what.

If it is not in the tank it won't appear out of nowhere. That's the good thing about doing a proper quarantine.

How do you disinfect your corals? i thought the only way to get rid of ich was copper, hypo or time?

[duncangweller]

So do you even quarantine your corals for 6 weeks before putting them in your display tank? I use coral rx on all corals before adding them to display.

I only ask as I am currently hypo-ing my fish after an ich outbreak and my tank is now fallow until march 15th and I don't want this happening again!

Thanks,
Dunc

[daniella3d]

for my corals, I make sure after acclimatation that there is no water from the original bag that goes in the tank.

I treat them with Rivive for about 15 minutes. I also do a Interceptor treatment for my SPS.

Ick mostly infest fish and fish gill. It could theorically be transmitted via a kist left on some coral but is it very uncommon way of transmission and very unlikely.

Usually the larvae that might be present in the coral water or on it, would be killed by Revive.
We don't use Revive to treat ick because that would efficiently kill the fish as well, but surely ick will die in it. Same for freshwater, ick will die in fresh water.

A lot of things will kill ick, formaline, freshwater or hyposalinity, chloroquinine and of course copper but copper is the most toxic and to be avoided.

Marine velvet is more of a problem, but chloroquinine and copper will kill this. It is the only time I would use copper for.

Ick is the least resistant parasite and the easiest to get rid of in quarantine.

For brook, it is formaline and chloroquinine that is efficient. TReatment like Paraguard is safe in quarantine tank and usually take care of brook in 5 to 7 days.

[kien]

When I read up on Marine Ich a while back I found a point that was interesting.

14. INTERESTING FIND: If no new MI is introduced into an infected aquarium, the MI already there continues to cycle through multiple generations until about 10 to 11 months when the MI has ‘worn itself out’ and becomes less infective. A tank can be free of an MI infestation if it is never exposed to new MI parasites for over 11 months.

[duncangweller]

I read that too, but you could quite likely lose a handful of fish from your display in that time whilst you are waiting.

I would sooner do what I did, albeit a pain in the arse to do so and give the little fellas a fighting chance by doing hypo and leave tank fallow for the ten weeks that I am doing.

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[Baldy]

What about increased stress from netting, being moved, put in a smaller tank, and having the water params rapidly changed? If the fish are already sick, this can't help much.

Ps, not in any way trying to discredit hypo, just some things I've been wondering about

[kien]

I read that too, but you could quite likely lose a handful of fish from your display in that time whilst you are waiting.

I would sooner do what I did, albeit a pain in the arse to do so and give the little fellas a fighting chance by doing hypo and leave tank fallow for the ten weeks that I am doing.

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Some would argue that you could also lose a handful of fish from your QT'ing procedure. The various QT'ing procedures can be quite taxing on fish.

Honestly, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this one. There are tonnes of people on both sides of this fence. If you feel QT'ing will help go for it. If you don't believe it will, don't do it. Fish have died on both sides of this fence.

[duncangweller]

Definitely a valid argument.

This is my first time doing hypo, ill let you know how I get on. I also bought a nice big qt tank so hopefully my fish will be happy in there

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[duncangweller]

One thing that I have noticed since removing my fish from the DT is that the pod population has exploded. There are so many in there now I could support a shoal of mandarins! The wrasee will certainly enjoy it when he goes in.

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[Baldy]

seems that hypo can have more benefits to new fish than just treating ich. found this today. interesting read.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/6/fish

[daniella3d]

I have also read about the theory of the ick exhausting itself after a number of generation, but I am not sure it's true. I know people who did got ick in the tank, then they thought it went away because they have not seen it for 2 years, then they get a new tank, tansfer the fish and bang, ick exploded.

Means that it was still there, just to a lever that fish could control to a degree. Once stressed out it came back with a vengance.