How can this be? Scratching my head/very worried! Please not ICH again :( !!

Simons · #1 03-19-2013, 07:27 PM

I would agree that this is somewhat of a 'cold like symptom' story. I do believe that in 90% of the cases of ICH, you really can not completely eradicate a tank of the parasite unless you use measures that would likely kill most of your fish in the process.

I have been keeping fish for over a decade and I have not had a "visible" case of ICH in the past 5 years however; I have seen my fish flashing on occasion and it makes me wonder if this is some form of the parasite before the visible stage.

Fish are similar to humans in many regards, stress will cause them to get sick, and sick by a parasite seems illogical; if they were not sick by it before why would they get sick now if this parasite has 'always' been in the tank??

All I do know is when you have very active, colorful healthy looking fish that are not obviously stressed, they get sick less. So I guess the scientist in my believes there may still be spores of the parasite in the tank after ICH but it's my fishes stress level that dictates whether they will actually become more susceptible to the parasite or not.

globaldesigns · #2 03-19-2013, 07:59 PM

I agree with all the above, and myself don't stress about treatment prior or during an ICH episode or other (this means I also don't quarantine). I find that creating a healthy environment with proper water params, hiding areas and proper diets a much better solution.

In my case I just bought a sailfin and a powder brown... Well I have seen ich spots on most of my tangs since their introduction. I have a hippo, yellow, blonde naso, along with the new ones. Both new fish are about 3 weeks or so in my tank, all fish are fine, visible ich symptoms are almost gone (I know that I may see more), all fish are eating and exhibiting healthy characteristics.

Look at it this way: If you were to be harassed, put in a smaller living area, forced treatment that you didn't know what was happening, how would you feel? For me, the capture from wild, transport to the LFS is stress, then the rebag is again stress... You want to quarantine... more stress... recapture again more stress, move to another environment... more stress... get harassed by other fish during territorial disputes, more stress!!! I myself try to limit the number of stress situations to the animal.

Just my 2 cents.

maron6977 · #3 03-19-2013, 08:02 PM

I agree with everything being said . I choose not to do anything too extreme . Moving the fish to another tank to treat I find usually stress out the fish more .
I just try & keep the fish eating well & good water conditions . My blue tang has ick right now probably because of my new tank & kept adding new tank mates but I have had him for 5 years & pretty confident he'll get over it on his own.
Good luck & keep the stress to a minimum , for you & the fish !

scubadawg · #4 03-19-2013, 09:22 PM

I received a transshipment of fsh Dec 20, 2312
Put them in a New QT, 3 days later ich, from he ocean, Cupramined the tank for 3 weeks, then reduced the Cupramine, by carbon, a week a later ich again, Cupramine for another 2 weeks, then did a transfer to Display tank.

3 weeks later in Display, saw ich on a pair of fish, raised the temp to 80 for a couple of days, I always feed Garlic guard, a few days later reduced temp back to 78, and ich was gone in a few days, so like everyone said, it's like a common cold, as long as they are active and feeding, they should be able to fight it.

I still do a QT, I received 6 tangs, 1 week later saw ich on my Powder brown tang, I Cupermine for a couple of weeks, then transferred to the display tank.