Ich and its effects on the whole aquarium

[Tbrennan]

I did the the big move last year kept enough sand to seed the new sand bed and used the water that came out . Loaded everything in 50 gal totes
The only thing I would do different is get smaller totes I could hardley move them and I had no helpers they all seem to disappear when the water left the tank. Good luck

 

[CC-Star]

Ya we got 15 gallon rubbermaid tubs.
we have helpers that CLAIM they wanna help. I told them heck I dont mind helping lift the tubs/tank, but someone whom has these characteristics 1) patience 2) non-dirty hands (rules dave out) 3) quick reflexes 4) did I mention patience? 5) high tolerance for pain - clowns bite eheheh needs to catch the fish...bc i lack in the patience ehhee.

Thanks def will get some more sand then.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't trust this getting better trust me, ich is always present from what i understand. Even read some info about it remaining in a no fish populated tank. Not sure how true it is. I think you should qt/copper anyway.

JoeW

Very big argument on this. Some swear its always there, others say its not.

'sigh'
Indeed there is a big arguement. There are also people who believe the world is flat and we never went to the moon. This is one of those "if I had a nickle for" subjects. It still floors me to no end really how people can insinuate that an organism perpetually exists in a closed system, regardless of it's lifecycle and needs. Indeed, it's like insisting that regal tangs are always in your system, and conditions need only be right for them to appear out of nowhere. Silly to no end.
C. irritans is an obligate protozoan, an animal - NOT some super organism that flies in the face of every law that every other organism on the planet must adhere to. It cannot continue to exist unless it's able to carry out it's life cycle - period. I suggest anyone who believes any differently read published papers on the subject, or articles by Terry Bartelme or Steven Pro. At least, they should educate themselves and become familiar with the organisms' life cycle, (theront, tomont, tomite) and understand how it works.


Jim

 

[Anonymous]

fyi:


ich (cryptocaryon irritans) MUST be treated for at least a full 28 days, or you haven't gotten rid of it


once it shows in your main tank, it will be in the main tank for as long as it's populated w/fish (subclinical infection)


ich cannot survive/complete its life cycle w/out fish as a host
(though there may be a 'subspecies'/strain that can remain dormant for longer than the typical 4 weeks)


flame angels are copper sensitive, and should NOT be treated w/copper as a 1st treatment attempt.



formalin will wipe out ich (and just about any other protozoal parasite)100% of the time, and is less stressful for most fish than copper.

an excellent mix to use (NOT invert/reef safe, but great in a q tank) is formalin with malachite green-the malachite is also mildly antiprotozoal, and it's a good anti fungal to help keep the resulting teeny wounds the parasites make in the fish's skin free of secondary infection


hth

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with everything Vitz said, except that it CAN be erradicated from a tank with fish present, as long as those fish are immune. Generaly, his statement holds true though. Getting rid of the parasite with fish present takes longer, but I've done it a few times. What happens is that the parasite is not able to infect the fish enough to produce enough tomites to keep the life cycle going.
Eventually, the parasite is wiped out. I did it in my 92 corner some years ago. Even a moving disaster where the water dropped to 65 degrees did not bring on an infection - the organism was no longer present.


Jim