"Ich"iot Hepatamus

[Anonymous]

From the same source:

Ultra violet sterilizers can help prevent the spread of infection between aquariums in a multi-tank system. When an ultra violet sterilizer is placed in the water flow between tanks in a multi-tank system it can eradicate theronts before they can spread into the next aquarium. However, UV lights are less effective at eliminating infection within a single aquarium. Free-swimming theronts can exit tomonts and infect fish before passing through an ultra violet sterilizer. This means that the parasite will continue its cycle life cycle within that aquarium (Gratzek, et al., 1983).

That's funny, my fish are still living after I installed a UV. I guess you can't believe everything you read.

It is a treatment, not a cure. It may or may not be the only thing preventing an full outbreak, but it certainly didn't rid the system of the parasite. The flow would have to be massive, turning the system over several times an hour, along with a bulb powerful enough to kill everything that blew by it at that high flow rate....even then, no guarantee.

 

[Anonymous]

To totally negate UVs I think is a mistake. If anything, it allows the fish to overcome an otherwise parabolic downward turn. Either that, or I'm really realy lucky that my fish previously covered in white stops and scratching are now doing well. I'm not lucky.

 

[Anonymous]

To totally negate UVs I think is a mistake. If anything, it allows the fish to overcome an otherwise parabolic downward turn. Either that, or I'm really realy lucky that my fish previously covered in white stops and scratching are now doing well. I'm not lucky.

There are many people who have tried UV who have not had the success you have had. It could help the fish to overcome the turn, but uv is also tricky. You need the right size with the right flow, then you have to hope the ich actually gets into the uv chambers which is not a sure thing.
In your case the uv may have helped, but it also may not have helped; the insidious thing about ich is that it is so difficult to know what actually has had an effect on it.

 

[Anonymous]

To totally negate UVs I think is a mistake. If anything, it allows the fish to overcome an otherwise parabolic downward turn. Either that, or I'm really realy lucky that my fish previously covered in white stops and scratching are now doing well. I'm not lucky.

Lots of people without UV have the same thing happen.

Some people use Kick Ick and that happens.

Some people use garlic and that happens.


I don't see how UV can hurt....it MUST kill SOME of the parasites as the free swimmers pass through the light. But it can't cure a system of the disease either and how much it helps depends on how high the effective flow rate is. If you are only turning over the system volume once an hour or less and you don't have a high flow rate in the tank, many of the parasites are bound to find a fish before they get pulled through the UV.