Can just one fish get ich?

[Animal-Chin]

So a strange event is taking place. I have a nice pink tail trigger in my tank. totally healthy and eats like a pig.

So 2 nights ago I was removing the shedded shell of my coral branded shrimp and as I'm bringing it up from the bottom of the tank my trigger swoops in and steals it from my fingers. the then THRASHES the carcas and eats most of it. As soon as he's done i notice he has white spots on him. Maybe 15 or so? I assume its ich but I don't know.

2 days later and not a single fish other than the trigger has the white spots. he has a few less now, maybe 7 or so. So now I'm thinking maybe it's prickles or something from the shrimps shell he was thrashing around? Is this possible? Can one fish get ich and the rest not, even a naso tang?

The whole thing is just weird...

 

[SeanMonster]

When i had a FO tank I had a Pinktail Trigger as well. I thought it was getting ich all the time but none of the other fish were. I kept treating for it. Eventually, I stopped treating all together and the fish was fine. I think it was the fish's slime coat or something because it never acted sick.


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[melosu58]

It all depends on the immunity the fish has. If the immune system of one fish is weaker than the others then yes that could happen. Need to feed the fish food that will aid his immune system. Maybe food soaked in garlic.

 

[Animal-Chin]

ya I'm not treating cause its a reef but still not one other fish has a spot and he still has the little white dots. I'm actually thinking it's not ich and maybe small barbs from the shrimp or something.

 

[Sniperhank]

And it isn't sand? I've had that scare before.

 

[Animal-Chin]

So it all went away then yesterday he had a few again and today tones! It's so weird, not one of my other fish has them. Maybe it is sand from sleeping? I mean I have a nano, if it was ich he'd get it wouldn't he?

 

[DI68]

Nano tank? The minimum size a pinkail trigger should be in is 180gals according to live aquaria. Maybe that's the problem ? I have had fish show signs of ich and not others. The ich would still be in my tank as I didn't remove all fish to treat- the ones I did attempt hyposalinity on died and the rest appear healthy with no spots for months. I would remove it to a QT to observe and treat.


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