The whole "ICK" thing

[toddwess]

Okay, I have read a ton of posts on here about ick and I just don't get it.

Let's say - for example - I have a 40 gallon fish only tank.

For years, I have the same 4 fish in there.

All is well and wonderful.

No new fish have been added for, let's say, 18 months.

Then, one day, one of your fish develops ick.

With all that I have read about this disease, how is this possible?

I, personally, believe that the organism that is 'ick' is ALWAYS present in the water, and when a fish becomes stressed or anything else that lowers their immunity, they become suseptible to the organism, and they develop the disease we call ick.

I mean, if in the past 18 months no new fish have been introduced into the tank that could possible infest the tank, how would the fish get ick? It can only be brought in from the outside, right?

I just don't see how ick can develop from nothing. How can you go for 18 months with nothing, and then have a fish develop ick?

Thoughts????

Todd

 

[steve-s]

Two possible "suggestions"

1.. Introductiion via secondary source: Corals, rock, LFS water or invert shells which I would think one of these moreso to be the cause.

2.. The fish have been healthy enough to fight off a complete infestation (not very likely though IME). Ich cannot really survive without a fish host past 12-14 hrs as a theront. If the fish have been QT'd when first purchased, ich will most certainly surface and can be effectively treated. If treatment is needed and properly administered, it is impossible for that same fish to be the cause of any future infections.

Cheers
Steve

 

[triggers]

I have researched this for you in a book I have about saltwater diseases and this is what it says:

Marine ick is almost always present in an aquarium and infects fish that are in poor health or have had a recent infections that temporarily left them w/o certain immunities. Ick can soon become visible on a fish if the fish's natural resistance (its slime coat) is weakened from shock, unsuitable water conditions, overcrowding or an improper diet.

The life cycle of ick is usually 3 to 5 day, during which time it releases itself from the fish and floats to the bottom. At this stage, the parasite reproduces by cell division. The new juveniles number from 100 to 1000 and then free swim in search of a new host. In other ick infestations, the disease may be covered by fish mucus or skin, and thus, will repopulate on the same host fish.

I hope this gives bette understanding, it sure did for me.

 

[toddwess]

This is wonderful information!!! Thanks so much for your effort on this. It really helps!!

Todd