"False Alarm" and a *big* sigh of relief

[Phyl]

My 8w QT beautiful purple tang, cured of ich with hypo, kept at proper salinity for a week extra before transfer, finally rejoined my main (that has never had a documented case of ich) about 2 weeks ago. Two lovely weeks go by and I'm thinking we're finally free of that dastardly parasite.

Then one day there it is....? Or isn't it??? On his left side there were 2 or 3 spots that I would swear were ich. On the other side maybe one... maybe 2. I upped his feeding, increased my use of garlic and selcon, hung more nori than usual, and prayed a LOT. Day two and those spots were gone. Ich can give you that rotten false hope so I didn't breath for two or three days. It's been 4 or 5 now and he's clear as a bell still. I don't know if they really were ich or just sand, settiment, ?whatever? but after that one brief appearance they've disappeared again. I guess we'll just play the wait and see game with them.

I'm starting to join the "it's in every system" camp. Unless you hypo every fish and QT for 8w in a fishless system every single other addition to the tank how does anyone ever really know if they've got ich or not? Not until that one stress event that causes the outbreak will it be apparent.

Thoughts?

 

[electrikat]

You see that's what happened with our last regal. She was fine when we got her, broke out in ich, the cleaner kept her cleaned for several days of on again off again. Then she appeared to clear up for several days, then a few spots then clear then she just dissappeared. None of the others got it and never have. I believe the every tank has it story, I've actually researched it some. Unless you have a completely sterile system where there has never been any outside influences of sand, rock, or fish from another system and unless your system has had no new additions for 12 months, then you probably have it in your system. However most fish build up an immunity to it through healthy water and eating. But for some reason, tangs can just hear the word ich and they've got it. Hope yours stays clear Phyl, I know you've put alot of work,heart and time into this fish.

 

[revhtree]

Thats great news Phyl!

 

[kwan]

Over a year ago, my tank was infested with ich. I QT my fish for many months and left my tank to fallow. But the ich never went away. In the end I gave up and put every fish back in the main. Touch wood, so far I have not had an outbreak. The regal get a couple of spots every now and then with the others being fine. My conclusion is that I will never get rid of ich in my tank. But through good water quality and food soaked with garlic helps the fish to build up their immune system.