Ich by day, gone by night

[nugrad2005]

So the 150 is getting really strange lately. We just lost the naso tang this morning and are worried we might lose some more. He was perfectly healthy last night and eating then proof!...dead. There is what appears to be a bunch of ich in the tank, especailly on the tangs. Funny thing this though that it isn't there in the morning, but by nightfall they are loaded with it, but then again in the morning is it basically gone. The powder blue has by far got it the worst.

Do you think this is ich and the cleaner shrimp(2) and cleaner wrasse(1) are doing their job, but there is just so much ich that they re-get it by night time or is it another disease? Its the wierdest thing ever.

Any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks.

-Dan

 

[steve-s]

Ick does not appear and disapear. It is actually the natural cycle. When was the last item introduce? Fish or otherwise?

The time the trophont takes to grow is about 24-48 hrs before it becomes visible. After that it leaves the fish host and attaches to the substrate or other hard surface where is form a cyst know as the tomont. Once the parasite multiples it leave the cyst and becomes the free swimming theront.

If a fish is introduced at the last stage, even if it were only one trophont it will infest the tank and could take up to a week before it becomes evident.

I hope you have a QT ready. Wether it be C irritans or oodinium you must treat all the fish using either copper or hyposalinity. You need to leave the main display fallow for 4-6 weeks.

Because of the apperant "quick" loss of one tang already, I would go with the copper.

Cheers
Steve