Ich in reef tank?

[Mudzie]

Do a lot of reefers just shrugg of the fact that ich is in thie tanks and hope fish can keep up immune system enough to keep it off?

 

[melosu58]

I dont believe it`s in every tank. Just when introduced. Read these articles about it.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com


Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part II by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Mudzie]

I know its not in all tanks, but theres a lot out there that have had an issue at one time or another with ich,and for what ever reason tearing rockwork apart,catching other fish & leaving reef tank empty for 6-8 weeks and see that other fish not showing any signs decide to keep parameters up tank fed good , fish stress free and go on about thier reefin business???

 

[Gti_Leo]

remember in nature ich is a natural thing and fish are able to fight it off.

a happy fish is a healthy fish, a healthy fish is a strong fish. the stronger and healthier they are the stronger their defenses and immune systems are which means they are able to withstand more illness, just like us as humans. a stressed out depressed person are prob to illness more often then a happy healthy person.

feed your fish right keep them strong keep the water up to par and watch how happy your fish get. reef systems are a battle like everything else but the outcome is well worth the effort.


but i would agree with melosu, not every tank has it and there are ways to treat it so that it is not an issue, thats not to say that you can let things slip and not keep up with keeping the fish healthy

 

[Mudzie]

Thanks for all the good advice.I was hoping to hear from some that have maybe lost a fish to saltwater ich in the past and have not lost any others since without treating?? I know ive met a few personaly and the fish in thier tanks looked prettt healthy,happy? Thanks again

 

[Fishguy2727]

That is a common occurrence. Stress allows fish to get sick, few common aquarium pathogens can infect healthy, unstressed fish. Stress them and something WILL cause an infection.

IMO hobbyist quarantine is a joke that causes a lot more harm than good 95% of the time. Few people have proper QTs that don't cause even more stress during an already very stressful time. A proper quarantine takes months, that is AFTER the last signs of anything have been seen. To think that a few weeks in a cramped, undecorated, uncycled tank is a good thing should lead people to rethink their role in the hobby.

FYI garlic has been shown to actively kill parasites. Some people have used it to safely treat white spot (not ich in SW) in reef tanks. The best form is freshly pressed garlic but some people have been successful using New Life Spectrum's Thera+A Formula, which has enough garlic to kill some parasites. It is one of very few (if any other) safe but effective methods to treat white spot in a reef setup.

 

[leftyfish]

I lost 5 fish to ich and saved my two clowns in a QT. Now no fish will ever go in my tank without a QT protocol. I tried feeding garlic, I had a cleaner shrimp, my water was fine, 20% WC every week, etc.

 

[Mudzie]

Do you think anything stressed them after a fish was introduced possibly w/ich?the onlly reason im asking is its been about a month or so that i lost the coral beauty and rest of fish seem pretty content. I got back into this hobby to keep things thriving,just would be concerned what kind of stress for fish at this point w/hypo and all vs risk,immunity??thanks..

 

[Gti_Leo]

it could be stressed out because of a bully fish or invert. many things can cause a fish to be stressed out