Can a fish get ich by being stressed? Where does Ich come from?

[fanyfin]

I am confused about where ich comes from.

Can fish that are in a ich-free environment get ich when they are stressed?

Or do they get it only if it is already there in the environment brought from another fish?

[Aiken Drum]

Fish cant get ich from an ich free environment. It has to be introduced from an infected fish, water etc. Without host fish the ich lifecycle will end at the free swimming theront stage. It cant spontaneously appear.

However healthy fish can usually live with ich just fine. So you could go years with no signs of ich as it repeatedly goes through its lifecycle, a fish suffers from a weakened immune system for some other cause, ich takes advantage and it looks like it suddenly appears.

I would say, unless you have a rigourous quarantine, you likely have ich in your tank. I dont really see how fish stores can avoid it given how they operate, even the best ones. Maybe a bit of a generalisation, but that's why you quarantine.

[SteffeyJ]

Also, does anyone know If ich can come in on plants?
And how would I treat plants to prevent it?

[SteffeyJ]

Sorry to add to your original post!!

But I also wondered this!

[Aiken Drum]

Yes ich can come in on plants, decorations etc. Part of the ich lifecycle is called the tomont stage. After it has fed on the fish it drops off, and finds its way to the substrate to reproduce. Some will drop off onto plants etc.

A mild bleach dip or quarantine. Again ich cant survive through its whole lifecycle without a host.

[SteffeyJ]

Thank you so much!
And thanks to original poster for asking!
I had been wondering the same thing!
And thanks for the easy solution! I will try this next time I receive some plants for sure!

[Aiken Drum]

Originally Posted by SteffeyJ

Thank you so much!
And thanks to original poster for asking!
I had been wondering the same thing!
And thanks for the easy solution! I will try this next time I receive some plants for sure!

As per my first post on this thread, unless you have undergone a very rigourous QT proceedure for ich for everything introduced into your tank you possibly already have it in your tank. Fish can appear perfectly healthy when infected by ich if they have no other issues and a good immune system.

The only time ich medication can treat ich is when its in its in the free swimming stage and this can be several weeks after the visual sign of ich on your fish. What tends to happen is people medicate a tank while there are the classic signs. It clears up after a week or so, which it does anyway regardless of treatment, they then stop treatment and think its cleared up. It continually goes through its life cycle and at some point in the future symptoms reappear when fishes health is again compromised. Much easier to deal with over the required lengthy period in a QT tank. Although im guilty of not doing this.