Question About Ich

[GouramiFanatic]

I was told late last week that fish can actually get Ich from people tapping on the aquarium glass. The person who told me this said that when people tap on the glass it stresses the fish out and they excrete some kind of a chemical which can lead to Ich. Is there any truth to this?

- Mandy

 

[Skyrmir]

Only in a maybe round about kinda maybe way. Ich is almost always present in your tank. It's hard to kill, lays dormant when it feels like it and is generally a pain. Most of the time healthy fish have a decent slime coat and can protect themselves from it. Stressed fish have less of a slime coat and can get infected. One infected fish is going to start the ich cycle and the rest are soon going to catch it.

So while no, tapping on the glass doesn't cause Ich, it does cause stress, stressed fish are susebtable. Once in a while is no biggie, the fish get over it. Repeatedly or often is just plain mean to the fish.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Very well put. 8)

 

[greenmaji]

But once it has been killed.. it is not dormante.. its gone... If you have ever treated your tank with heat or salt for more then 2-3 weeks and didnt add any more fish after that (cross contamination) you cant have an outbreak of ich. its a parisite once its killed its just that, gone.