Do snails carry ich?

[Aquarium Girl]

I'm thinking about getting a couple of snails for my fancy goldfish tank. Do they need to go be quarantined? Can they carry ich or other diseases or parasites that could transfer to my goldies?

 

[Fishman007]

I'm thinking about getting a couple of snails for my fancy goldfish tank. Do they need to go be quarantined? Can they carry ich or other diseases or parasites that could transfer to my goldies?

No they cannot carry any diseases that can transfer to you goldfish.

 

[Rivercats]

I'm thinking about getting a couple of snails for my fancy goldfish tank. Do they need to go be quarantined? Can they carry ich or other diseases or parasites that could transfer to my goldies?

Actually some snails carry parasites called black spot which can infect goldfish and some ramshorn snails are known to carry flukes. I'm not certain they can carry ich but snails can in fact carry parasites.

 

[Fishman007]

Actually some snails carry parasites called black spot which can infect goldfish and some ramshorn snails are known to carry flukes. I'm not certain they can carry ich but snails can in fact carry parasites.

Oh, never heard of black spot, and didnt know that about RHs

 

[addikted2tanks]

That's incorrect.. snails can't get ich/ick but are carriers of it.. I just had this same problem. They can carry the disease but won't die from it... quarantine and treat before putting in main tank

 

[Fishman007]

That's incorrect.. snails can't get ich/ick but are carriers of it.. I just had this same problem. They can carry the disease but won't die from it... quarantine and treat before putting in main tank

Treat the snail? Ha Most ich medications have copper in them or other chemicals that will kill inverts.

 

[addikted2tanks]

At Wal-Mart they sell jungle remedy ick clear fizz tabs with only two ingredients that are active and snail friendly as I have used before. Victoria green and acriflavine. Got rid of my ick and snails are fine.

 

[addikted2tanks]

This is the stuff

 

[Fishman007]

Like i said most. There is really no point in QT of a snail unless you are a clean freak,

 

[addikted2tanks]

Or you don't want your snail to spread ick by leaving its eggs all over the tank... but its not a debate over who is right, I'm saying I bought a snail carrying ick. I did not treat it and all the fish in my tank got it.. take the advice you want

 

[Fishman007]

Or you don't want your snail to spread ick by leaving its eggs all over the tank... but its not a debate over who is right, I'm saying I bought a snail carrying ick. I did not treat it and all the fish in my tank got it.. take the advice you want

How are you sure that the snail transfered it? Ich can be in a fishes gills for over a month before it starts froming the little white cysts on the fishes body

 

[addikted2tanks]

It was only new thing not already established in tank and I watch him spread white dots I thought were eggs..

 

[Fishman007]

It was only new thing not already established in tank and I watch him spread white dots I thought were eggs..

Spread white dots???

 

[addikted2tanks]

Yea I don't know let me find the picture... after that there was ick

 

[J.Mcpeak]

White spot is a very complex parasite with a few stages in its life cycle. The raising of the temperature does speed up the process. Here in the uk malachite green, accriflavin and quinine sulphate are the ingredients. Other countries may use different names for pharmaceuticals. The life cycle basically is, the white spots burst and are "free swimming" these attach to the inside of your aquarium and become cysts. Each cyst bursts and releases 1000+ infective stages! these are also "free swimming" each one must find a fish within 48 hrs or it will die. The process starts again. Most white spot treatments can only attack the "free swimming" stages.
This makes it difficult to erradicate.
An empty tank at 20C' for 7 days will be the best bet. Leave all filters etc in place. If you can set up a quarantine tank using equipment that is NOT part of this system move the fish and treat separately. Remove carbon when treating for white spot.
If you want online research ichthyophthirius multifiliis (freshwater white spot) and ciliate protozoan. This will yield some pictures that better explain the life cycle. One final note, each burst spot opens up the way for bacterial infection. I'm sorry that is the answer from hell, be careful with the treatment as it very powerful stuff, follow instructions to the letter.

Edited from a message for help I gave out earlier. The snails didn't lay ich for sure. Snails carry disease for sure, not sure about this one though, I've never seen it on a snail, but then I've never looked. Snails are puffer food to me.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

White dots on glass, decor or in the water are NOT ich. You can not see ich with the naked eye. What you see on the fish is its immune response to the parasite not the ich itself. I doubt very much that you got ich from a snail. They do not carry it.

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich2.php

To treat ich: Raise the temp to 86-88f. No less than 86. 90 is too high. Increase aeration. The higher the temp the less oxygen the water holds. Increase water change and gravel vacs. Leave the temp up for at least one week after the last spot is seen. Medication and salt is not usually needed.

ETA: It is more likely that ich is introduced into a tank from the water in the bag than the snail itself. Ich can go unnoticed in a tank until a fish is subjected to a stress. Stressed fish are more likely to become infested. Once completely eradicated from a tank it will not come back unless reintroduced.

 

[Fishman007]

Yea I don't know let me find the picture... after that there was ick

That thing on the wall isnt ich

 

[J.Mcpeak]

That temperature thing must be a new study I am unaware of.

Edit-So it turns out that temperature thing is an old study that I was until recently unaware of.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Mumma of two, that looks to be a good web page. Ive always relied on my sources and have looked no further. Like I always say never too old to learn!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

The bit that rings alarms to me is "gauge the temperature tolerance of your fish" that sounds risky given the condition alone is enough to kill, it sounds effective on ich itself as it stops reproduction. Personally I love my fish too much to chance the "boil"
I think a combination of the two methods would be highly efficient. Separate fish and treat separately and cook the system at the same time.