Confused

[bigtankbigfish]

I have had the same 6 fish for a few years now. I used to have them in a 75 but recently upgraded to 125.
This is the pecking order;
picasso trigger<though never aggressive to fish is clearly king during feeding time
maroon clown
coral beauty
2 blue damsels
2' snowflake eel <lives strictly on raw shrimp and silversides never touches damsels or CUC
For some reason every time I try to add another fish to the system they always come down with ich. I have tried 2 different porcupine puffers from two different stores and both got ich and died less than a week. I tried a rabbit fish who seemed cool for a week before he got it. I gave him to someone else to try to revive him. I lost a yellow tang i added to ich. I kow my water test good. I use RODI and to be honest my bioload is so light my skimmer never gets anything. I dont even run it half the time.
Recently I gave up on LFS's so I decided to try an assertive hippo tang about the same size as my trigger. He was in someones 180 they are selling and I got him for 25 bucks. He is very well fed and vibrant. He's been in the tank for 2 weeks now, longer than any other fish has lasted he eats like a champion. He was nipping on my clown the first week I got him a algae clip for him to graze on and he has since stopped. Anyway yesterday he looked like he had ich, today he has ich.
My question is this, obviously there some ich in my tank. Why does it only attack new fish? Why have none of the others ever had it? Im guessing the ich is brought into the tank by the fish due to stress but if the fish is swimming end to end, eating everything in sight, getting a varied diet where is the stress coming from? I have hiding places for everyone, clean water, non agressive fish, 6' of length. What is the problem? Is there a tip to adding new fish? Should I try two at a time to spread out the agression? I see people with tanks on youtube that have 10x more fish than I do in their 125's and I have no idea how they do it???
*disclaimer before you bash me for not having a QT, I know I should have one but I dont have room and my electric bill is already ridiculous. I dont think it would matter anyway since the fish seem to get ich from the stress of being in the tank, not just randomly getting it.
Heres a vid of the tank and the hippo covered in ich. You may have to watch the HD version to see the ich clearly

 

[meowzer]

Well, I see you realize the ich is in your tank, and that you are not bringing it with the fish....Most fish are stressed when they are being introduced to a new tank.....stressed fish contratc ich easier, since their immune system is down
You will never get rid of the ich unless you remove your fish and leave the tank empty for about 6 weeks...then the ich will die off...
Good luck

 

[flower]

What is going on is that your tank is infected with ich. The fish that are in the tank are healthy and able to fend off a full assault but new fish are stressed and they come down with it. There is no way to not stress a fish when it is first brought into a new environment.
The only real cure is to remove all the fish and let the tank sit without any fish for 6 to 8 weeks. Then do hypo on the fish while in QT. with large fish I don’t see that as a possibility because the QT can’t house them all for that long.
Since your new Tang has come down with ich, feed it some raw shrimp soaked in fresh garlic juice to kind of help his immunity. My Hippo likes warmer temps, so I raised my temperature to 82/84..The tang was happier and began to fight off the ich like the rest of my tank critters. I also added two cleaner shrimp, they pick the parasite off the fish.
After so long a time with no sick host to infect, and the cleaner shrimp doing their job, I actually no longer have ich in my tank for over a year now.
Not everyone agrees with me that you can keep fish healthy enough to overcome ich, nor do they agree to turn up the temperature. That is what I did so that is the best advice I can offer.

 

[bigtankbigfish]

yeah I know removing them will kill anything left but wouldnt the ich just return if I introduced a new fish to the pack and he was stressed out? So are you saying that if i took a healthy fish and put him in a 100% ich free environment he could never contract ich. If he gets stressed he will get it anyway right? Dont all fish carry ich??

 

[bigtankbigfish]

Ill turn up the temp, but the cleaner shrimp dont stand a chance, its a fowlr with a trigger. Hows about a fresh water dip in a gallon of RODI for 30 seconds, would that at least prolong the attack while he stocks up on food? Im not removing all my fish. The hippo is eating like crazy, hes active on the rocks, not scratching, he wants to fight it.

 

[meowzer]

NO...all fish do not carry ich....If you have an ich free tank....and add an ich free fish....you will NOT have ich
that is why we are supposed to QT

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BigTankBigFish
http:///forum/post/3272375
yeah I know removing them will kill anything left but wouldnt the ich just return if I introduced a new fish to the pack and he was stressed out? So are you saying that if i took a healthy fish and put him in a 100% ich free environment he could never contract ich. If he gets stressed he will get it anyway right? Dont all fish carry ich??

No. Not all fish have ich. If you QT your new fish and make sure it is healthy BEFORE you add it to the DT, you will not have it. Stress does not cause ich, ich is a parasite that infects a stressed fish easier. Once it is in the tank, any new arrivals are going to get it and once it gets a hold it can overcome the healthy ones by sheer numbers once ich has a place to spread and infect.
You must address the situation before ever adding a new fish. To QT a new fish now is a waste of effort, your tank will now make them sick.

 

[bigtankbigfish]

Well i could always just stop adding fish and keep what I got. They seem to be immune to it.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BigTankBigFish
http:///forum/post/3272380
Well i could always just stop adding fish and keep what I got. They seem to be immune to it.

Now you got the idea...if you can keep your fish healthy with no break outs of ich for a long while, then QT any new fish and if they are sick treat them BEFORE you add them you should be able to overcome ich. A long while is not a few weeks...I waited for like 6+ months because I was tired of fish dying...a couple of cleaner shrimp is a big help.
P.S.
Either all the fish will die off and then leave it empty to be clear of ich or...just keep what you have and keep them healthy like I wrote above.

 

[bigtankbigfish]

cleaner shrimp sound like the move but Id have to get rid of whitey. Hes my fav fish. Yeah i did have a nice little gap when i upgraded tanks where I didnt add any new fish. Then i tried another porc puffer and he got it. Then i just tried the hippo since he was already healthy and ich free in this guys 180.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BigTankBigFish
http:///forum/post/3272383
cleaner shrimp sound like the move but Id have to get rid of whitey. Hes my fav fish. Yeah i did have a nice little gap when i upgraded tanks where I didnt add any new fish. Then i tried another porc puffer and he got it. Then i just tried the hippo since he was already healthy and ich free in this guys 180.

If your fish seem immune because they are strong enough to fight off the parasite, don’t get rid of your favorite fish. Just keep the ones you have good and healthy for about 6 months and forget about a cleaner shrimp.
When you are ready to add that new fish… QT everything!

 

[srfisher17]

Healthy fish can fight off an occasional ich parasite; but if an infected fish is introduced and has ich, there will be more trouble. If the parasite is allowed to reproduce indefinitely; sooner or later, the tank will be so full of active parasites that most fish cannot survive. BTW, cleaner shrimp cannot cure an infestation of ich. In fact, I've heard of hobbiests who have been wiped out by ich because their shrimp gave them a false sense of security and they didn't act soon enough enough. This is also true with U.V. systems. Sorry, there is just no way to rid your tank of ich; other than taking out all fish for at least 4-5 weeks. Of course, like Flower EVERYTHING---including coral, crabs, snails---anything that has been in SW. All you need is one ich bug and it starts all over.

 

[bigtankbigfish]

Well, we have reached the tipping point. The point where we will know in a few days if he makes it or not. He was covered for about 2 weeks. He never scratched, never stopped swimming, never stopped eating. Now he is all clear, and of course the others are still clear too. I dont know if the ich gave up or they dropped off to multiply but Im feeding the hippo as much as possible to get him ready for round 2.
How long is the free floating stage where they multiply? So i know when to expect to see more and prepare for the worst, or hopefully not see more and welcome the Hippo to the survivors circle.

 

[flower]

Hi,
Don't add anymore fish for at least 6 months. If none of your fish come down with ich in that length of time, I believe you have gotten rid of it. Right now the ich is in the tank and the fish are strong and stress free so are not being infected.
6 months may seem like over kill, but if you add another fish, it all begins again. This is what I did and now after over a year and even a full move, my fish are healthy and ich free.
I believe that if your fish can resist the parasite long enough, without a host it will die. I say wait the 6 months because even one little hardy bad critter could be hanging on, infecting just enough to keep the cycle going. With the healthy fish fighting it off the bad guys get weaker and weaker until they are no more...but it takes a very long time.
Please understand I am no expert and I am not going by any info I have read. It is just my experience in my own situation. That’s why I keep saying "I BELIEVE." I could be wrong and what got rid of my ich could be something else, and I just think that this is why.
I don't want to steer anyone wrong, but for your situation, it doesn't look like you much else you can do.

 

[bigtankbigfish]

i think youre right flower. In my own experiences so far, I think ich is overrated. Yes it has killed a few fish, but it has also not killed a few fish who have been with it forever. I think its like you said, if the fish can fight off that first attack when introduced, then they pretty much live a normal healthy life span. I had a feeling the hippo was gonna make it because of the fact he never stopped eating. And he found his spot in the pecking order. He moved ahead of the maroon , but still below the picasso trigger.
I will take your advice. I wasnt planning on adding anymore fish for 6 months anyway regardless whether he made it or didnt. Ill let the ich die off for a while and then QT all new additions. 6 months will give me time to set up a QT big enough to hold a few fish
tell ya the truth. I may not even add anymore fish at all. i kinda like having a light bioload and a huge CUC. I only run the skimmer one day a week and water changes are rare.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BigTankBigFish
http:///forum/post/3275609
i think youre right flower. In my own experiences so far, I think ich is overrated. Yes it has killed a few fish, but it has also not killed a few fish who have been with it forever. I think its like you said, if the fish can fight off that first attack when introduced, then they pretty much live a normal healthy life span. I had a feeling the hippo was gonna make it because of the fact he never stopped eating. And he found his spot in the pecking order. He moved ahead of the maroon , but still below the picasso trigger.
I will take your advice. I wasnt planning on adding anymore fish for 6 months anyway regardless whether he made it or didnt. Ill let the ich die off for a while and then QT all new additions. 6 months will give me time to set up a QT big enough to hold a few fish
tell ya the truth. I may not even add anymore fish at all. i kinda like having a light bioload and a huge CUC. I only run the skimmer one day a week and water changes are rare.
Hi,
LOL..The only way to make it 6 months is to stay away from the LFS and only buy food without looking at anyting.
On the upside, inverts can't get ich...so satisfy the need for more with a tube worm, a scallop, clam or something along those lines, maybe a sponge. I never had your type of fish, so I don't know what gets along with what you have. I know you said shrimp were out.