I don't understand ich...

[glaekenjz]

Ok, so my understanding is that ICH is almost always present in an aquarium, and your fish can get it whenever they are too stressed out, and their immune system drops. I read about fish just naturally getting over ICH all of the time. Is it just water changes and vitamins? I just had all of my fish die of a combination of ICH and another disease. I narrowed it down, but can't remember what it was called. I am obviously apprehensive about buying new fish, after my last disaster. What can I do to prevent ICH and other similar diseases? Other than the usual "water changes and garlic" regimen.

 

[reeffeer]

perhaps the biggest pain in the rear is an out break of ich. ive had them and everyone has. step one never ever add new fish to a display tank until properly quarantined 2-3 weeks in seperate tank. why they get a chance to eat fatten up, and defend them selves fairly in the main tank against potentially hostile neighbors. it also gives you a change to medicate them without spoiling you main tank. never put meds in a display tank! if you feel your tankis currently over run with ich. dont add any more fish. do a massive water change and wait 30 days.. why? because the cycle of ich isd such that if it has nothin to attach to within 30 days its will die off. within 30 days ich has hatched swarmed and been on the prowl for new victims. well if there arent any then walla. no ich! then your first fish should be quarantined then added slowly. i find malachite green to be a good med for treating ich.. if youve got some dough to spend a uv sterilizer helps and a diatom filter too. read abouth these goodies and hopefully this will offer some long term relief and success to your environment. dont be dicouraged! just be methodical good luck:jumping:

 

[elfdoctors]

Originally Posted by glaekenjz
my understanding is that ICH is almost always present in an aquarium, and your fish can get it whenever they are too stressed out, and their immune system drops.
The statement above is only true for freshwater ich. Saltwater ich has to be introduced into an aquarium. Assuming you do not have ich in your tank already, if you quarantine new fish for at least 3 weeks, it is unlikely that you will ever have to deal with ich.

 

[exile415]

To never have ick again when you introduce a fish put it in the QT for about 3 weeks or more and if it looks healthy and does its things like eat,swim and looks good(Free of diseases) . It should be ready to go in your display.

 

[pimpnfish]

Regardless your fish will die. Its a conspiracy brought about by fish store owners to make you buy more fish. They are also genetically engineering fish to die within 6 weeks. There is a special enzyme the stores have to keep them alive while they have them. This is just salt fish FYI. Thus why the higher prices. Its a price fix thing that started 5 years ago.
just something to think about

 

[jer4916]

i've only had an ich break out one time, and that was when i first sat up my tnak....i caught it in time and saved my fish...but ever since i've been keeping my tank running with copper, and i've NEVER seen it present since.....i highly recommend copper.
some hate it...i LOVE it...but i also know how to use the stuff....
~chris

 

[ophiura]

I think, in theory, a tank can be free of this parasite in totality...however in practice, it is probably rare, because few people properly isolate them in QT for at least 3 weeks. So the parasite does get introduced to the system. I think that there can be some low level probably unnoticed infection in many cases that is sustaining the parasite, and at some point, due to some perturbation in the tank (causing some sort of immunity supressing stress), a major outbreak takes place....IMO at least

 

[glaekenjz]

OK, thanks everyone.

 

[michelle l]

So if the parasite IS present in the system, but the fish overcome the infection and are parasite free for 30 days, does the parasite then die off? Or does it just hang around waiting for one of the fish to get weak?

 

[pimpnfish]

it will be there waiting to attack.

 

[glaekenjz]

I've heard that invertabrates, while they cannot get ich themselves, may become passive carriers for the parasite. Anyone heard of this before?