in the wild
- Thread starter jjspati
- Start date
elfdoctors
Active Member
A lot of them don't get better and die.
Some fish can get a limited immunity and recover.
The biggest problem that ich has in reproducing is getting to another fish. There is a LOT of space in the ocean. Ich has a phase during its reproduction during which it has to live outside of a fish. If there are no fish around during the critical time it has to find another fish, it cannot spread. Ich may play a role in keeping reef populations regulated. If populations get too high, ich can spread and lower the fish density. TerryB can probably shed more insight in this as he studies this extensively.
It spreads much more easily in fish tanks, especially LFS where fish are mixed together frequently in close spaces.
Some fish can get a limited immunity and recover.
The biggest problem that ich has in reproducing is getting to another fish. There is a LOT of space in the ocean. Ich has a phase during its reproduction during which it has to live outside of a fish. If there are no fish around during the critical time it has to find another fish, it cannot spread. Ich may play a role in keeping reef populations regulated. If populations get too high, ich can spread and lower the fish density. TerryB can probably shed more insight in this as he studies this extensively.
It spreads much more easily in fish tanks, especially LFS where fish are mixed together frequently in close spaces.
clarion
New Member
I doubt that ****** plays a large role in fish population control in the wild. There really isn't space constraints in the ocean and the fish to volume ratio is significantly in the fish's favor. A few thousand tomonts from an infected fish almost have no chance of reinfecting the same fish, much less finding a host after it has reproduced. ****** is primarily a aquaculture/hobby/closed system problem.
gatorcsm
Member
I believe it was beth that said something along the lines of the space there was in the ocean... Once the ich went waterborn, instead of so many of the reproduced 'ichs' would find a new host, vice a huge number finding a host (closed system)..
In short, like clarion said, when the ich falls off the fish, the fish can swim away.
In short, like clarion said, when the ich falls off the fish, the fish can swim away.
elfdoctors
Active Member
Welcome to the boards, Clarion!
I agree with you. I did state that it MAY affect wild populations. It certainly has found a niche within the fishkeeping hobby industry to make it endemic in this industry. However, it probably had to have some evolutionary pressure in the wild to develop a relatively complicated lifecycle. Most diseases have some benefit to natural populations to weed out the sick and aged and therefore keep the overall fitness of the population higher. However, this is speculation on my part.
TerryB would be a better person to answer if he signs on soon. I have been trying to help out in this forum since the moderators haven't been posting for several days.
I agree with you. I did state that it MAY affect wild populations. It certainly has found a niche within the fishkeeping hobby industry to make it endemic in this industry. However, it probably had to have some evolutionary pressure in the wild to develop a relatively complicated lifecycle. Most diseases have some benefit to natural populations to weed out the sick and aged and therefore keep the overall fitness of the population higher. However, this is speculation on my part.
TerryB would be a better person to answer if he signs on soon. I have been trying to help out in this forum since the moderators haven't been posting for several days.
jjspati
Member
you know, if we keep treating ich in our hobby, how does it keep coming back? if you say that ich is not very common in the ocean, then how do you aquire it in the hobby if we are not bringing it in from the ocean. using everyone theories, perhaps its that ich is everywhere and never completely dies off. if it never dies off then ich has (example) 100 times a day to find a host where in the ocean it may only have 1 time a day to find a host.
do you guys believe there is alot more chemically to this hobby than is known? i know there is always somthing to learn, but i mean a substantial amount to learn than is available?
do you guys believe there is alot more chemically to this hobby than is known? i know there is always somthing to learn, but i mean a substantial amount to learn than is available?
gatorcsm
Member
Ich is most likely very common in the wild, however, due to the size of the ocean, it doesn't concentrate as it reproduces, allowing much of the new 'ich' to die off without a host. Additionally, there are stronger currents, that carry away the ich once it falls off the fish (sweeping it away from the reef) and even if the fish didn't move, still gets them away.
Even additionally, the concentration of animals that can eat/cleanse parasites from fish is most likely much much greater, also putting some impact on the ability to control the parasites.
Even additionally, the concentration of animals that can eat/cleanse parasites from fish is most likely much much greater, also putting some impact on the ability to control the parasites.