inverts carrying ich

spkdtch

spkdtch

Member
so i finally bit the bullet and started hypo on all my fish about two days ago after slowly dropping the salinity and increased the temp in my display tanks
now i understand that all fish should be put in a QT for a month minimum, but what about inverts? i understand they cannot tolerate hypo and that ich doesnt hurt inverts, but cant they carry it?
if so, what should i do when introducing new crabs and shrimp and snails and stuff?
now that i will have a ich free tank, id like to keep it that way, i dont have a good lighting system set up yet and im not quite ready for corals, but when i do, FWD them to rid them of hitchhikers and parasites?
so again, how do i clean inverts and corals to prevent bringing in any new parasites or diseases?
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
here's my thoughts on this... i think that some snails brought ich into my system, and after a little q&a w/ the LFS i think i have it figured out. each stack of aquariums in my LFS is connected to a single system. i think its something b/w 6 and 9 tanks per sump. i know they run copper with their FO tanks, but some of their 'stacks' (3 tanks wide x 3 high, and sometimes two rows of 3 one row of 2, etc.) include smaller species of fish in some tanks, and some inverts in others. these stacks cant have copper b/c of the inverts. i never put water from the LFS into any of my tanks, and i QT all fish, but i didnt qt these snails. i may have put some water from the bag into the tank (but a very little- i guess that's all it takes). the parasite must have been present in the water and found my hippo tang. that's why they say qt everything. ich doesnt go after inverts, but the parasite could be present in the water that they're in.
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
there is a remote chance inverts will carry the ick parasites. to be certain, u can qt them for 3-4 weeks b4 adding to dt.
 
alabama reefer

alabama reefer

Member
Ich has to have a fish to host. It does not host inverts. There is a stage in the ich cycle where it is present in the water column and you could pour it in your tank and that is one of the many reasons you don't water your specimen comes in emptied in your tank.
 
al mc

al mc

Active Member
spk...I agree with nycbob...Anything that has a 'wet' surface has the potential (though sometimes very small) to bring the parasite into your tank.
Personally, I QT everything before it goes into my DT (in fact I actually hypo all new fish in the QT). I had Ich problems a couple years ago and never want it back.
Wet surfaces: all inverts, macroalgae, live rock, fish
 
spkdtch

spkdtch

Member
that what i meant by carry it, not like be contaminated by it, but the water on them, even if the risk is very small
and ill do what i gotta do, no biggie, this PETCOmpany was selling 10gal tanks for 11 bucks, ill just go grab another few
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
if the fish are in QT there is no need to do anything with the inverts. ich dies without a fish host and they only stay on hard surfaces (which is the only way inverts can be carriers) for a short period of time before they multiply and enter the water column to seek a host fish. 4wks at reef temps is sufficient enough time.
 
spkdtch

spkdtch

Member
i was reffering to adding new inverts, they would need to be put in a QT, as for the inverts i currently have being seperated from the fish being hypoed, that advice would be true, thanks, i know what to do know, thanks everyone
 
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