Should I break my reef to cure ich?

[stanlalee]

fish can develop immunity and resistance to ick however "natural pretators" is just plain not happening. 1) natural pretators (if you actually have them) cant get to deeply imbedded ich 2) does one realize everytime ich drops off the fish and settles on the surface it multiplies by the THOUSANDS each time it goes thru a life cycle. No natural predators can keep up with the life cycle of ich. I'm not saying ich doesn't ever appear to go away without treatment but natural pretators arent doing it. developing a natural resistance is far more likely and why some fish get it in the same tank that others dont. in these cases it usually only takes the addition of another fish to rear its head again.
I'd just knock down the darn reef. thats exactly what I did and all that time with no fish in the tank killed be but that beat fighting ich off and on forever.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/3116870
fish can develop immunity and resistance to ick however "natural pretators" is just plain not happening. 1) natural pretators (if you actually have them) cant get to deeply imbedded ich 2) does one realize everytime ich drops off the fish and settles on the surface it multiplies by the THOUSANDS each time it goes thru a life cycle. No natural predators can keep up with the life cycle of ich. I'm not saying ich doesn't ever appear to go away without treatment but natural pretators arent doing it. developing a natural resistance is far more likely and why some fish get it in the same tank that others dont. in these cases it usually only takes the addition of another fish to rear its head again.
I'd just knock down the darn reef. thats exactly what I did and all that time with no fish in the tank killed be but that beat fighting ich off and on forever.

Well I have to agree with the fighting ich forever...I am in fear of adding any new fish..those in the tank do well but new guys I fear are in danger.
But that leaves me with a question...If ich hasn’t been on any fish in the tank for over 10 weeks…can the ich still be present? My fish have not been infected that I have noticed for at least 6 months…can there still be the parasite in my tank?