Can I eliminate ich before adding fish?

[BristleWormHater]

I am going to add fish soon but I was told that live rock can carry marine ich. Is there a way for me to test or eliminate it before adding fish?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I am going to add fish soon but I was told that live rock can carry marine itch. Is there a way for me to test or eliminate it before adding fish?

Go fallow for 60-80 days.
Look up Jay's recommendations in the stickies.

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Itch or ick ? I never heard of itch so assuming you mean ick, as far as any live rock carrying ick I’ve never heard such thing in my life, I can’t see how that would be possible being that the ick comes from the fish not in the rock, the only thing I could tell you is don’t take any advice from whoever told you that

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Go fallow for 60-80 days.
Look up Jay's recommendations in the stickies.

Bro watch the heck is itch in liverock ?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Itch or ick ? I never heard of itch so assuming you mean ick, as far as any live rock carrying ick I’ve never heard such thing in my life, I can’t see how that would be possible being that the ick comes from the fish not in the rock, the only thing I could tell you is don’t take any advice from whoever told you that

Ok thanks

 

[TehBrainz]

Bro watch the heck is itch in liverock ?

Come on lol

They specifically said marine ich in their post...a typo in the title...similar to your repeated use of "ick"

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Itch or ick ? I never heard of itch so assuming you mean ick, as far as any live rock carrying ick I’ve never heard such thing in my life, I can’t see how that would be possible being that the ick comes from the fish not in the rock, the only thing I could tell you is don’t take any advice from whoever told you that

Ich tomonts, the resting stage of Crptocaryon irritans, can stick to live rock, sand, and even invertebrates, and can get moved to new tanks. These tomonts can remain infective for 45 to 60 days. Holding a tank fishless for that period eliminates any risk.

If the live rock came from a tank that had no active ich parasites, then there is no risk. Trouble is, you may not have that history.

 

[NanoNana]

Come on lol

They specifically said marine ich in their post...a typo in the title...similar to your repeated use of "ick"

Ahhh I have known many geriatric fish folk to call it itch because of phonetics. So the OP may have heard it called itch by family or LFS. My grandmother (born in 1910 called it itch. Lol)

 

[BristleWormHater]

Come on lol

They specifically said marine ich in their post...a typo in the title...similar to your repeated use of "ick"

I edited the post it did say itch

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Bro watch the heck is itch in liverock ?

"Bro", Why the heck are you asking me

 

[vetteguy53081]

I am going to add fish soon but I was told that live rock can carry marine ich. Is there a way for me to test or eliminate it before adding fish?

While ich can find places within tank, it often relies on a host fish for reproduction thereby minimized by live rock alone. The safest thing you can do is to place the live rock in the tank for 30-45 days with no host fish and place any fish acquisitions in a quarantine tank for 30 days and followed by PraziPro over another 18 days and any ich within/on the rock will have died off.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Come on lol

They specifically said marine ich in their post...a typo in the title...similar to your repeated use of "ick"

Or "watch the heck"

 

[BristleWormHater]

Ich tomonts, the resting stage of Crptocaryon irritans, can stick to live rock, sand, and even invertebrates, and can get moved to new tanks. These tomonts can remain infective for 45 to 60 days. Holding a tank fishless for that period eliminates any risk.

If the live rock came from a tank that had no active ich parasites, then there is no risk. Trouble is, you may not have that history.

Thanks I will go to my lfs and ask if they have had any ich in their live rock tank.

 

[TehBrainz]

I edited the post it did say itch

Ah I see now. Regardless, it's obvious what you meant and being pedantic didn't help you with your question.

Fallow period as stated is your best bet. Ich can remain in a fishless tank and substrate until it is starved out

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Thanks I will go to my lfs and ask if they have had any ich in their live rock tank.

Be sure it's not plumbed to any other tanks...

 

[BristleWormHater]

Be sure it's not plumbed to any other tanks...

Im sure its not they keep it in a big plastic tub

 

[TehBrainz]

Ahhh I have known many geriatric fish folk to call it itch because of phonetics. So the OP may have heard it called itch by family or LFS. My grandmother (born in 1910 called it itch. Lol)

Well there ya go never knew that. Makes sense due to the way the fish react and "scratch" the "itch" on rocks haha

 

[BristleWormHater]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks I will go to my lfs and ask if they have had any ich in their live rock tank.

If they are a forward thinking dealer, they won’t house any fish with their live rock.

 

[BristleWormHater]

If they are a forward thinking dealer, they won’t house any fish with their live rock.

They do... So fallow it is?