Can ich go dormant?

[Shadoww]

Let’s say there’s a tank infested with ich, and I want to eradicate it. I take out my fish and do whatever QT process I desire for that, and I leave fish out for 76 days as generally recommended.

Will any of the tomonts/tomites go dormant at any point? Is it possible for them to resurge in a tank despite going fallow? I know incubation ranges up to 72 days, but I keep hearing the idea of ich possibly going dormant floating around and I wanted to confirm.

 

[Reef Wizard]

I am following along on this one but I believe they can go into remission on a host fish but maybe im wrong

 

[LAReefer4Life]

Anything is possible when dealing with nature but ich has been well studied over the years there is a well known life cycle for the parasite.

76 days is the longest reported in a much cooler environment. Increasing the temperature to 81 degrees can help speed up the process too. So you'll be good golden if you follow this suggested timeline.

Many times, people think the fallow period failed but there was some sort of cross contamination or new additions of coral or inverts, start the clock over.

 

[Shadoww]

Increasing the temperature to 81 degrees can help speed up the process too.

I thought this was only associated with freshwater ich. Or does this only apply to the fallow period

 

[Miami Reef]

Will any of the tomonts/tomites go dormant at any point? Is it possible for them to resurge in a tank despite going fallow? I know incubation ranges up to 72 days, but I keep hearing the idea of ich possibly going dormant floating around and I wanted to confirm.

It can help to aerate anoxic places (DSB) but you need to be cautious in case in case there is hydrogen sulfide.

I don’t believe there are many anoxic areas in a reef tank that ich can travel to. I know anxiety can help us to try to prepare for the future, I’ve been there. Just try to trust the process and do your best. Cross contamination and adding untreated fish are the most common reasons ich eradication fails IMO.

I think the likelihood of anoxic areas ruining fallow periods is extremely rare.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

I thought this was only associated with freshwater ich. Or does this only apply to the fallow period

I've read that too but it does indeed have an impact on the saltwater ich

 

[Shadoww]

It can help to aerate anoxic places (DSB) but you need to be cautious in case in case there is hydrogen sulfide.

I don’t believe there are many anoxic areas in a reef tank that ich can travel to. I know anxiety can help us to try to prepare for the future, I’ve been there. Just try to trust the process and do your best. Cross contamination and adding untreated fish are the most common reasons ich eradication fails IMO.

I think the likelihood of anoxic areas ruining fallow periods is extremely rare.

I’m curious as to what points in a tank classify as anoxic areas. First that comes to mind is deep sand beds and possibly large non-porous rocks. Would there be anything else that’s common in tanks?

 

[Shadoww]

I've read that too but it does indeed have an impact on the saltwater ich

Oh cool I’ll try this then. I am going to be doing a fallow period on my 60g system soon.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

I’m curious as to what points in a tank classify as anoxic areas. First that comes to mind is deep sand beds and possibly large non-porous rocks. Would there be anything else that’s common in tanks?

Essentially any area that is depleted of any oxygen (lack of water flow) but the chances of this are very slim but it has happened in the past.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m curious as to what points in a tank classify as anoxic areas. First that comes to mind is deep sand beds and possibly large non-porous rocks. Would there be anything else that’s common in tanks?

I’m honestly not sure, but I do know that ich must be able to land on the area to attach. So a sealed, glass orb, for example, wouldn’t be a risk factor because ich couldn’t get in the anoxic area in the first place.

I think sand is the highest risk factor, since sand can bury tomonts if a pump or fish managed to build a mound on top of it, but even that isn’t very likely these days.

 

[Shadoww]

I’m honestly not sure, but I do know that ich must be able to land on the area to attach. So a sealed, glass orb, for example, wouldn’t be a risk factor because ich couldn’t get in the anoxic area in the first place.

I think sand is the highest risk factor, since sand can bury tomonts if a pump or fish managed to build a mound on top of it, but even that isn’t very likely these days.

Might just be worth turning over the sand at the start of a fallow period then. Unless would that possibly pose a risk to essentially burying any tomonts already on the surface?

Either way would sound like an issue then since to delay disrupting the sand in any capacity could result in tomonts resurfacing after a fallow period, but vice versa (disrupting the sand at the start of the fallow period) could possibly bury already surfaced tomonts.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Let’s say there’s a tank infested with ich, and I want to eradicate it. I take out my fish and do whatever QT process I desire for that, and I leave fish out for 76 days as generally recommended.

Will any of the tomonts/tomites go dormant at any point? Is it possible for them to resurge in a tank despite going fallow? I know incubation ranges up to 72 days, but I keep hearing the idea of ich possibly going dormant floating around and I wanted to confirm.

No - the longest that ich tomonts (cysts) have been found to remain infective under laboratory conditions was 72 days. In aquariums, they die off between 45 and 60 days depending on water temperature and a few other variables, like how bad the original infection was.

What happens a LOT of the time though is people run their tank fallow, and then add new fish that weren’t fully quarantined and ich starts up on them. You might think it came from your tank, when actually it just came in with the new fish.

Jay

 

[Shadoww]

No - the longest that ich tomonts (cysts) have been found to remain infective under laboratory conditions was 72 days. In aquariums, they die off between 45 and 60 days depending on water temperature and a few other variables, like how bad the original infection was.

What happens a LOT of the time though is people run their tank fallow, and then add new fish that weren’t fully quarantined and ich starts up on them. You might think it came from your tank, when actually it just came in with the new fish.

Jay

ah I see! Is there a research article on a study like this I could read up on? Would be an interesting read

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

ah I see! Is there a research article on a study like this I could read up on? Would be an interesting read

Here is a pretty good publication from Dr. Yanong. The only issue is that he isn't familiar with amine-chelated copper medications, only ionic forms, so he may be more inclined to say that copper is toxic.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA164

 

[Shadoww]

Here is a pretty good publication from Dr. Yanong. The only issue is that he isn't familiar with amine-chelated copper medications, only ionic forms, so he may be more inclined to say that copper is toxic.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA164

Interesting read, thanks. Looks like there is one scenario recorded in regards to dormancy, but not exactly normal reef tank conditions

A more recent study demonstrated that two life stages of one strain of Cryptocaryon (trophonts, i.e., the feeding stage during which the parasite can be found on the fish, and tomonts) survived dormant for 4–5 months at 12°C (53.6°F), and, after the water temperature increased to 27°C(80.6°F), developed and infected fish (Dan et al. 2009).