Can ich Survive in a bare bottom tank?

[HTReefer]

Hi everyone, Recently I put a pygmy Cherub Angel into a quarantine tank that had a 20% water change before hand, and no sand. It seemed fine for its first quarantine week, but no its seems to have gotten ich. It could have been stress related since There was a little salinity swing, but can the ich survive without the sand to lay eggs in? Thanks.

 

[i cant think]

Hi everyone, Recently I put a pygmy Cherub Angel into a quarantine tank that had a 20% water change before hand, and no sand. It seemed fine for its first quarantine week, but no its seems to have gotten ich. It could have been stress related since There was a little salinity swing, but can the ich survive without the sand to lay eggs in? Thanks.

Yes, ich can survive by laying dormant (Rocks and sand both help it to survive by being dormant).

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi everyone, Recently I put a pygmy Cherub Angel into a quarantine tank that had a 20% water change before hand, and no sand. It seemed fine for its first quarantine week, but no its seems to have gotten ich. It could have been stress related since There was a little salinity swing, but can the ich survive without the sand to lay eggs in? Thanks.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Yes - the resting stage of ich (the tomont) can persist at the bottom of the tank for some time. These then can release free swimming theronts/tomites that search out and find a fish to infect.

Siphoning the bottom of the tank early every morning can reduce the number of tomonts present, but won't cure the disease. For that you should treat with copper or hyposalinity.

Jay

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Do we know exactly how long a dormancy? I’ve recently seen an ichless tank get ick out of nowhere. My personal best guess was a serious temp drop or an aggressive fish stressing out fish. Both happened according to the hobbyist. Anyone?

 

[i cant think]

Do we know exactly how long a dormancy? I’ve recently seen an ichless tank get ick out of nowhere. My personal best guess was a serious temp drop or an aggressive fish stressing out fish. Both happened according to the hobbyist. Anyone?

I have seen ich survive with 80 days of a fallow tank so how long it can survive has yet to be truly discovered.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Do we know exactly how long a dormancy? I’ve recently seen an ichless tank get ick out of nowhere. My personal best guess was a serious temp drop or an aggressive fish stressing out fish. Both happened according to the hobbyist. Anyone?

Most cases of ich showing up in a properly fallowed tank actually came in on the new fish.
Jay

 

[threebuoys]

Most cases of ich showing up in a properly fallowed tank actually came in on the new fish.
Jay

Jay, does a practical method to confirm no ich tomonts are present in a QT exist? My guess is, short of examining every square inch of surface area under a microscope, no method exists. So, all we can rely on is the experience scientists such as you have had over the years.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Jay, does a practical method to confirm no ich tomonts are present in a QT exist? My guess is, short of examining every square inch of surface area under a microscope, no method exists. So, all we can rely on is the experience scientists such as you have had over the years.

And my approach to this is decidedly UN-scientific!

Examining the substrate for tomonts isn't really possible. I would be hard pressed to even identify a tomont, mixed in with other organisms, detritus, etc.

As we've discussed here - the original long timeline was based on a paper by Colorni many years ago, where he held Cryptocaryon tomonts in vitro, and then tested their ability to release theronts/tomites at a later date. I have never done a study to refute that, only practical experience.

Jay