Do Ich Symptoms Come and Go?

[novadan67]

A month or so ago I *thought* my kole tang might have ich. I noticed some TINY white spots, but you could only see them if you looked extremely closely and ONLY under the right light conditions. They were not raised, just tiny specs. This fish is super fat and healthy and has never showed any symptoms or behaved like anything was wrong. I quarantine all my fish, but not coral - so it is possible ich made it into my tank. Anyway, a week or so after I noticed the spots they disappeared and the tang has looked PERFECT ever since. No other fish showed any spots.

Ok, so now the reason I'm asking... Sounds like there's no problem right? Well, my current tank is a standard 90 gallon, but I'm filling up a new 210 right now. I'm trying to decide if I move ONLY the rock and inverts to the 210 and let it go fallow to make sure I don't bring ich with me. I'd really just prefer to move everything, but this is the perfect opportunity to make sure I start clean. What do you think? Am I being paranoid? I've never had ich, does it EVER show up for a week or two and vanish? Not sure what I'm going to do, what would you do? Thanks for any opinions!

 

[JBKReef]

Ich has a lifecycle. Where the pest goes from being attached, to free floating, to larvie, to attached and starts all over. So yes it will come and go. The cycle, and why going fallow works, is because if there are no fish once it gets past the free floating stage will die off.

I would suggest to move everything over to the 210 and let it go fallow for 76 days. (The current longest estimated life span of ich when keeping the tank at average reef temperatures.)

While the 210 is going fallow I would suggest to set up a QT using your 90 gallon or something else you have on hand and treat with a form of copper, or do the tank transfer method, to ensure you dont bring over any ich with the fish.

This way you will do you absolute best to ensure no ich is brought over. This would be pointless however if you do not QT fish moving forward.

Best of luck with the upgrade!

 

[JoshKReef]

I agree with above. Or if you are in a rush to get the new tank up and running... Treat them with copper for 30 days in the current tank (or a QT), and start fresh (new rock/substrate/water) on the bigger tank. That way you have 30 days + observation time instead of 76 days.

 

[novadan67]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I know about the life cycle. It just seems odd that it wouldn't come back or infect any other fish. They aren't ich magnets like my tang (clowns, YWG, cardinals, yellow wrasse, midas blenny, and flame angel) but still? I honestly think I'm over reacting - if I were not setting up the new tank I'd just watch for it. I'm definitely keeping my rock and the coral that's attached to it, so I'll probably play it safe and go fallow... just sucks though.

And yes, I do quarantine all new fish and I'm considering coral and inverts as well. It would just be hard to set up another tank and the fallow period of 76 days each time I buy a new invert/coral would be rough. Part of me thinks going fallow in the 210 is pointless unless I do set up an invert QT as well.

 

[HotRocks]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I know about the life cycle. It just seems odd that it wouldn't come back or infect any other fish. They aren't ich magnets like my tang (clowns, YWG, cardinals, yellow wrasse, midas blenny, and flame angel) but still? I honestly think I'm over reacting - if I were not setting up the new tank I'd just watch for it. I'm definitely keeping my rock and the coral that's attached to it, so I'll probably play it safe and go fallow... just sucks though.

And yes, I do quarantine all new fish and I'm considering coral and inverts as well. It would just be hard to set up another tank and the fallow period of 76 days each time I buy a new invert/coral would be rough. Part of me thinks going fallow in the 210 is pointless unless I do set up an invert QT as well.

It is completely pointless to QT fish and go fallow on your new 210, if you don't plan to QT all new fish/corals/inverts.

Maintaining a disease free DT is a chore and basically requires 2 support or QT tanks. One for new fish and one for new inverts/corals.

You can use a Rubbermaid bin on floor for corals and inverts I have done so with much success.

I would highly recommend fallow of your new tank and treating all current fish during fallow period.

 

[novadan67]

Like most reefers, I have spare tanks laying around... I could set up a 10 gallon for QT of inverts/coral pretty easy. What I don't have are decent lights to sustain SPS in a 10 gallon tank. What do you use to light your rubbermaid bin? I'm guessing with only inverts the tank should stay pretty clean, but what about dosing a little tank? I'm sure hard coral will use quite a bit of alk over 76 days. Also, do you reset the clock every time you buy a new coral or invert? I'd hate to be 60 days in and then see a nice frag that I've been looking for... Maybe I need several invert tanks? I'm going to pretty much draw the line at 3 tanks total. I only want 1, but I understand the necessity of at least 2.

 

[HotRocks]

I Have very little SPS. I am a fish guy. But I did use a prime HD over my bin for light. My stuff did great. I had three bins set up. Chinese box over two with zoas etc. Prime HD over the good stuff. Manual dosing may be required depending on what you are keeping.

Coral only houses the tomont stage of the parasite as it can encyst upon the rock or plug it is attached to. Therefore you can add a new coral at any time to your coral QT (Even if other corals are already in there) so long as you leave the newly added individual coral in QT for the 76 day period.

THE ONLY CATCH. These tomonts release the free swimming stage of the parasite looking for a fish to host. So if you are constantly adding corals to the QT with corals that are near ready to come out of QT it is CRITICAL that you rinse the corals very well with water from DT as they complete the 76 day QT that are to be transferred to make sure you do not introduce free swimmers to the DT since tomonts encysted to newly added corals may still be releasing free swimmers into the water in QT.

 

[novadan67]

Oh, ok, so the other corals in the tank are fine because the free swimmers will not find a fish to host and will not encyst on the other corals already in the QT tank? If so, this alleviates most of my issue with coral/invert QT. Just need to find a good light and a way to maintain good parameters (dosing). Thanks!

 

[HotRocks]

Correct, the fishless part is what breaks they cycle. So once the tomonts are done releasing free swimmers and no fish to attach to they die and that's it.