Does ich ever just go away?

[sixline]

I've got a 100 gallon reef tank that's lightly stocked with fish. I hadn't added anything to the tank for over 5 years, but just decided to get a small foxface a couple of weeks ago.

Today, I noticed what appears to be ich on the foxface. I'm a bit surprised since I would have expected the all-fish system he came from to have been running a bit of copper.

I also remember hearing that most tanks have a bit of ich in them, and only under the right conditions (densely stocked, high salinity, weak fish) does it explode and wipe out the tank. I also remember having ich in the past in other tanks and conquering it by reducing salinity for a while.

If what I am seeing is actually ich, is there a chance that it will not be an issue or is that wishful thinking?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I remember reading (years ago) something about ichs life cycle in a tank being somewhere in the 4-5 year range. But that's not introducing any other strain of ich.

I wish I could site where I read it, I'm almost certain it was on reef central.

Hopefully someone can chime in to say if that's even true.

 

[sixline]

I'm Googling a bit in parallel to posting here, and some say that healthy fish can fight it off. I sure hope so.

I am a bit confused at how a fish from a fish only system can have ich in the first place. I would assume all stores are running copper in their fish only tanks. Of course, a smaller or lower quality store might not have separate fish only systems, but I got this guy from a large and very highly regarded LFS.

 

[Lavey29]

I think all tanks have ich in them in some form be it dormant or active however healthy biomes with strong healthy fish need not worry in my opinion. I believe healthy fish in a mature system have immune systems that allow them to fend off the parasite but stressed events such as a brand new fish in the tank can compromise immune systems. Feed healthy and often. Give them garlic soaked food, vitamins, etc... and ich goes back to a dormant form.....just my opinion of course but I defer back to Paul B s tank and he intentionally introduces diseased fish to his tank to build immune systems.

 

[UMALUM]

I'm on board with those who say ich finds its way into every system. About a year ago our blue tang came down with it out of nowhere. Five other tangs and a fox lo never had a spot. I just fed him a ton and made sure water quality was perfect and it went away?

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I have to disagree on all tanks having ich. That is why we take tanks fallow. To kill it off without a host.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I'm Googling a bit in parallel to posting here, and some say that healthy fish can fight it off. I sure hope so.

I am a bit confused at how a fish from a fish only system can have ich in the first place. I would assume all stores are running copper in their fish only tanks. Of course, a smaller or lower quality store might not have separate fish only systems, but I got this guy from a large and very highly regarded LFS.

Oh... well you have to consider that most lfs don't run a high enough dose of copper, they just use a therapeutic level to allow the fish to look healthy.

And even if the lfs that you highly regard used the proper level of copper, that doesn't mean that the fish was treated long enough to eradicate the parasite.

Why would you think that a fish only tank wouldn't have ich? Because the previous owner ran copper 24/7?

I have to disagree on all tanks having ich. That is why we take tanks fallow. To kill it off without a host.

I have to agree with this. Although very difficult to keep ich out, it definitely is an achievable goal. But one that many people don't have the discipline to do.

 

[CBonito]

If you got it, it's not going away on its own...you have to take the fish out and treat them, or remove all inverts from tank and treat the tank.

 

[sixline]

Why would you think that a fish only tank wouldn't have ich? Because the previous owner ran copper 24/7?

Yes. Why not run copper 24/7?

When I worked at a LFS many years ago, I think we did in our fish only systems, but I may be misremembering.

 

[UMALUM]

I think @Lasse posted something a couple days ago that contradicts the idea that ich will stay in your system forever even with hosts.

 

[FishTruck]

Yes.

I have fish and live rock from 2007 which were present for three or four minor ich outbreaks - no fatalities. For a time, new tangs would get ich spots (hundreds.... obvious) but always recovered after a few typical relapses. The legacy fish would not show any symptoms or perhaps a few spots.

Most of the live rock in my tank now was from that era and two or three fish I still have. I never pulled out any fish or attempted to medicate the reef tank.

Eventually... by 2009... it "just went away".

I do quarantine, mostly observational. But... I rarely buy fish these days. Since I have a big tank nowadays... I can often pick up fish that have been rehomed due to size.

I feel that immunity to the parasite does exist.

 

[Pickle_soup]

I've got a 100 gallon reef tank that's lightly stocked with fish. I hadn't added anything to the tank for over 5 years, but just decided to get a small foxface a couple of weeks ago.

Today, I noticed what appears to be ich on the foxface. I'm a bit surprised since I would have expected the all-fish system he came from to have been running a bit of copper.

I also remember hearing that most tanks have a bit of ich in them, and only under the right conditions (densely stocked, high salinity, weak fish) does it explode and wipe out the tank. I also remember having ich in the past in other tanks and conquering it by reducing salinity for a while.

If what I am seeing is actually ich, is there a chance that it will not be an issue or is that wishful thinking?

If the levels of copper are not therapeutic it's masking the ich. It's why stores use it. It's not actually killing the parasite. And don't treat your display tank with copper, use a QT for that. Make sure you have appropriate levels of copper as specified by the manufacturer. Not all copper is the same.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If the levels of copper are not therapeutic it's masking the ich. It's why stores use it.

^^^ THIS!

 

[IKD]

I remember reading (years ago) something about ichs life cycle in a tank being somewhere in the 4-5 year range. But that's not introducing any other strain of ich.

I wish I could site where I read it, I'm almost certain it was on reef central.

Hopefully someone can chime in to say if that's even true.

I saw the same article. I think this was it from humble fish.

A given strain will die out after 100 generations or so. Given the average life cycle of ich is 2 weeks, this could take almost 4 years (on average).

Search for the word ‘strain’

Marine Ich

Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) - Updated 6-9-2023 What You Need To Know: * Fish parasite which is sometimes managed in a DT by utilizing a UV Sterilizer, Ozone, Diatom Filter, Oxydator, herbal remedies, enhanced nutrition, etc. etc. * Can be treated in a quarantine tank by using...

humble.fish

 

[Lavey29]

I have to disagree on all tanks having ich. That is why we take tanks fallow. To kill it off without a host.

How do you explain tanks that fallowed for months and copper treated their fish, etc... and when the fish get put back into the DT the ich starts again? There are plenty of threads here asking and showing this situation. Did it stay in the rocks or sand or on a snail? Did the copper QT not kill it off? One thing about micro organisms, bacteria, parasites, roaches, etc...they have really learned to adapt and survive. I also really find the threads interesting from people that have not added anything to their tank for months or years and all of a sudden some stresser triggers an outbreak. Where did this ich magically show up from?

 

[00W]

This is a good discussion and one I've never wanted to get involved in but since I have the same opinion as some here goes.
My tanks been going 7-8 years.
All my fish, corals whatever are from petco.
My rock is from an established broken down system 20 or more years ago.
I don't quarantine.
None of my fish has ever had a dot-nothing. Ever.
I feed lots of weird stuff and stick my hands in the tank all the time.
The tank is basically Berlin and I do everything myself. No ATO, doser-nothing.
I believe ich is not in every tank or my fish are immune.
My opinion.

 

[Spare time]

I'm on board with those who say ich finds its way into every system. About a year ago our blue tang came down with it out of nowhere. Five other tangs and a fox lo never had a spot. I just fed him a ton and made sure water quality was perfect and it went away?

But its not out of nowhere. It came from somewhere. It is literally impossible for every tank to have ich. That is like saying everyone has mono and it flares up in people who are stressed.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Yes. Why not run copper 24/7?

I'm under the impression that copper treatment at a level that will kill pparasites will also shorten the life of fish long term.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I saw the same article. I think this was it from humble fish.

A given strain will die out after 100 generations or so. Given the average life cycle of ich is 2 weeks, this could take almost 4 years (on average).

Search for the word ‘strain’

Marine Ich

Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) - Updated 6-9-2023 What You Need To Know: * Fish parasite which is sometimes managed in a DT by utilizing a UV Sterilizer, Ozone, Diatom Filter, Oxydator, herbal remedies, enhanced nutrition, etc. etc. * Can be treated in a quarantine tank by using...

humble.fish

Perfect!

I should've known it was Bobby.

 

[Pickle_soup]

How do you explain tanks that fallowed for months and copper treated their fish, etc... and when the fish get put back into the DT the ich starts again? There are plenty of threads here asking and showing this situation. Did it stay in the rocks or sand or on a snail? Did the copper QT not kill it off? One thing about micro organisms, bacteria, parasites, roaches, etc...they have really learned to adapt and survive. I also really find the threads interesting from people that have not added anything to their tank for months or years and all of a sudden some stresser triggers an outbreak. Where did this ich magically show up from?

Pretty easily, they either screwed up the quarantine process or didn't go fallow long enough. Or they learned nothing, and introduced another fish without QT right before putting old fish in. Parasites are not very good at adapting, neither is bacteria, that's why it's so easy for us to wipe them out.