DrewBrees713
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i read somewhere if you have fish with ich innyour system and no fish added eventually they will die off. Im not talking about going fallow for wks. Just cant remember how ling that would take.
How long ich will die off even with a host?
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HotRocks
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Ich will continue to cycle with fish present.
You may see symptoms reside and fish can develop resistance and live in ich management. The ich is still present without treating fish and a proper fallow period.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/
You may see symptoms reside and fish can develop resistance and live in ich management. The ich is still present without treating fish and a proper fallow period.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/
EmdeReef
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From 6-8 months to years and possibly never. Fish can develop partial immunity to ich. In general after about 6 months the parasite population will shrink and fish may not have visible symptoms.
Some research indicates that immunity may not last indefinitely.
Some research indicates that immunity may not last indefinitely.
ca1ore
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I can attest from personal experience that it's at least 5 years - that's how long the strain I have has been active (and I am pretty sure no further strains have been added). Just as different strains have differing levels of potency, they may die out over different durations. No signs of my strain 'burning out' unfortunately. On the positive side, other than certain hyper sensitive species like the achilles tang, which I do not keep, fish are asymptomatic and show no aberrant behaviors.
DrewBrees713
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Wow i read online , cant remember where, but for sure the article said ich last an x amount of time even with a host. Something about their genes can only replicate/ multiply a certain amount of time, like months., before they stop multiplying provided no new ich are introduced.
Kicking myself for jot bookmarking the page
Kicking myself for jot bookmarking the page
DarkSky
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Wow i read online , cant remember where, but for sure the article said ich last an x amount of time even with a host. Something about their genes can only replicate/ multiply a certain amount of time, like months., before they stop multiplying provided no new ich are introduced.
Kicking myself for jot bookmarking the page
That's not true. If it were where would this "new ich" come from and why wouldn't it die off after a few generations?
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I'll have to find the study, but this sounds familiar. If I remember right it starts slowing down its reproduction rate in about a year and becomes completely eradicated in year 4 or 5.
DrewBrees713
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Yup, thats what im referring to. Maybe it’s inbreeding ,nature, or whatever the reason, ich cant sustain indefinitely even with fish present.
Speaking of ich, one of the local expert said if your fish survived the first 3-4 days of the infestation, chances are they will survive. What your take on this? In theory it sound legit cuz they fall off in 3-4 days then repopulate.
Speaking of ich, one of the local expert said if your fish survived the first 3-4 days of the infestation, chances are they will survive. What your take on this? In theory it sound legit cuz they fall off in 3-4 days then repopulate.
GoldeneyeRet
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I agree this is something that happens, it would happen in any closed population.
I do not agree you can put a number on the time it takes. So many variables at play, no way to predict time. Temperature, for instance, can have a huge impact on the speed of the life cycle of the organism in question, making the time highly variable even if every other factor were controlled.
Fallow is a better way to get it cleared.
I do not agree you can put a number on the time it takes. So many variables at play, no way to predict time. Temperature, for instance, can have a huge impact on the speed of the life cycle of the organism in question, making the time highly variable even if every other factor were controlled.
Fallow is a better way to get it cleared.
DrewBrees713
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Yea, i agree. Except for the pods as they dont originate from the same source whereas ich do. If that makes sense
HotRocks
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Most fish can live in ich management. Clowns gobies wrasses. I just would rather not deal with it.
Acanthurus tangs are an exception they likely will not be able to handle ich long term in a glass box. Ultra thin mucus layer etc.
Brew12
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Disagree completely. In fact, the first generation or two will rarely harm a fish. It isn't until the 3rd or 4th generation that they get to massive numbers.
Wow i read online , cant remember where, but for sure the article said ich last an x amount of time even with a host. Something about their genes can only replicate/ multiply a certain amount of time, like months., before they stop multiplying provided no new ich are introduced.
Kicking myself for jot bookmarking the page
I remember this article also. If I remember correctly, the article said it would take about 2 years for the strain to die off.
DrewBrees713
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My fish has ich fir 12 days now. Still eating. So youre saying im not out of the woodwork yet? What can i do beside removing them?
rkpetersen
walked the sand with the crustaceans
Are you overall seeing more spots, or less? If you're not removing them to a QT, I'm personally not a big fan of medicating fish in the DT, although others might have ideas. Even without medication, if it's a mild infection in a very healthy and uncrowded tank, and the spots are decreasing, you might be on your way to clearing all evidence of the disease (although subclinically still present in most tanks). On the other hand you might wake up in the morning to find a devastating infection of most of your fish. At the very least, after the very last spot vanishes, it'll be a couple of weeks before you can (sort of) start to feel comfortable.
EmdeReef
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There are no reef safe ich cures.
Maintain good water conditions, feed high quality foods, add vitamins, reduce stress, well-oxygenated water helps too so make sure to have decent flow.
I’m not familiar of many studies that went on for more than 6-12 months. After every infection with ich fish do begin to produce an immune response that may eventually lead to full or partial immunity. Burgess and Matthews who described acquired ich immunity indicated that once acquired it lasts at least 6 months.
However, as we keep several species of fish keep in mind that cross-species infections are generally more complex to acquire immunity to even to relatively simple pathogens as ich.
Most studies also rarely look at more than 1-2 species of fish at a time and none are conducted in such a chaotic environment as our reefs.
Good luck!
Maintain good water conditions, feed high quality foods, add vitamins, reduce stress, well-oxygenated water helps too so make sure to have decent flow.
I’m not familiar of many studies that went on for more than 6-12 months. After every infection with ich fish do begin to produce an immune response that may eventually lead to full or partial immunity. Burgess and Matthews who described acquired ich immunity indicated that once acquired it lasts at least 6 months.
However, as we keep several species of fish keep in mind that cross-species infections are generally more complex to acquire immunity to even to relatively simple pathogens as ich.
Most studies also rarely look at more than 1-2 species of fish at a time and none are conducted in such a chaotic environment as our reefs.
Good luck!
DrewBrees713
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I'm seeing less spots for now, but that doesnt mean much when it comes to ich. Fish still eating mysis 5 mins ago. I have other food in the freezer where i alternate daily. Did a 30% WC last night and my elegance open up bigger today.
Can i add Vit C? Not sure if that would do anything but wouldnt hurt to try, i suppose. Got plenty of circulation for air going.
In your opnion, how deadly is ich? Would you say 50% of infected fish would make it? I lost 2 royal gammas. My two clown and purple pseudo, flame angel and PBT seems ok.
Can i add Vit C? Not sure if that would do anything but wouldnt hurt to try, i suppose. Got plenty of circulation for air going.
In your opnion, how deadly is ich? Would you say 50% of infected fish would make it? I lost 2 royal gammas. My two clown and purple pseudo, flame angel and PBT seems ok.
rkpetersen
walked the sand with the crustaceans
Can't give you a number. If you're unable to treat them in a QT, here are some other things you could do. Probably all worthless or nearly so, but who knows. Add a UV sterilizer, and set it to a slow flow rate that kills protozoans, not just bacteria. Change filter socks to the smallest size you can find, 100 microns or smaller, and keep them clean so they're not overflowing. Blow the sand and detritus up out of hidden areas during the day, every day; crypto tomonts reportedly tend to rupture open at night, not coincidentally right near where fish are resting. Nothing you can add to food would be of any benefit imo.
