Ich at the LFS

Crzyfshldy · Jan 17, 2014

Ok...so I'm sure that I have bought fish that have been treated for ich and I never knew it... But I have been wanting a purple tang for a while, so when then LFS got one in, they held it for me. I wasn't able to go get it for a few days because of the distance to the LFS. On the third day they called to let me know that all 3 of them had ich and were being treated. That was a little over a week ago. They called a couple of days ago to let me know that they looked good and were eating great. Am I being paranoid if I'm afraid to buy it now? What are the chances it still has it and will infect my tank?

jduck · Jan 17, 2014

Depends on how much you trust your LFS for the safety and well being of the other fish in your tank. If you do not QT any fish that you put in your system you are just asking for trouble eventually. It only takes 1 unseen trophont to cause an outbreak.

Reeftech · Jan 17, 2014

not at all. It comes down to how the LFS store has been treating the fish. IF they put it in a separate quarantine tank and treated it there, there's a good possibility that the original tank it came from still as ich in it along with the other fish. If they kept it in the original tank they first put it in and treated that tank for ich then that takes the amount of risk down. Personally I would still wait awhile due to the fact that even though the spots are gone doesn't mean the fish itself is ich free. It eating and looking good is always a good sign but with it only being a little more than a week of being spot free I would be hesitant. If you have a quarantine tank set up or could set one up then picking up the fish now wouldn't be that big of an issue seeing how you could then monitor and treat the fish yourself.

LPSGUY · Jan 17, 2014

It's good they are treating it. Most likely it will come back as soon as you put it in your tank. But with proper feeding it may survive.

Reefing Madness · Jan 17, 2014

The fish, if being medicated, should be released for sale for 6 weeks, unless you can throw them in your own QT.

mike007 · Jan 17, 2014

That is nice that they let you know the fish was infected and they were treating. I agree it will take 6 weeks to determine if it is ick free. If i see a fish i want i always wait and observe it for a few weeks before i buy.

mcarroll · Jan 18, 2014

This is going to sound harsh, but...

It's a Purple Tang - this is what you signed up for! Then you left him at Club Fish an extra three days? Go get the fish!

-Matt