Is it possible to have ich...

TexAgReefer · Nov 4, 2019

And it never show itself? I know ich has a life cycle. Is it possible for your tank to have ich and NEVER show up on your fish?

Fish are obviously more susceptible to it when stressed, but wouldn’t you see some here and there as they fight it off if it was present in the tank?

I ask because I have 7 fish and have never seen a single spot and I watch them closely. Just curious if I was to get a new fish and quarantined, is it still likely that it would be exposed (even if I never saw it).

lpsouth1978 · Nov 4, 2019

It is certainly possible. The ich can survive on and in the gills of the fish and you would never see it. A healthy fish can keep an infestation at bay, but anything event that causes stress can trigger an outbreak. You could go years without seeing it and then your temp drops suddenly, fish get stressed, and you suddenly see ich appear.

AllSignsPointToFish · Nov 4, 2019

Yes, it's possible. It's also possible to introduce ick by adding invertebrates or macroalgae (happened to me).

Some folks claim fish can have ick in the tank but certain conditions prevent it from spreading. I think that's also possible.

LAReefer4Life · Nov 4, 2019

AllSignsPointToFish said:
Yes, it's possible. It's also possible to introduce ick by adding invertebrates or macroalgae (happened to me).

Some folks claim fish can have ick in the tank but certain conditions prevent it from spreading. I think that's also possible.

lpsouth1978 said:
It is certainly possible. The ich can survive on and in the gills of the fish and you would never see it. A healthy fish can keep an infestation at bay, but anything event that causes stress can trigger an outbreak. You could go years without seeing it and then your temp drops suddenly, fish get stressed, and you suddenly see ich appear.

+1 Agreed. Still QT new arrivals is my suggestion.

Reefahholic · Nov 4, 2019

TexAgReefer said:
And it never show itself? I know ich has a life cycle. Is it possible for your tank to have ich and NEVER show up on your fish?

Fish are obviously more susceptible to it when stressed, but wouldn’t you see some here and there as they fight it off if it was present in the tank?

I ask because I have 7 fish and have never seen a single spot and I watch them closely. Just curious if I was to get a new fish and quarantined, is it still likely that it would be exposed (even if I never saw it).

Yes, definitely possible bro. It can remain in the gills. The only way to be sure IMO is to treat, do TTM, or observe for the appropriate amount of time. In smaller QT tanks, fish will typically get stressed and show signs within 3 weeks. They may be very subtle, but with the right lighting and enough attention to detail you should be able to spot issues. You do need to know what you're looking for though. Sometimes a fish may only show 1-2 spots or have very minimal movements that will give it away.

Aussiemarine · Nov 5, 2019

Yes it is possible - one way way to ascertain if you actually indeed have ich in your tank is use a black molly as they have no natural immunity and it will show up on them. There’s a great write up about it here: (make sure if you do purchase one you intend on looking after it or atleast acclimating back to freshwater and taking it back to the shop)

Freshwater Black Mollies vs. Marine Fish Diseases

Preface - Freshwater (FW) black mollies have been used for years in saltwater aquariums for algae control. However, this article will focus on their potential for identifying marine fish diseases present in a display tank (DT) and also quarantine tank (QT). The most important detail is to ensure...

www.reef2reef.com

TexAgReefer · Nov 5, 2019

Aussiemarine said:
Yes it is possible - one way way to ascertain if you actually indeed have ich in your tank is use a black molly as they have no natural immunity and it will show up on them. There’s a great write up about it here: (make sure if you do purchase one you intend on looking after it or atleast acclimating back to freshwater and taking it back to the shop)

Freshwater Black Mollies vs. Marine Fish Diseases

Preface - Freshwater (FW) black mollies have been used for years in saltwater aquariums for algae control. However, this article will focus on their potential for identifying marine fish diseases present in a display tank (DT) and also quarantine tank (QT). The most important detail is to ensure...

www.reef2reef.com

Great info! Thank you!