LFS has ich

[spamvicious]

While it hasn’t been confirmed by the shop, it has been rumoured that they had an outbreak of ich. I had noticed that several of their coral and fish tanks had been shut down.

I know things like this are inevitable and buying from a shop always involved some kind of risk. Having said that I had intended to buy some corals from there but I have no idea what a safe time to wait is?

 

[Kermit123]

Is this an online shop as well? If so can you say the name?

 

[Nano_Man]

They normally keep them in lower salinity to prevent diseases breaking out. You would be surprised how may shops have ich this is why most people qt every thing that comes in from a vendor

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

While it hasn’t been confirmed by the shop, it has been rumoured that they had an outbreak of ich. I had noticed that several of their coral and fish tanks had been shut down.

I know things like this are inevitable and buying from a shop always involved some kind of risk. Having said that I had intended to buy some corals from there but I have no idea what a safe time to wait is?

It depends on how many systems they are running - all tanks that share water with a suspected case would also be risky. If they have good biosecurity protocols in place, other systems in the shop would be unaffected.

I used to manage a pet store, it is pretty common to have some cases of ich going on if they are not running preventative copper in the systems (lower salinity doesn’t cure ich until it goes down to 1.009, which is too low to sell fish at.

Of course, best practices is to fully quarantine all new fish.

 

[spamvicious]

Is this an online shop as well? If so can you say the name?

It’s not an online store and I can’t name them really given that it’s a rumour.

 

[Dread Pirate Dave]

Having said that I had intended to buy some corals from there but I have no idea what a safe time to wait is?

Do you have a QT tank that you can put the corals in to wait it out? It would be a longer wait (11 weeks?) but if they had something I really wanted I'd go this route.

 

[Paul B]

I am pretty sure almost all fish in all LFSs have ich. It isn't a big deal as long as you know what you are doing and know how to keep fish so ich isn't a problem.

 

[Nano_Man]

The fish shops have the same problems as us reefers but they don’t tell you.

 

[vetteguy53081]

While it hasn’t been confirmed by the shop, it has been rumoured that they had an outbreak of ich. I had noticed that several of their coral and fish tanks had been shut down.

I know things like this are inevitable and buying from a shop always involved some kind of risk. Having said that I had intended to buy some corals from there but I have no idea what a safe time to wait is?

If they have a shared filter system as most do, avoid buying fish at all cost. They are likely exposed. I have an lfs who has velvet and swear they dont see it yet the fish clearly show signs and its been MONTHS since I walked through their door

 

[KrisReef]

I am pretty sure almost all fish in all LFSs have ich. It isn't a big deal as long as you know what you are doing and know how to keep fish so ich isn't a problem.

I have never found a local fish store with ich, but I have found a lot of fish for sale at LFS's that have visible symptoms of ich. I have always thought that if we could just put a tent over a LFS and fumigate it I am pretty sure we could get rid of termites and cochroaches but I don't know how that would work for treating a fish store with ich?

!

I think I remember that you also have bought fishes with skin imperfections specifically to bring them home in hopes of rehabilitating these sick fishes? I got a copperband for free as a rescue who I need to catch and put in another system that has aiptasia. That's a pest that is hard to cure.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Technically a 60 day fidh

 

[Sharkbait19]

Technically a 60 day fidh

Technically a 60 day fishless period is enough to control for ich, at least on corals.
You can treat any incoming fish and not have to worry about disease.
That said, if you have confirmed disease, I would look for somewhere else just so that your fish aren’t starting with a problem.

 

[spamvicious]

They’ve always had a mixed reputation but they are the only place in my area that sells saltwater fish and corals. I have bought corals online but it’s always nice to see in person to look at the health and size etc.

But yeah I’ll be giving it a while before I go back there if I do.

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

Easier to just treat fish/corals as if they came from a system with it, than the headache it can cause down the road.

 

[Paul B]

I have never found a local fish store with ich,

Pet shops almost always have fish in medications to supress any ich. You just don't know it until you put them in your tank which is why many people quarantine, but of course I don't have to but that is for another conversation.

 

[blazn]

A lot of LFS will keep a low level of Copper in their tanks to suppress ich/etc from being visible. I always assume ich is in most LFS systems, regardless of if it's visible, and I QT each & every fish properly before they reach my DT. This is also why I don't purchase snails at my LFS and only purchase them online from fishless tank vendors, as their shells can carry ich/etc.

 

[Dburr1014]

If they have a shared filter system as most do, avoid buying fish at all cost. They are likely exposed. I have an lfs who has velvet and swear they dont see it yet the fish clearly show signs and its been MONTHS since I walked through their door

I think, as you said, most have a shared system.
But, why "avoid buying at all costs"?

I think it should read, QT at all costs.

I starting to think that 90% of fish stores have ich. It's very rare that one doesn't.

I also believe we should keep our LFS open by buying stuff from them so they can pay the bills and keep the doors open. Because if they all closed, you might have an emergency and there's nobody around but Amazon.

 

[MnFish1]

While it hasn’t been confirmed by the shop, it has been rumoured that they had an outbreak of ich. I had noticed that several of their coral and fish tanks had been shut down.

I know things like this are inevitable and buying from a shop always involved some kind of risk. Having said that I had intended to buy some corals from there but I have no idea what a safe time to wait is?

You can buy the coral - keep them without fish for 76 days - its really impossible to answer this - since there is no proof they had Ich