Rock Harboring Diseases?

[Shep]

Is it possible for live rock to harbor diseases?

 

[4FordFamily]

For about 72 days yes.

 

[Shep]

For about 72 days yes.

Is that a general rule or does it vary greatly from disease to disease?

 

[4FordFamily]

Is that a general rule or does it vary greatly from disease to disease?

Varies from disease to disease. 72 days is specifically for ich but most other parasites have a shorter life cycle possibility, I believe. I think velvet max is 60 days give or take. Not sure on brook, but I know some can live without hosts at all.

Odds are that ich and velvet are your biggest worries with moving rocks. [HASHTAG]#humblefish[/HASHTAG] would know more than I.

 

[mrukus]

What about dry rock? As in take rock out of an infected system the let it dry out for a few weeks. Are we still looking at 12 weeks?

 

[4FordFamily]

What about dry rock? As in take rock out of an infected system the let it dry out for a few weeks. Are we still looking at 12 weeks?

No if the rock dries out then it's good as soon as it is completely dry, at least from fish affecting parasites. I wouldn't recommend that though. But if the tank has sand and other things they will all need to be removed and cleaned with vinegar and fresh water or something to kill it off.

 

[mrukus]

I had a couple of decent piece in a bare bottom qt I have had drying out for no reason in particular. I figured it would do better work in the sump of my DT than sitting in the basement. /hijack

 

[Humblefish]

All external parasites have a tomont or “encysted stage”, which can stick to rocks, shells, substrate - and even possibly corals/inverts. Ich has the longest known encysted stage. In one study (Colorni and Burgess 1997) it took up to 72 days for theronts (free swimmers which infect fish) to be released from a group of tomonts.

LR which has been thoroughly dried out should present no risk of tomonts surviving.

Further reading: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164