Just saw these spots on my sharknose goby. The tank only has one other fish which looks fine and a cuc. I thought cleaner fish weren't supposed to get diseases. Water parms. Are good. He is eating and acting normal.
should i be worried
- Thread starter chumleetm
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TheEngineer
Formerly icecool2
+1 to ich. Any fish can get it!
How to treat ich: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-treat-ich.191226/
How to treat ich: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-treat-ich.191226/
No I don't have a qt but did some more research on sharknose gobys and ich and it seems I shouldn't worry. Also I picked up a cleaner shrimp today, I noticed the spots while I was acclimating it hopefully it will clean some of it up (thought the goby was good for that). thanks for the diagnosis I'll continue to monitor any other advise is appreciated.
melypr1985
totally addicted
Yes it looks like ick to me as well
dacianb
Active Member
All fishes can get ich, but not all fishes have to succumb to it. I never quarantine a fish ( I know....I know 
)and sometimes I have ich in my tank, but never lost a single fish due to this.
Some specialists believe that all fishes have ich in their body, just a stress factor which weaken their immunity system can cause outbreaks.
5 years and 2 tanks never quarantined anything and all fishes are happy. Last outbreak 5 months ago - next day after adding a copperband (ich cannot evolve so fast from a new added fish) - two of my tangs were full of white spots. They were just ticked off about the new fish and became rather violent. After few days things calmed down and since then no other outbreak.
I may be wrong or just lucky, but when I see ich in tank I look for the real cause of stress and never ever apply treatments and other chemicals.
)and sometimes I have ich in my tank, but never lost a single fish due to this.Some specialists believe that all fishes have ich in their body, just a stress factor which weaken their immunity system can cause outbreaks.
5 years and 2 tanks never quarantined anything and all fishes are happy. Last outbreak 5 months ago - next day after adding a copperband (ich cannot evolve so fast from a new added fish) - two of my tangs were full of white spots. They were just ticked off about the new fish and became rather violent. After few days things calmed down and since then no other outbreak.
I may be wrong or just lucky, but when I see ich in tank I look for the real cause of stress and never ever apply treatments and other chemicals.
@dacianb Ich can be managed to an extent, so long as everything in an aquarium remains stable. But one encounter with "Murphy's law" can undo years of ich management, and you are suddenly faced with a nightmare that quickly spirals out of control. 
clownfish chris
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As mentioned above, there are two schools of thought on ich. Eradicate it or live with it. I personally do not recommend living with it if you are not experienced in keeping parameters stable. By stable, I don't mean within acceptable ranges. I mean Ammonia 0.00ppm, Nitrate 2.0ppm, Calcium at 420, Mg at 1350, Alk at 8.5dkh. Stocking levels must be appropriate and nutrition must be top notch.
Tank transfer method IMO is the best for treatment. 72 days without fish in the system to allow the parasite to die out. Copper works as well but not in the display either. Other methods at this point offer a bit of relief at best and are snake oil at worst.
Tank transfer method IMO is the best for treatment. 72 days without fish in the system to allow the parasite to die out. Copper works as well but not in the display either. Other methods at this point offer a bit of relief at best and are snake oil at worst.
dacianb
Active Member
Fully agree with you. I just tried another approach since I red that ich is latent in many fishes as healthy they look in quarantine.@dacianb Ich can be managed to an extent, so long as everything in an aquarium remains stable. But one encounter with "Murphy's law" can undo years of ich management, and you are suddenly faced with a nightmare that quickly spirals out of control.
I spent A LOT of time and effort keeping fishes happy (this work is more extensive than a quarantine tank) - not only water quality, but compatibility of species and even colors of various fishes, rock structure, massive various foods (I dont think my fishes eat same food twice at every two weeks), flow, etc. There are still no toys for fishes on market, but I would buy them just to keep them happy
. Don't understand me wrongly, I am doing great efforts for this approach and for love of my tank. The only 2 fishes I ever lost were - 1 eat by a black crab in a rock and second a copperband who refused to eat and starved to death.
dacianb
Active Member
Fully agree with you. I just tried another approach since I red that ich is latent in many fishes as healthy they look in quarantine.@dacianb Ich can be managed to an extent, so long as everything in an aquarium remains stable. But one encounter with "Murphy's law" can undo years of ich management, and you are suddenly faced with a nightmare that quickly spirals out of control.
I spent A LOT of time and effort keeping fishes happy (this work is more extensive than a quarantine tank) - not only water quality, but compatibility of species and even colors of various fishes, rock structure, massive various foods (I dont think my fishes eat same food twice at every two weeks), flow, etc. There are still no toys for fishes on market, but I would buy them just to keep them happy
. Don't understand me wrongly, I am doing great efforts for this approach and for love of my tank. The only 2 fishes I ever lost were - 1 eat by a black crab in a rock and second a copperband who refused to eat and starved to death.
I must disagree with the above (in red) as ich's life cycle has been thoroughly studied, and the trophont stage can only remain on a fish for 3-7 days before dropping off to continue on with the next stage of its life cycle (protomont --> tomont). In fact, ich actually spends more time off the fish than on the fish. This is how we know it can be beaten thru proper QT.
dacianb
Active Member
About "Crypt Free" Systems:
There are such things, but unless the aquarist is diligent in altogether excluding these parasites through quarantine, treatment outside their main displays, most aquariums will instead host latent infestations... with discernible populations of Cryptocaryon coming to be through environmental challenge/s to their fishes. In actual fact cysts of Cryptocaryon can stay viable for a few to several months, hence ultraviolet sterilization, use of biological cleaners, allowing systems to go fallow... only decreases the number and virulence of these parasites. Once in a system, the system itself is infested and the only practical means of control becomes providing an optimized and stable environment.
Yes, indeed not always on the fish, but can be snails, corals or whatever we put in those tanks. Also there are fishes which can transmit ich, but not showing symptoms. A piece of liverock with zoas on it can hold ich latent for months somewhere in a tiny hole - how much do somebody quarantine a frag?
I am fully agree with you guys (dang, everybody jumped on me
) - I just shared my approach and the results I have. I know others doing the same as me, but again will start the European vs US way of reefing topic.clownfish chris
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I agree. 72 days is needed to be fully Ich free.
dacianb
Active Member
Most of quarantine tanks as I saw (and red about) are small and cheap tanks with a sponge filter, no live rocks and weak lights. How can a sps coral be kept in such tank for 2-3 months when they vanish in days due to small parameter fluctuations and other than ideal water conditions? I think is easier to boost fish immunity to ich than to adapt a sps coral to wacky parameters.
