Where do you buy your Ick from?

Saveafish · Jun 22, 2019

Ive been in the hobby for a while, since 85. Ive been both a aquaculture seller and hobbyist. Ive been trying to think hard and looking through my logs. Ive never had a Ick out break. So, where do you go to buy your Ick from, mainly so I can stay away.

Bossman · Jun 22, 2019

I think you have it, you're fish have a good enough immune system it just hasn't shown. I've had ick in an established acquarium with no new additions. My Blue tang had the white spots come and go a couple of times.

I moved a fish from one tank to another. No issues in either tank, except aggression and the need to move a fish. The addition into the new tank caused a widespread ick infection.

ACF930 · Jun 22, 2019

You can get ich from just adding a frag too. I’ve given up on trying to be ich free. Once I went fallow for 2 months, QT fish in Cupramine (which was a PITA), was ich free for about a year - and then added a Monti frag and bam! I was back to having ich.

Unless you plan to QT BOTH fish and coral every time or never add anything new, you will have a high chance of getting ich. It just takes one drop from a system that has it.

For now, I soak my fish food in garlic and Selcon. My Tangs have white spots usually but so far nothing fatal.

I am also setting up a Level 2 UV Sterilizer which supposedly decreases ich population (but not eliminate it) and other free-swimming parasites.

KrisReef · Jun 22, 2019

This is a big debate on here and a lot of threads have come up around this topic.
My favorite was from @Paul B
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-other-way-to-run-a-reef-tank-no-quarantine.534274/

Halal Hotdog · Jun 22, 2019

I have seen it in both places. We have a lfs that local reef club members loves, they have a huge selection of fish and coral. Anytime you go in you will find at least one fish that has some visible parasite, all holding tanks are plumbed together. I love LA but they direct ship from wholesalers. Have gotten sick fish from them. I QT with CP every fish from lfs or online store as a precaution. I am curious how you haven't seen sick fish? Whenever I travel I check out lfs, you can always find a fish in their system showing signs of pathology.

Hemmdog · Jun 22, 2019

ACF930 said:
You can get ich from just adding a frag too. I’ve given up on trying to be ich free. Once I went fallow for 2 months, QT fish in Cupramine (which was a PITA), was ich free for about a year - and then added a Monti frag and bam! I was back to having ich.

Unless you plan to QT BOTH fish and coral every time or never add anything new, you will have a high chance of getting ich. It just takes one drop from a system that has it.

For now, I soak my fish food in garlic and Selcon. My Tangs have white spots usually but so far nothing fatal.

I am also setting up a Level 2 UV Sterilizer which supposedly decreases ich population (but not eliminate it) and other free-swimming parasites.

Level 2? Isn’t it just uvc?