Approx what size are ICH parasites?

ZoWhat

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Reason I ask is I'm trying smthg new. I'm filtering all overflow water thru 200micron socks that have submersible 254nm UV-C lights INSIDE the socks. (Don't care if over time the socks get burn holes thru them, ill assess sock damage sometime in the future)

My H O P E is that I CATCH or suspend a lot of ICH parasites long enough in the sock to cook them with UV-C sterilizing light.

200micron sufficient enough to catch or slow down the movement of ICH in its juvenile stages?

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thewalkingdad

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While I can't offer any scientific (or even anecdotal) backing, a sufficiently small enough filter sock seems like it would theoretically do the trick. But I have no clue what size that would be.
 
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ZoWhat

ZoWhat

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Ich are all microscopic. I can't imagine a sock helping.
Thats kinda a defeatist answer, lol

i know my socks slows down water movement. I know my socks get clogged with microscopic debris and by day5 they are overflowing bc the sock are clogged.

Again the goal is to hold water long enough in a suspended state for the 254nm sterilizing light to pop the ICH like popcorn

I'm NOT claiming I found the answer... just trying this experiment and was wondering what the actual micron size of ICH are in different stages of their development
 
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Halal Hotdog

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"Trophonts can range in size from about 48 x 27 µm (~1/20 x 1/40 of a mm) to 452 x 360 µm (~1/2 x 1/3 mm) (1 µm = 1 micron; 1,000 microns = 1 millimeter)".

You would need a much smaller micron sock to try to catch them, and that is assuming holes are not forming that allow larger particles in.
 

bluprntguy

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As you already noted, the goal is to slow the water down so that they are exposed to the UV longer, not to stop the ich from passing through the filter sock.

I have a similar UV in my AIO. As long as the bulb stays submerged, I don’t think there is much possibility of burning the sock. My UV has always been water temp when I’ve touched it.
 
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ZoWhat

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"Trophonts can range in size from about 48 x 27 µm (~1/20 x 1/40 of a mm) to 452 x 360 µm (~1/2 x 1/3 mm) (1 µm = 1 micron; 1,000 microns = 1 millimeter)".

You would need a much smaller micron sock to try to catch them, and that is assuming holes are not forming that allow larger particles in.
So. If the average range is approx 40ish microns to 400ish micron ....my 200micron'ish would catch or susoend the larger Trophonts, in theory.

They do make 10micron socks but they clog up within 24hrs.

I'm sticking with this setup for a good month to see the effects as im having very slight ICH regeneration among Tangs that are not life-threatening to them but make them flash when irritated. I might see if 100micron socks are available.
 

Halal Hotdog

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So. If the average range is approx 40ish microns to 400ish micron ....my 200micron'ish would catch or susoend the larger Trophonts, in theory.

They do make 10micron socks but they clog up within 24hrs.

I'm sticking with this setup for a good month to see the effects as im having very slight ICH regeneration among Tangs that are not life-threatening to them but make them flash when irritated. I might see if 100micron socks are available.

I have run a 5 and 10 micron sock before. The trick was to have socks with a larger micron capture size before it gets to the 10 micron one. If you setup a 200 micron sock that drains into a 100, then 10, this might lead to being able to run each sock for a longer period of time. If the 2 larger ones gets clogged then it overflows.

I like your idea and it does make sense, but finding an effective way to implement it might be tricky.
 

BrandonS

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Back in the day there was a company that made a hang on the back DE filter ( diatomaceous earth). That would filter out ich. But we are talking less than 6 micron for DE.
 
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ZoWhat

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I have run a 5 and 10 micron sock before. The trick was to have socks with a larger micron capture size before it gets to the 10 micron one. If you setup a 200 micron sock that drains into a 100, then 10, this might lead to being able to run each sock for a longer period of time. If the 2 larger ones gets clogged then it overflows.

I like your idea and it does make sense, but finding an effective way to implement it might be tricky.
How do you stack socks like this? Got a pic?
 

Halal Hotdog

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How do you stack socks like this? Got a pic?

I don't have a picture of it, but the way I set it up was having a 200 micron sock that sat 1/3 of the way into a 100 micron sock, that sat 1/3 of the way into a 10 micron sock. When they start clogging the water starts exiting from a higher point, which becomes problematic. Doing it this way I was able to change them out every 3-4 days. What I think would work better would be a wet dry filter type of setup that has different micron layers through it. I never set this up but think it would be a better way to do it.
 

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