Ich Menace possible fight back

[Bernie King]

Thoughts please

 

[Paul B]

My thoughts are that if your fish are kept healthy and they were not quarantined for a lengthy period, not medicated, and in a natural tank that is not to clean, ich and every other parasite will never be a concern. Our fish come to us from the ocean already immune, just keep them that way. It's simple.

 

[Bernie King]

I agree to a point bud ! But we don’t get everything that the fish enjoys from the ocean in our tanks !! Think dosing Rotifers every night and morning may feed on ich parasites!

 

[ScottR]

My thoughts are that if your fish are kept healthy and they were not quarantined for a lengthy period, not medicated, and in a natural tank that is not to clean, ich and every other parasite will never be a concern. Our fish come to us from the ocean already immune, just keep them that way. It's simple.

I know it’s a touchy subject. But I seeded my current tank with pure ocean water. Had lots of strange things pop up. I didn’t freak out. Not one lost fish (due to parasites). I believe that keeping a dirtier tank has helped me in this. Previously I went crazy at keeping everything coming into my tank clean. I don’t go crazy trying to clean my rocks or my bare bottom. I don’t scrub my tank clean. I think having a great variety of life in my tank keeps everything else in check.

 

[Paul B]

But I seeded my current tank with pure ocean water.

For the Last year I use 100% NSW.

Think dosing Rotifers every night and morning may feed on ich parasites!

I doubt it Bud.

 

[JoeD_]

The ONLY way to get rid of ich is tank transfer, or copper. Otherwise you're just hoping and praying it doesn't take out the fish

 

[Paul B]

I am hoping and praying.

 

[ScottR]

The ONLY way to get rid of ich is tank transfer, or copper. Otherwise you're just hoping and praying it doesn't take out the fish

I’m sure if you took your fish back to the ocean, to its original habitat, it would be healed.

 

[Bernie King]

Right if this doesn’t work then I’m going to rely on magic !!!

 

[ScottR]

The idea being that each animal, parasite, bacteria, virus has a predator which keeps their numbers in check. The problem in home aquaria is, we typically start our tanks with synthetic salt and we dip our corals and copper our fish so that no ich or other parasite is present. This works until we slip up and introduce something to our tanks from an infected tank. Could be: not dipping corals, hitchhiked in on a snail shell, the possibilities are endless. When using NSW, we are constantly introducing parasites into our tank (most likely) but we are also introducing in their predators as well. Sometimes a fish might get spots but their immune system should be strong and there are the predators of that parasite which will eat them and the fish lives on. I’ve seen spots on my fish but they went away. And now that I think about it, haven’t seen those spots in quite awhile. This is more theory than anything based on my experience and others. But I can say that I don’t ever have a parasite problem.

 

[Bernie King]

I am hoping and praying.

I know this paper is about fresh water Rotifers preying on ciliates (which ich is a type of) but it gets the point over!

I am at the very moment dosing my ich invested tank with L strain Rotifers and I have some S/ss strain Rotifers on order!

I wish I could find more strains of marine Rotifers to culture and try out!

ATM it’s the only predator I can find for ich !

Any help would be appreciated in my search for more Rotifer strains and where to get them from?

 

[ScottR]

I know this paper is about fresh water Rotifers preying on ciliates (which ich is a type of) but it gets the point over!

I am at the very moment dosing my ich invested tank with L strain Rotifers and I have some S/ss strain Rotifers on order!

I wish I could find more strains of marine Rotifers to culture and try out!

ATM it’s the only predator I can find for ich !

Any help would be appreciated in my search for more Rotifer strains and where to get them from?

Interesting. Keep us posted. No idea where to get rotifers. I know you can buy pods online. Not sure if those places sell rotifers.