Ich paranoia?

[Nikko]

So, I just got into this hobby about 6 months ago and everything was initially going great with my 90G reef tank. Faced some minor issues with diatoms early on but apparently that is common with new tanks. Later on I dealt with a cyano attack but that was also taken care of with a few large water changes. Tank has maintained ideal water parameters and healthy corals and fish until recently. However, I learned a very difficult and depressing lesson that having a QT tank is a must, since I believe one of my cardinals had Ich which ended up wiping out all my fish, besides one wrasse that seems to have had a greater immunity (although I am aware that it may show it's ugly face again in the future). This may sound weird, but is there a threat of ich hitchhiking on hermit crabs that I am introducing in my tank? Should they be quarantined or does this sound ridiculous? Just trying to take all measures to avoid dealing with this again.. regardless, no plans on introducing any new fish to my DT until I know that garbage has run its course... thanks in advance for any insight!!

 

[Josett Waid]

So, I just got into this hobby about 6 months ago and everything was initially going great with my 90G reef tank. Faced some minor issues with diatoms early on but apparently that is common with new tanks. Later on I dealt with a cyano attack but that was also taken care of with a few large water changes. Tank has maintained ideal water parameters and healthy corals and fish until recently. However, I learned a very difficult and depressing lesson that having a QT tank is a must, since I believe one of my cardinals had Ich which ended up wiping out all my fish, besides one wrasse that seems to have had a greater immunity (although I am aware that it may show it's ugly face again in the future). This may sound weird, but is there a threat of ich hitchhiking on hermit crabs that I am introducing in my tank? Should they be quarantined or does this sound ridiculous? Just trying to take all measures to avoid dealing with this again.. regardless, no plans on introducing any new fish to my DT until I know that garbage has run its course... thanks in advance for any insight!!

Yes everything you introduce into your tank should be quarantined. Crabs included. Ich can encrust on about anything. Ich got into one of our tanks from snails and the other from corals. Now inverts and corals can not be placed in a QT with copper. They just need to be in a QT with maybe some sand and rock, also no fish in that QT. Also the remaining fish still has ich, he just possibly has an immunity to it at the moment like you stated but once you add another fish they'll possibly get ich too. Once there's ich in your tank, it stays there until you get all fish out for 76 days.

 

[Nikko]

Good information! I appreciate your time and insight.. another QT was not what I was hoping to hear but I get what you are saying. I need to get that wrasse in to the QT, but he's a smart bugger and I'm going to have to get him at night. Have a trap being delivered from Foster and Swift so will use that if my night attempts fail. Thanks again!

 

[Josett Waid]

Good information! I appreciate your time and insight.. another QT was not what I was hoping to hear but I get what you are saying. I need to get that wrasse in to the QT, but he's a smart bugger and I'm going to have to get him at night. Have a trap being delivered from Foster and Swift so will use that if my night attempts fail. Thanks again!

No problem! And yeah I'm sorry about that.. I know it's a trouble having to now set up one specifically for inverts and corals but I wish I would have known before also that I needed a QT for them. Because if I did know I wouldn't being going fishless because of ich from some dang corals lol. And I hope that works to catch him and if it doesn't somewhere on here people have done different things to catch their fish without having to tear down there whole tank, which is a pain in the butt... Well just keep us updated on how everything goes with him! Good luck, and you're very welcome!

 

[Humblefish]

Yes everything you introduce into your tank should be quarantined. Crabs included. Ich can encrust on about anything. Ich got into one of our tanks from snails and the other from corals. Now inverts and corals can not be placed in a QT with copper. They just need to be in a QT with maybe some sand and rock, also no fish in that QT. Also the remaining fish still has ich, he just possibly has an immunity to it at the moment like you stated but once you add another fish they'll possibly get ich too. Once there's ich in your tank, it stays there until you get all fish out for 76 days.

+1 This explains about ich in more detail: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.191226/

This will help you setup a QT: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-quarantine.189815/

 

[mcarroll]

This isn't a bad thread to check out:
A discussion on immunity

 

[Nikko]

Thank you Mcarroll! Very interesting stuff. Since ich rocked my world, i've been trying to learn as much as problem to reduce the risk of having that happen again.