Poll / opinion is a tank ever considered ich free?

[Murica]

I don't think so. In my opinion a successful tank that remains ich less is because the fish are always happy and healthy, so ich never shows. Obviously I'm sure there's some cases where tanks are truly ich free, I just think there few and far between. Hard to imagine one single parasite isn't somewhere in your tank just waiting to find a host. Opinions?

 

[andrewkw]

Harder to imagine a parasite in every tank then not. Especially with several proven treatment methods and an understanding on the parasites life cycle.

 

[saltyhog]

Agree with andrewkw. With what is known now it isn't difficult to keep Ich out of your tank. I actually fear velvet a lot more than Ich. It is so fast that if you aren't really observant your fish is beyond treating by the time you realize you have it.

 

[Murica]

Agree with andrewkw. With what is known now it isn't difficult to keep Ich out of your tank. I actually fear velvet a lot more than Ich. It is so fast that if you aren't really observant your fish is beyond treating by the time you realize you have it.

I dread velvet, hopefully I never have to experience it. I can't even imagine taking out all my rock work to catch all my fish.

 

[Roggio]

There’s Ick free tanks. It’s a lot of work but it’s possible. Ick has just become a way of life in mine. I have a Powder Blue that breaks out and gives the Tangs in a connected system Ick. Most of my fish are 7+ years and tough it out with some extra mysis and nori feeding.

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

I personally have never had any issues with ick, my tank is two years old with 8 fish currently

 

[Murica]

I personally have never had any issues with ick, my tank is two years old with 8 fish currently

I rarely do as well, every once in a while I'll see a few spots on a fish. I should rephrase my first post.. If you keep your fish happy and healthy, ich shouldn't be an issue. However, if you want a completely ich free system, that's possible but takes work as stated above.

 

[Deinonych]

QT everything wet and you'll never have an issue with disease. Ich is easy to eliminate if you understand the life cycle; this is why Tank Transfer Method is about as close to a guarantee as you'll get in this hobby. I've had a strict QT process for 4 years, including TTM, and can confidently state my tank is ich free.

 

[becks]

Since I went fallow and use a QT, I've never had any signs of ich.

Personally, I think QT is a must and ich is the least of the problems to get, velvet seems just as common as ich these days

 

[Waters]

Yes, definitely possible.....Ich is a parasite....once it is removed it does not reappear unless it is added back in. My tank has always been Ich free.....can't say that about past tanks though lol.

 

[HiddenUser]

Have and had an issue with ICH in my system...

my 40G QT tank obviously wasn't going to be large enough to treat all 22+ of my fish many of them whom were much larger now then they were when I initially got them. Debated on going out and buying a few more tanks or Rubbermaid totes, but the amount of time setting up each QT system, monitoring for ammonia, water changes, making sure to keep the copper levels in check, etc, well that amount of free time didn't exist in my schedule, ha.

The other issue is that I'd pretty much have to tear down my existing tank just to be able to catch all the fish and move them into QT. I did try fish traps and manage to catch the wrasses (which I did treat), but the Yellow and Blue Tangs hardly would come out of hiding despite the trap being left in the tank for over a week. I know people do complete tear downs, but I was extremely dreadful of doing it and wasn't really feeling like doing a complete makeover of my aquascape. Plus I have some pretty big rocks which I'm not sure I could get out of the tank at this point unless I drained it, hopped into the tank, and then handed the rocks to someone.

Trying to do the best I can to keep my fish happy and healthy instead.

 

[olecaptainj]

Nope, ich is ALWAYS present regardless of qt. If you have a fish, you have ich.

 

[becks]

Nope, ich is ALWAYS present regardless of qt. If you have a fish, you have ich.

How so?

 

[Murica]

Have and had an issue with ICH in my system...

my 40G QT tank obviously wasn't going to be large enough to treat all 22+ of my fish many of them whom were much larger now then they were when I initially got them. Debated on going out and buying a few more tanks or Rubbermaid totes, but the amount of time setting up each QT system, monitoring for ammonia, water changes, making sure to keep the copper levels in check, etc, well that amount of free time didn't exist in my schedule, ha.

The other issue is that I'd pretty much have to tear down my existing tank just to be able to catch all the fish and move them into QT. I did try fish traps and manage to catch the wrasses (which I did treat), but the Yellow and Blue Tangs hardly would come out of hiding despite the trap being left in the tank for over a week. I know people do complete tear downs, but I was extremely dreadful of doing it and wasn't really feeling like doing a complete makeover of my aquascape. Plus I have some pretty big rocks which I'm not sure I could get out of the tank at this point unless I drained it, hopped into the tank, and then handed the rocks to someone.

Trying to do the best I can to keep my fish happy and healthy instead.

I have the same feelings.. Moving all my rock to catch everything would be miserable. I'm treating my dt with hypo right now, it killed everything that's bad but after two weeks of it I noticed ich on my hippo, so now I gotta wait longer for that strain to hopefully die. I honestly think I could do a year in hypo and ich will still be lurking around somewhere.

 

[happyhourhero]

I am of the belief that Ich is not always present in our systems and it has a well documented life cycle. TTM, Copper, Hypo and Chloroquine Phosphate are all treatments that work and should be used if a hobbyist is inclined to do so.

I also believe that more fish are lost due to a novice or new hobbyist hastily setting up a QT, tearing up the display to catch the fish and then attempting one of the treatment options above than fish are lost to ich. This is why it is so important to QT prior to adding to your tank.

If i saw spots on my fish, I would do nothing FWIW.

 

[Mark Derail]

Nope, ich is ALWAYS present regardless of qt. If you have a fish, you have ich.

Two different LFS told me the same thing, and here on R2R most say it is a parasite. One LFS said basically like the common cold, it's always there.

I just finished doing two full months of no fish in the DT, and the first few weeks got a QT tank setup with Cupramine. Got the dose up daily to the max, waited two weeks, then stopped adding Cupramine to the WCs (every 2nd day 20%). A lot of work ! Went through a 200gal salt box.

After the 2nd week the surviving fish were healthy, fin rot repairing / repaired.

At the 2nd week, where copper was at about 0.25 (down from testing at 0.5), I decided to add a few more fish to the QT. I had lost my yellow tang.
Well... the new tang died after 1 day in the QT, the copper being too high for it. Even though I further reduced the copper by doing another 20% WC with no copper added.
Those tangs sure are sensitive.

The other added fish, a royal gramma, did fine. Now all are in the QT. Still tang-less.

 

[Murica]

Usually when a fish of mine gets ich, I just feed it more and do additional water changes to keep the parameters stable. Worked for me so far.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Yes, plenty of tanks are ich free. Saying it is not possible to have a tank completely free of Cryptocaryon is untrue. I work at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and the approach we take to system isolation and quarantine is almost militant. That's not because it's impossible to keep saltwater parasites out of captive marine systems. It's because it IS possible to keep ALL saltwater parasites out of captive marine aquaria. Not only that, but the consequences for failing to quarantine properly are catastrophic, especially in larger systems.

Is it possible for a fish to not show signs of infection unless it is stressed? Yes. Is it possible to manage an infected tank instead of breaking down the tank, treating the fish with medication, and completely eradicating the ich? Yes. I would not, however, use either of these as an argument that a tank can't be rid of ich completely. That is simply not true.

 

[Mark Derail]

Yes, plenty of tanks are ich free. Saying it is not possible to have a tank completely free of Cryptocaryon is untrue. I work at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and the approach we take to system isolation and quarantine is almost militant. That's not because it's impossible to keep saltwater parasites out of captive marine systems. It's because it IS possible to keep ALL saltwater parasites out of captive marine aquaria. Not only that, but the consequences for failing to quarantine properly are catastrophic, especially in larger systems.

Is it possible for a fish to not show signs of infection unless it is stressed? Yes. Is it possible to manage an infected tank instead of breaking down the tank, treating the fish with medication, and completely eradicating the ich? Yes. I would not, however, use either of these as an argument that a tank can't be rid of ich completely. That is simply not true.

Sounds like the dream job, and if it pays 6 digits, then IT IS !!!! Well (looked you up), part-time 5 digits???

Would love to have you do "Articles" one subject at a time, show & tell. About the Baltimore aquarium setup, what your job entails, etc. Hell I'd sign you up to do a series. If only I had cash to donate to promote the idea.

 

[Daniel Edlund]

I have a itch free tank so far. TTM all fish and rubbing all corals