Question in regards to ICH

[Hoodstream]

So exactly 14 days ago I noticed white spots on both my clownfish and immediately QT my two clowns and YWG. I spotted the ich at about 1am and saw just one or two spots on my clowns when I woke up sometime early morning. They weren’t rubbing against rocks or sand and have been really healthy pre QT and currently during QT. So my question is if it was ICH wouldn’t it be visible for days and not just the short timeframe I saw it? My clowns did lay on the sand bed at night to sleep and now I’m wondering if I QT and am copper treating healthy fish. I have a thicker aragonite sand so idk how small particles could be stuck to their coat, but I just don’t understand how my fish look covered in Ich for the first time after owning them for a couple weeks only to have 90% of the spots clear up within hours. Any insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Sean Clark]

Any pics? I would lean towards a full on fallow period and qt for your fish to be safe. The time spent here will save you a lot mote frustration in the future.

 

[Hoodstream]

Any pics? I would lean towards a full on fallow period and qt for your fish to be safe. The time spent here will save you a lot mote frustration in the future.

I don’t have pics unfortunately. I’m 14 days into this fallow and I’m just doing more and more research and coming up with more questions. I saw people say ich will last on a fish for a few days and treating with copper takes a toll on the fish and I’m just trying to make sure I haven’t QT healthy clowns. Didn’t think to take pics when I saw the white spots just immediately assumed it was ich and that same morning bought everything for a proper qt.

 

[Sean Clark]

I don’t have pics unfortunately. I’m 14 days into this fallow and I’m just doing more and more research and coming up with more questions. I saw people say ich will last on a fish for a few days and treating with copper takes a toll on the fish and I’m just trying to make sure I haven’t QT healthy clowns. Didn’t think to take pics when I saw the white spots just immediately assumed it was ich and that same morning bought everything for a proper qt.

I am not an expert on fish disease. Ich is a parasite that has a life cycle. The white spots that you see on the fish is one stage of its life cycle. They will drop off of the fish and people think that they "cured" it. In reality they fell off and are now in another stage where they develop off of the fish. Eventually these new parasites will become free swimming in the water and will attach to another host fish.

You need you need to use the fallow period and qt to brake the life cycle of the parasite.
There is no fix-it in a bottle. Time and patients will prevail here.

You can use medications but they are not absolutely necessary. You already have a qt so that is ideal.

Some people swear by using a tank transfer method (TTM) others say it doesn't work...

Are there any other fish other than the clowns and YWG?

 

[Hoodstream]

No I removed everything. Only thing in tank is inverts. Treating with coppersafe. I posted a question a week ago and got some answers I just hate googling things and hearing multiple different experiences. Im going to follow through on this fallow regardless just feel bad if they didn’t actually have ich and I have my clowns and ywg in a bare bottom pvc copper tank lol.

 

[damsels are not mean]

So exactly 14 days ago I noticed white spots on both my clownfish and immediately QT my two clowns and YWG. I spotted the ich at about 1am and saw just one or two spots on my clowns when I woke up sometime early morning. They weren’t rubbing against rocks or sand and have been really healthy pre QT and currently during QT. So my question is if it was ICH wouldn’t it be visible for days and not just the short timeframe I saw it? My clowns did lay on the sand bed at night to sleep and now I’m wondering if I QT and am copper treating healthy fish. I have a thicker aragonite sand so idk how small particles could be stuck to their coat, but I just don’t understand how my fish look covered in Ich for the first time after owning them for a couple weeks only to have 90% of the spots clear up within hours. Any insight or suggestions would be much appreciated.

ich gets really bad after the first wave. They could have been asymptomatic and then after a couple cycles of it bam they're everywhere.

 

[damsels are not mean]

ich gets really bad after the first wave. They could have been asymptomatic and then after a couple cycles of it bam they're everywhere.

This is also why often people think things cure ich that don't like feeding garlic or sprinkling holy water in their tank. Anything you do looks like it works for a few days.

 

[Hoodstream]

ich gets really bad after the first wave. They could have been asymptomatic and then after a couple cycles of it bam they're everywhere.

Yeah this has been nothing but a headache especially since I’m the type of person to read something and stress about it but regardless I’m probably going to go longer than 76 days I got corals and inverts and they keep me happy just hate educating myself and learning more and more things that make me question it all from the beginning lol. But appreciate the response I guess it just is what it is. If they didn’t have ich then if there was anything in my tank it’ll be gone by the end, and if they did same result.

 

[Hoodstream]

This is also why often people think things cure ich that don't like feeding garlic or sprinkling holy water in their tank. Anything you do looks like it works for a few days.

I’m not one to judge people but I did laugh at the holy water to each their own I guess.

 

[Sean Clark]

Personally I would rather be safe than sorry. The fallow time sucks but after that you know the DT is clean.

 

[Lauren11]

based on my research, ich is always present in the aquarium - stress causes an outbreak. It’s why you hear about recurrences even after 76 day qts etc.
I’m treating with kick ich & the food recipe I posted earlier. Will keep the forum apprised.

 

[damsels are not mean]

based on my research, ich is always present in the aquarium - stress causes an outbreak. It’s why you hear about recurrences even after 76 day qts etc.
I’m treating with kick ich & the food recipe I posted earlier. Will keep the forum apprised.

No it isn't, unless you keep fish in there with it.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Ich will exist in a system unless you kill it - hence the idea of a fallow and quarantining all new fish.
It can hitchhike in on inverts but this isn’t too common, just something to think about. Best to dip new corals, ideally quarantining inverts but many (myself included) do not.

You are making the right decision by quarantining and fallowing - better safe than sorry and I’d count in ich hurting the fish more than copper would.
FWIW recent research suggests that ich fallow can be 45 days, that said it wouldn’t hurt to do 76+ for peace of mind.