Why do new fish get Ich when you add them in your tank?
- Thread starter homersimpsonlikesfish
- Start date
- Tagged users None
To my knowledge, the answer is that they do have ich at the fish store, but - with either ich management techniques used in the hobby, copper medication/hyposalinity in fish store tanks (from what I've heard, in most cases it's probably this one; non-therapeutic levels of copper/hypo), or a combination of the two - the ich is suppressed (not eliminated) at the store.
So, when you bring the fish home and it gets stressed by travel and the new environment (and doesn't have copper or hyposalinity suppressing the ich), it's immune system weakens from the stress, and the ich pops up seemingly from nowhere.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
+1 on fish stores "treating" fish with sub-therapeutic levels to mask any ich...
Spare time
10K Club member
I think it's because they were in water with the ich or ich "eggs" and some of that got carried over. I don't really buy the idea of subtheraputic levels of copper masking ich as the fish either has an infection or it doesn't.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
There's nothing to "buy"...
F i s h y
2nd In Command. Where is Frank's firebug badge?
Agree. Specifically hyposalinty masks ich. Your fish store is likely running salinity at a lower level than your reef. 1.021 versus 1.025 or 1.026... this causes the ich to lay dormant until it finds a suitable environment.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
Why??
Treat for ich properly, or don't treat at all.
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