How quickly does ick develop?

[johnr2604]

I have noticed in my expierience, most of the time when I have lost fish due to ich it has been after introducing a new fish or after moving a tank and so forth. Just like a person, Health and stress can really do a number. The reason I feel that you see it so much at the LFS is because of the stress from shipping.Believe me I have had my battles with ich over the years.

I personally would not buy a speciman that is showing signs. I would choose one that showed no signs and QT to be sure. I have even had ich outbreaks when I put fish in an existing tank and the fish I put in was fine. I believe this is because adding the new fish stressed the existing ones. I feel like the measures I take prevent outbreaks for my systems and its really all about what works for you.

Xyzpdq may be absolutly correct that it is possible to maintain an aquarium without ich existing, but If you treat it like its always there then believe me you are going to reduce outbreaks. You know the saying "an ounce of prevention etc."

 

[geno]

John, your experience has been (and probably others too) that now and then adding a healthy fish produced problems for those already in the tank, i.e. <u>they </u>got Ich!

Short of buying an obviously sick fish, it sounds like stress to either the new fish or those in the tank could spark an outbreak.

Question: How much stress do you think is created by putting a new fish in a QT tank letting him settle in and then yanking him out for the DT? Is it possible that if the new fish has been at the LFS for a few weeks and you have observed it during that time (with no signs of illness) and it is clearly eating well -- that the risk of going directly into your DT is minimal?

I'm not trying to suggest that a QT is not valuable -- but I wonder if a hospital tank is more appropriate -- i.e. treating known sick fish? I know...catching the little suckers can be a challenge!

-gene

 

[johnr2604]

Well, like stated I try not to buy Known sick fish. I personally think that Qt is valuable because you are typically yanking a fish out of the ocean shipping it across the world then thrown into a foriegn environment with hardly any acclimation. Then you pull it out again sometimes that day. driving it around town throwing into another tank with different perams. Then you introduce a stressed fish into another fishes environment and so on and so on.

I agree that a quarantine would not help with the example of the other fish. Just pointing out thats why I believe its always there. I look at quarantine as a way to acclimate the fish to its new environment in the least stressfull fashion. I feel I can do a better job of acclimating between the tanks than most LFS do. I can also control my perameters better between the QT and DT than between the LFS and DT Therefore creating less stress during the transition. I also look at it to be a good time to watch for outbreaks while the fish is already in a weakened condition, then I treat if necessry.

I know there are no fullproof ways to keep from having this problem. just trying to give my perspective. I try not to treat fish that are not sick with chemicals. I really dont know the long term effects of those chemicals. This is why I think Qt is better than hospital. I just try to pick good specimans and acclimate slowly to their new invironment . Its hard sometimes not to buy that hard to find fish, even though it health may be questionable but my wallet and tanks have loved me for it.

 

[sshindell]

Hey Brandon - props for that article. I read it, and it was pretty good!

What was that about monkeys in a room randomly typing on typewriters until they wrote Shakespeare?