Quote:
Originally Posted by zoaElite
Now that gets my vote for ridiculous, your trying to replicate a natural environment by starting your bacterial culture with the biggest myth out there... Bagged live sand. Your fish will end up getting Ich because of stress associated with high nitrates unless you wait months for a cycle to occur (and yes... Ich is everywhere, your little "Paradise" is not immune).
Natural live rock is expensive because its just that NATURAL, seeded with a cornucopia of bacteria and microfauna that is essential to starting a reef tank. You will have to add it at some time if you want to add coral and if the fish are already in there the parasite is in there also.
You seem to be focusing on having an Ich free tank over a healthy established tank, a major error IMO.
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So, that wasn’t really my point. By my own logic, there's no risk of introducing ich with live sand or rock if you wait out the life cycle before adding fish.
I am using “live” sand because of the grain size and colour, not because I am expecting any miracles. I agree with you that there is little or no beneficial life in bagged live sand other than some bacteria.
I am using dry rock to avoid the pests that can come in with live rock, but it was a carefully considered decision. I will be seeding the rock and sand with various detritivores and real “live” sand from Inland Aquatics. If I can find some good quality live rock from a trusted source, I’ll add that too. It will take longer for the tank to mature, but I control what goes in.
For what it’s worth, I’m not afraid of introducing ich to my new tank. I agree that healthy fish can easily fight it off. I have ich in my 90G and I have never lost a fish. I would have thought it was gone except that every so often I’ll see a spec. It’s the aptasia and bubble algea that I’m trying to avoid.
The point is, there is no ich in my tank now. It is possible to have an ich free tank. My 90G was completely ich free for the first 2 years and I had lots of fish. It’s only when I added a tang that I started to see it.
Anyway, I’d love to see the research that says “Ich is everywhere”. I’ve never come across a credible source that supports that argument.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyo...us_multifiliis
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml
Hey - it's good for a debate right? - I've heard many people say that 'ich is everywhere', but I just can't accept that as being true.