Hi all! my first post here

[chicki]

Hi,
OK, my set up is 6 months old now. I have a 180 gal, refugium, large UV unit, 4 cleaner shrimp, 2 cleaner gobies, 1 cleaner wrasse (had 2) The powdeblue was the last fish to be added. When I first started out I quarantined fish, but had a terrible time (20 gal) with the water parameters and ended up loosing a fish because of it. I decided after that that I was going to just take my chances in the main tank and was lucky up to now. I figured (like so many) that if my fish were all healthy and were not stressed that they would not "be effected" by the ich. My water parameters were great! I fed 4 times a day (at least) a huge variety of foods always with added garlic, zoe and selco. I had a UV, cleaner shrimp etc. Well I couldn't have been more wrong.
"Elvis" (PBT) was a beautiful specimen, brightly colored and fat. He came into the LFS the night before and was eating right away. I immeditately brought him home. (before he got contaminated??) He paced here for a mere 48 hours and settled right down and within 5 days was eating right out of my hand!! On the eighth day I woke up to a fish with white spots! Since then I've lost these fish in this order...bi-colored blenny, gramma, mated pair of manderins, 2 little clowns.
According to my daughters invert book (this is a unniversity book in which is taught to pre-vet students) I'd imagine it would be right on. It states that cryptocaryon is a abligate parasite. That means it CANNOT survive without a period of growth on a fish (its host). It does not "just exist in a tank" It states- the free swimming parasites burrow into the skin, fins and gills and feed on the body's fluids and cells. The mature parasites emerge from the skin and evolve into an enclosed cyst within a few hours and attach to a solid surface. The cell divides to produce 1000 or more infective stages while inside the cyst. When the freeswimming stages are released upon the cyst breaking open they MUST find a fish host with 24 hours or THEY WILL DIE. This is the cycle.
I do and will continueing feeding garlic soaked feeds... who knows I could have lost more had I not been feeding the garlic?? I've also noticed that some fish are really into getting "cleaned" and some aren't. Elvis and Lola didn't like it and I never saw them getting cleaned...nor any of the fish that were overcome with it. The surviving ones spent a lot of time at the "cleaning stations"??
Robert, I would love to read that article you mentioned.
Have a great day!