Blue Hippo Tang keeps getting ich.

[gregzz4]

Hey Joe
I prefer to put an Ich infected fish in QT until the visible spots disappear, then start the clock. Minimum 4 weeks to pass the next cycle of Trophonts, then watch for another 2 weeks for signs of new infection. So in my case, it can be up to 7-8 weeks in QT.
Last time I had an issue I ended up running my tank fallow for 86 days while I treated the survivers in a Hospital tank.

Good luck bud

[rsisvixen]

Just for interest sake.

I read some interesting research where they say if you have ich in your tank and for reasons you can't remove fish or treat tank. If you wait 11-12 months without adding anything new-no corals,fish rock etc the ich will actually die off naturally as after multiple generation cycles it wears out. Genetically it just weakens to the point where it can't survive.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by rsisvixen

Genetically it just weakens to the point where it can't survive.

I've heard that too, but with a new strain taking up to 72 days per cycle, that 11-12 months just became around 30 ...

[Northern Reefer]

What was never mentioned is tank size? If the tank is only 50 gallons ish..... then the stress of a small tank will continue to bring on disease..... may not be ich at all. Tangs need space or they will not ever be healthy and happy.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by videosilva

How anyone ONE person is able to get eleven thousand posts on ANY forum in beyond me.

Over 13 years of contributions here? Exactly what have YOU contributed here besides some entertainment? Which I do appreciate by the way - it's slow around here these days, and I need to keep my post count up.

OP'S question was answered long before you arrived.

[acepumping]

Man!! all I can say is when ibhad a breakout on my tank.. it was from a kole tang, it had nothing visible at time of purchase.. 8 months later. started seen specks...
then bam all the fish had it so bad, it killed 4 out of 8 fish.. but guess what, I QUARINTINED !!! saved the remainder..
so if you listen to this person.. beware!!.. he is giving the wrong info..
do I quarantine when I buy a fish? no
would I do it again if I had a break out? you bet..
in the new tank I'm setting up, I will be quarinting everything..

please don't listen to this person.. lots of benefits of taking caution...

calling people dumb.. lmfao.. what a tool!! go back to your local forums please

[straightrazorguy]

I don't ever get involved in this kind of nonsense, but I feel like I have to! None of the local stores quarantine fish. So, they all have the potential to be sick or carry something. I ALWAYS quarantine all my fish, whether I get them from the store or trusted friends. I've had fish die in quarantine , but I've had zero outbreaks in all my years of fishkeeping...

Quarantine your fish, people!

[rsisvixen]

Would like to point out that no one said lfs stores didn't treat the tanks, just that they don't quarantine. Two completely separate issues.

To answer your other question the QT period should be 4 weeks but thats adjustable based on a lot of factors.

And really, insulting and "yelling" your point at everyone is not the way to have a discussion.

[kien]

[kyl]

Wow this thread sure blew up!

I've gotten all three major problems on livestock bought locally over the last two years, two on something purchased last week if you want an example (ich / flukes). No LFS around here is going to run them through a full gamut of quarantine for ich, velvet and flukes (not to mention brooklynella, bacterial infections, internal parasites, a myriad of others), for the proper duration and utilizing contamination controls that would also be required (room separated tanks, sanitizing all equipment, etc). At least, not at the prices most people will pay, which is why it doesn't happen.

The OP is having a problem with ich, on whom a tang with a thinner slime coat is more susceptible to gaining larger scale infections. Only fish infected with ich have ich, if quarantined properly, they will not have ich until placed in an environment infected with ich. As for casual observation, you can't even see the ich parasite on a fish, or in any life cycle stage with the naked eye. Only the results of the damage done, the white specs, are visible. As well, most of the parasites will host in the fish's gills rather than on the body, leaving no visual traces.

It took like 2 weeks to learn that from casually reading academic studies, mostly revolving around the wholesale aquaculture (not hobbyist) industry. It's not made up, those business can't afford to make things up when they have millions in food stock potentially at risk of loss from an outbreak. The life cycle, treatment, prevention and ineffective control methods are all well studded and cited in dozens of published journals at this point, probably more well known than any other marine fish disease we'll see in our tanks.