Very Tired of dealing with parasites...

[Chad]

Originally Posted by fishytime

Two puffers, 1 tank=stress? Ich is not carried in to the tank. It is a parasite that is constantly present in the aquarium. It is only when a fish becomes week or stressed that their immune systems cant fight it off. I would try and figure out the reason for the stress.

This is a huge myth that keeps getting tossed around. Ich is not always present. It needs a host or it does not live. Given then right precautions when acquiring (new) fish or anything you add to your tank, you will never have ich in your tank.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Chad

This is a huge myth that keeps getting tossed around. Ich is not always present. It needs a host or it does not live. Given then right precautions when acquiring (new) fish or anything you add to your tank, you will never have ich in your tank.

I agree and I was so careful but there is something I missed somewhere obviously. What Im so frustrated about is why after all the treatment its still around. The tank was fallow for 8 weeks. Before that it was dry for a month. And during this time the fish were all in hypo for 8 weeks. Where the heck was the ich hiding???

[Chad]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

I agree and I was so careful but there is something I missed somewhere obviously. What Im so frustrated about is why after all the treatment its still around. The tank was fallow for 8 weeks. Before that it was dry for a month. And during this time the fish were all in hypo for 8 weeks. Where the heck was the ich hiding???

I have read that sometimes Ich can last in cyst form for up to 7 months.

Perhaps this has happened to you? Beyond that, it is best to do hypo, then normal QT for a month to see if the ich is truly gone. Since hypo only works if the salinity is strictly watched, perhaps your refractometer is mis calibrated and the salinity was not bang on, some Ich survives the treatment. Thinking your 8 weeks was enough you re-introduce them to your DT but some Ich survived and voila. All over again! Very frustrating for sure.

So your entire treatment length can be as long as 2 months. 1 month hypo, 1 month normal QT.. and 2 month fallow DT.

Not an easy prospect for sure.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Chad

I have read that sometimes Ich can last in cyst form for up to 7 months.

Perhaps this has happened to you? Beyond that, it is best to do hypo, then normal QT for a month to see if the ich is truly gone. Since hypo only works if the salinity is strictly watched, perhaps your refractometer is mis calibrated and the salinity was not bang on, some Ich survives the treatment. Thinking your 8 weeks was enough you re-introduce them to your DT but some Ich survived and voila. All over again! Very frustrating for sure.

So your entire treatment length can be as long as 2 months. 1 month hypo, 1 month normal QT.. and 2 month fallow DT.

Not an easy prospect for sure.

Yeah I think your probably right...

Im sure the refractometer is working though because after hypo did not work the first time I borrow BOTH of my brothers refractometers. So I used three to make sure and they all read 1.008 after being calibrated. The fish were in 1.008 for 8 weeks. Then one more week or raising the salinity back up and then back to the display that was fallow for 9 months.

Ich was living somewhere though. It survived.

[Chad]

Yeah, the trick to it all is to have those fish that were in hypo stay in a QT tank at normal salinity for a month. Let the "possible" ich survivors a chance to show up on the fish again. If it does, back to hypo for another treatment.. it sucks but it has to be done.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Chad

Yeah, the trick to it all is to have those fish that were in hypo stay in a QT tank at normal salinity for a month. Let the "possible" ich survivors a chance to show up on the fish again. If it does, back to hypo for another treatment.. it sucks but it has to be done.

Yeah I did not do that part. I thought after the 8 weeks there was no way any ich could have survived. But I was wrong.

Well today there is no signs of ich at all...just means I can't see it of course...I know its still there. So I am going to wait it out still and see if they fight it off again. I think I will hold off on QT until I see the first sign of stress or discomfort. Then I will decide what to do. Still may try to switch to freshwater I think.