just a quick question

[Leddy]

does ich host on inverts, like crabs, or just on fish? i have a crab that was hitchhiking on some live rock when i first started my 80, he survived my trigger, living in the same hole, coming out at night. my tank is empty except for this lucky fella, and some sort of anemone, sort of like aptasia, but it hasn't reproduced at all (still knocking on wood), since i first saw it when i bought the rock the end of december. i had two other small aiptasia on different rocks a while back, but my two peppermint shrimp got those, then the trigger went in a week or two after, shrimp didnt last long. but since then, this one hasnt reproduced at all, only grew. i've tried a few times to siphon it out, failed every attempt, then thought if it was aiptasia it would have multiplied a few times by now, but nothing. so i just let it chill, checking everyday to see if it has spread. but i am curious about the ich on inverts or only fish, since i'll need to remove the crab if i want the ich to not have a host, hopefully killing the lifecycle of the parasite for good. just thought i'd ask. thanks.


leddy

[zhenya]

does ich host on inverts, like crabs, or just on fish? i have a crab that was hitchhiking on some live rock when i first started my 80, he survived my trigger, living in the same hole, coming out at night. my tank is empty except for this lucky fella, and some sort of anemone, sort of like aptasia, but it hasn't reproduced at all (still knocking on wood), since i first saw it when i bought the rock the end of december. i had two other small aiptasia on different rocks a while back, but my two peppermint shrimp got those, then the trigger went in a week or two after, shrimp didnt last long. but since then, this one hasnt reproduced at all, only grew. i've tried a few times to siphon it out, failed every attempt, then thought if it was aiptasia it would have multiplied a few times by now, but nothing. so i just let it chill, checking everyday to see if it has spread. but i am curious about the ich on inverts or only fish, since i'll need to remove the crab if i want the ich to not have a host, hopefully killing the lifecycle of the parasite for good. just thought i'd ask. thanks.


leddy

Hi Leddy,

I don't believe Marine Ich will live on the crab or shrimp or any other invert other then fish.What you could be seen on the crab is probably a tomonts,a detached theronts(parasitic stage) that formed cycts. later in the life cycle it will burst and release tomites and later theronts that will not survive without host,which could only be fish.If you wait 6 weeks or longer without adding anything,your tank should be free of Ich.

Here's a nice article about Marine Ich, the parasite life cycle and care that should/could be taken when it is encountered.

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html

[Leddy]

hey thanks for the site zhenya, it has alot of info. it doesnt say anything about inverts hosting "ich", only fish. my plan is to keep it fish free for at least 6 weeks, but maybe a few snails before then unless i read "ich" hosts on inverts as well. anyway, thanks again


leddy

[zhenya]

hey thanks for the site zhenya, it has alot of info. it doesnt say anything about inverts hosting "ich", only fish. my plan is to keep it fish free for at least 6 weeks, but maybe a few snails before then unless i read "ich" hosts on inverts as well. anyway, thanks again


leddy

Leddy,

If you read the article you can see that this parasite is host specific,ie. the fish being it's only host. Without fish present the life cycle ends if you wait long enough.I wouldn't worry about the inverts hosting this parasite,it's just can't happen.Some shrimp will actually eat it and so would some corals as small protozoans are included in their diet. As you can see from ATJ's article, the theronts, as they grow and mature, will fall off fish mostly to substrate to encyct and continue the cycle.

[Leddy]

yeah, thats good to see. thanks for the response, it is greatly appreciated.


leddy