Adding soft corals in and introducing bacteria or ich?

[Bigrockindaddy]

You all have recently read my post about my ich problem. Can I add soft corals to my main tank and not worry about adding ich? Do corals or anemones or inverts need to go through a qt stage to prevent outbreak of ich or any other crazy parasite? . P.S. fish are getting better. and I am smiling

 

[mattleycrue76]

Glad your fish are doing better. No corals, anemonies and other iverts do not carry ich. Only fish. As a precaution you might want to dip them before adding them. Many people will tell you to quarantine them fror weeks as well but I don't believe many people actually do. Depends on your tolerance for risk

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... Depends on your tolerance for risk

Think that sums it up well.

Theoretically, you could introduce ich into a tank from corals. Anything wet will always have the remote possibility of harboring ich, whether it's corals, snails, or just plain water. The ich can't survive on anything but fish, but it can be in the water.

So in theory, it could happen.

Do I QT my fish? Yes. Do I QT my corals? No. Yeah... it's kind of a double standard but I guess that's where my tolerance for risk is.

 

[Snowboarda42]

Ich will fall off fish for a period where it reproduces in the sandbed, so there's a possibility of it coming in on the rock that the coral is on.

You might do a FW dip for ~5 minutes to be sure...

 

[Herefishyfishy]

If you have the capability, best to QT anything wet for about a week.

Life cycle
There are four stages in the marine ich life cycle.

The feeding stage is known as trophont (or trophozoite). As the trophont feeds on tissue fluids, the distinctive white spot forms around the parasite as a cyst.

Once the trophont is mature, the cyst bursts and the free-living protomont emerges. Secondary infections can set in at this stage because of the damage caused to the host fish’s skin. Within a few hours the protomont settles onto a solid object, potentially even wet objects, such as nets, that can be moved between tanks.

Protomonts form capsules and begin dividing, eventually forming hundreds of infective cells known as theronts or tomites. In a tropical marine aquarium, this reproductive stage lasts for about three days.

After the reproductive phase is finished, the capsule bursts, and the theronts swim into the water and seek out new hosts. The theronts will die after a few days if they cannot find a suitable host.

 

[krisfal]

Herefishyfishy,
Great write up on the life cycle, short and to the point while describing well. I like it

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

And amazingly like this...

http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/saltwater-conditions/marine-ich.aspx

Personally, I always give credit where credit is due. But that's just me.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Yeah, except for my first sentence opinion, guilty of my many daily cut and pastes in an effort to help out fellow reefers

Most often just post a link, but sometimes there is so much info at the source, that it can overwhelm newbies.

Guess quotation marks would be in order since another could worry about accreditation...

 

[OldFishMan]

Hello;

Well, the cyst is the problem. These things can open in three days or may take longer. So, everything looks good after an addition for weeks then there are enough theronts in the water for infestation and death as they attack the gills mostly.

I have tried many things over the years and just QT new fish for 4-weeks or so in hyposalinity @ 1.010. I dip my new corals in fresh water with a little baking soda mixed in to raise the alk and ph a little. The sudden change in salinity kills by osmoses --- this will kill most inverts so use a QT tank.

My last outbreak was bad and I lost 3 fish in 1-week. I QT'ed my fish from the main tank for 8-weeks. All are still alive and doing well.

I use a little iodine with coral cuttings and bacteria problems but do not use any other remedies or medicines now.

Good luck.

OFM

 

[burning2nd]

there are other parasites and pathogens other then ich...
they are also good to catch at the qt and not the desplay