Peppie
Well-known member
Just as it says above.
Can snails, shrimp. and crabs carry MI into your DT???
Can snails, shrimp. and crabs carry MI into your DT???
Can Inverts. Introduce Ich??
- Thread starter Peppie
- Start date
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TJL
copod
Great question Dave, I'm pretty sure they can't as a host themselves but absolutely with the water they are transported in if from an infected source. I have wondered if at any point in the parasites life cycle that they are attached to any type of substrate ie: Live Rock, Snail Shell (living or Hermit's home) or the exoskeleton of Crabs/Shrimp ??? hmmm....
Cheers, Todd
Cheers, Todd
Peppie
Well-known member
TJL
copod
Yea, I dip crabs in boiling water for 10 minutes :hungry: 
uhh.... I mean Dungeness Crabs....
I would think that it would be safe to FW dip shore crabs/hermits and snails, they certainly get bathed in torential tropical rains periodically without much ill affect...
Cheers, Todd
uhh.... I mean Dungeness Crabs....I would think that it would be safe to FW dip shore crabs/hermits and snails, they certainly get bathed in torential tropical rains periodically without much ill affect...
Cheers, Todd
NC2WA
Well-known member
peppie,
do you mind if I move to Lee's forum? Lee rarely answers outside of his forum, and I think this would be a worth while answer for all reefes. (me included)
do you mind if I move to Lee's forum? Lee rarely answers outside of his forum, and I think this would be a worth while answer for all reefes. (me included)
Peppie
Well-known member
Please do.
I wasnt sure if it should go there, or here for the newbees.
BTW, I bought some vitamins today. I will be crushing a batch soon.
I wasnt sure if it should go there, or here for the newbees.
BTW, I bought some vitamins today. I will be crushing a batch soon.
NC2WA
Well-known member
moved thread, hoping Lee can chime in with answer.
It is right that Marine Ich does not infect invertebrates -- inverts of any kind. However, there are stages in the life cycle of the Marine Ich parasite which are not on the fish. They include the 'cyst' of sorts that is made on the fish then drops off, as well as the free-swimming stage of the parasite (looking for a fish to infect). It is the stages of this parasite that are off the fish which can in effect be transmitted by water. So, if the invert is caring water from an infected system/tank, then there is a possibility that that water contains the parasite in one of those off-fish stages of its life cycle.
The hobbyist takes a risk for sure, acclimating inverts and putting them directly into the display tank, when those inverts have come from a water system and/or tank that contain fish. If only the hobbyist knew beyond a doubt that the inverts came from a place where fish and invert water don't ever mix and the inverts have been held for more than 6 weeks and during that time, no other invert was put into the water/system. . .there would be some confidence. However, can you trust the source?
The only time I don't quarantine inverts is when I'm starting up a new aquarium. Since I introduce the clean-up crew more than 6 weeks ahead of introducing any fish that has been through quarantine, I am sure that no obligate parasite (Marine Ich) will be there. After that, all inverts are quarantined for no less than 6 weeks before getting into my display tank/system.
Now, the above applies to Marine Ich. There are many other kinds and types of parasitic and pathogenic hitchhikers that come with inverts. Also, inverts can and do carry their own set of hitchhikers, diseases, and parasites. The hobbyist needs to consider the risks of introducing these others, too. However, I can reasonably assure the reader that if you do keep the invert in quarantine, fishless, for no less than 8 weeks, all the pathogens and parasites that are obligate to marine fishes, will die off. Notice, this is now 8 (eight) weeks.
Hope the above helps.
The hobbyist takes a risk for sure, acclimating inverts and putting them directly into the display tank, when those inverts have come from a water system and/or tank that contain fish. If only the hobbyist knew beyond a doubt that the inverts came from a place where fish and invert water don't ever mix and the inverts have been held for more than 6 weeks and during that time, no other invert was put into the water/system. . .there would be some confidence. However, can you trust the source?
The only time I don't quarantine inverts is when I'm starting up a new aquarium. Since I introduce the clean-up crew more than 6 weeks ahead of introducing any fish that has been through quarantine, I am sure that no obligate parasite (Marine Ich) will be there. After that, all inverts are quarantined for no less than 6 weeks before getting into my display tank/system.
Now, the above applies to Marine Ich. There are many other kinds and types of parasitic and pathogenic hitchhikers that come with inverts. Also, inverts can and do carry their own set of hitchhikers, diseases, and parasites. The hobbyist needs to consider the risks of introducing these others, too. However, I can reasonably assure the reader that if you do keep the invert in quarantine, fishless, for no less than 8 weeks, all the pathogens and parasites that are obligate to marine fishes, will die off. Notice, this is now 8 (eight) weeks.
Hope the above helps.
Peppie
Well-known member
Lee,
Thanks for the reply. This has confirmed my thoughts on the subject.
Thanks for the reply. This has confirmed my thoughts on the subject.
NC2WA
Well-known member
Lee,
Thanks..learned something today; QT inverts..
Can the same thing be said of corals???
Thanks..learned something today; QT inverts..
Can the same thing be said of corals???
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Most definitely. A coral is wet. Any wet marine life has the opportunity to bring with it fish parasites which have a stage of life that is off the fish. This assumes the marine life has had been in water shared with marine fish(es). If the parasite lays eggs, creates cysts, has a free-swimming stage, etc., then these can come along with any marine life form that has water with it. This is, just remember, for fish diseases and pathogens. Corals have their own pests, hitchhikers, conditions, and diseases worthy of being quarantined even if they did not come into contact with fish.
Remember, corals are invertebrates. All that I wrote about invertebrates means corals, too.
Remember, corals are invertebrates. All that I wrote about invertebrates means corals, too.
TJL
copod
Lee, one more question for you on this subject: Is there any type of dip/bath that you think/know would kill the Marine Ich and/or other parasites from Live Rock and Corals ???
Cheers, Todd
Cheers, Todd
There are a couple, however it means turing the live rock into dead rock. I assume you mean you want to keep the 'live rock' live and the live coral, live. If that's the case, the answer is, "No." What kills this parasite kills many of the micro life forms, pods, corals, and benthic creatures that come with true live rock. This is the prime reason why treatment for this parasite is done in a QT and not in the main DT system.
TJL
copod
Thanks Lee, that is the answer that I thought to hear. I will shortly be transferring all LR, most corals and fish from existing system to a new one. The plan is to dip all LR/Corals in Coral RX and/or MelaFix between tranfer and was hoping this might eliminate the posibility of Ich parasite as well. All fish new & old will be QT'd before introduction into the new DT.
So Lee, when dipping newly aquired corals in Dips such as above they do or do not have any affect on the MI parasite ???
Cheers, Todd
So Lee, when dipping newly aquired corals in Dips such as above they do or do not have any affect on the MI parasite ???
Cheers, Todd
They don't have any effect on MI. In fact, the MealFix and PrimaFix products have little impact on marine pathogens. Their biggest effect are on freshwater bacteria. I've not heard they are good for or do anything for invertebrates. But that is something an expert in invertebrates should address. The other product, Coral RX may have other uses for coral, but nothing I am aware of as it relates to MI.
