i set up a saltwater tank about 5 months ago. everyting was moving along good until I got a fish from my lfs that had ich. I lost 3 fish totaling 350 roughly. I still have a couple fish that are still kickin it but im sure they wont last long. I'm thinking about switching over to a freshwater tank and i wanted to know if the ich will transfer over to the new set up.
any suggestions?
2007-05-23 10:48:40 · 4 answers · asked by cunry1 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Cammy is correct on the ich. Even though there are diseases called "ich" in both freshwater and saltwater, they are caused by different organisms: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Ich.html
You can treat both using the same medications (a combination of malachite green and formalin is the most effective, but will affect any invertebrates you might have in the tank), or by using the same principle of intolerance to changes in salinity (adding salt or a saltwater dip for freshwater fish, doing a freshwater dip for saltwater species). As a saltwater aquarist, beware of some "miracle cures" being advertised - if they sound too good to be true, they usually are: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cryptnoncures.htm
If you have a second tank that your fish can be kept in for a few months, you can treat them with the medications and let the other tank run for 2 months. Without a host, the parasites will die off.
See this link for lots more info (and additional sources): http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm
2007-05-23 21:06:52 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No it won't. If you had true saltwater ich then it only affects saltwater fish.
More than likely your using some sort of coarl or aggrigate in your SW tank. Get that out and do a good cleaning of your tank with warm water and a rag and let it dry out.
Edit: Ally s...... Saltwater ich is different than freshwater ich. He should be fine.
2007-05-23 17:52:41 · answer #2 · answered by Cammy 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Clean the tank out well with a little hot water and a lot of salt and you should not have a problem. If you are intending on using the rock/decorations wash them in hot water or boil them to avoid ich transfer.
2007-05-23 17:58:32 · answer #3 · answered by Teacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
'Cammy' says it only accurs in saltwater, thats a false statement, And if you wanted to convert to fresh just wash everything (using only water) and It should be fine, Just add a couple of fish at a time,
2007-05-23 17:55:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋