Can saltwater fish get ick?

Question

I have a Burrfish at the school I help out with and I got a call today and was told he has ick. But I've never dealt with a saltwater fish with ick. What should I do, he's in with 2 seahorse and a pipfish.

Can saltwater Fish get Ich?

Answer 1

Yes, it's possible for your fish to get ich, but this is a different parasite (Cryptocaryon) than the ich that freshwater fish will get. The treatment can be the same medication (preferably malachite green and formalin in combination), but this could harm any invertebrates if you have these in the tank.

Another option is to put invertebrates (or the fish ) in a separate tank and treat them. One method of treatment is to lower the salinity to 1.020, which invertevrates (like the parasites) don't handle as well as the fish. Because of the other fish, you may want to lower the salinity slowly. It's doubtful that the seahorses and pipefish would be as susceptible, since they have the armor-plated bodies, giving the parasites a harder time finding a place where they can attach.

Since you might come into contact with other diseases/conditions of marine fish, I'm attaching a link by it's index page - go to the section on ich (or any disease name) in red, and click on it to open a link to a new page with more specifics and photos on each condition with information on how to treat: http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/disease.html

Another article about freshwater and saltwater ich: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Ich.html

Answer 2

Most definitely. In fact, saltwater fish are even more susceptible to ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) I would say, because so many come straight from the wild, and incur a great deal of stress in the process.

You should set up a separate quarantine tank and treat the sick fish with a copper-based medication, if you want to completely eradicate the parasite. Never dose copper in your main display, as this will kill your corals and other invertebrates. Only use copper as directed, as high levels can also be lethal to your fish.

I recommend setting up a 10-20 gallon hospital tank with a bio-wheel filter (or sponge filter) for filtration and a heater. A quarantine tank is the best investment you can make, if you plan on keeping saltwater fish successfully. You don't need any substrate or fancy lighting, but you may want to add some decorations or pieces of PVC to provide shelter for the fish. All fish should be quarantined for a minimum of four weeks (the approximate life cycle of ich) before being added to your main display. If the fish ever show signs of disease, its much easier to treat them in the QT. Don't add the treated fish back into the display tank until they have shown no more signs of the disease for at least 4 weeks.

Seahorses are also susceptible to ich, but I can't speak for Pipefish. I would assume they are too, but I have no experience with them. If your Seahorses or Pipefish show signs of illness, I would quarantine them too, and treat accordingly. You can check out the links below for more information on saltwater ich and its treatments.

Regards

Answer 3

Ick is also known as Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a species of ciliate protozoan which parasitizes freshwater fish. It is probably the most common aquarium fish disease and there are few Aquarists that have not met it on one or more occasions[1]. "Ich" (the colloquially abbreviated form of the name) is the largest known parasitic protozoan found on fishes.

It's very rare to have a saltwater fish with an ick. But, to solve this problem, ick treatments are available to pet shops or fish stores. It will take a few days for it to heal or could be worsen if not treated correctly.

Well, good luck!
For additional information, visit this website...

Answer 4

no i think its confined to freshwater fish,unless its another type but heres some info.hope it helps...Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is a species of ciliate protozoan which parasitizes freshwater fish. It is probably the most common aquarium fish disease and there are few Aquarists that have not met it on one or more occasions[1]. "Ich" (the colloquially abbreviated form of the name) is the largest known parasitic protozoan found on fishes. Adult organisms are oval or round and measure 0.5 to 1.0 mm in size. The adult is uniformly ciliated and contains a horseshoe-shaped nucleus which can be seen in older individuals. The disease it causes is usually called ich or white spot, and becomes especially serious in enclosed areas, where it spreads quickly from one fish to another. Ich is the disease responsible for the most fatalities in freshwater aquarium fish and can cause notable damage to aquaculture. Marine ich is caused by a different ciliate, Cryptocaryon.

After approximately one week of parasitism, mature trophozoites leave their host, settle to a substrate and secrete a cyst. The encysted cell, called a tomont, undergoes rapid division over approximately twenty-four hours to produce 600-1000 daughter cells called tomites. Once these reach maturity, they exit the cyst and develop into a theront stage, which is highly mobile. Theronts then infect new fish, digging their way into exposed parts, under the scales, or more commonly into its gill plate. The entire life-cycle takes about seven to ten days to complete

Answer 5

saltwater fish cannot get ick....because salt kills the bacteria.....the ick you are seeing is not called ick.....i am not sure what the name is but it is something different....they may call it ick because of its similiraties

Answer 6

my tang got ick before and you just put the ick drops in the tank and it wont hurt the healthy fish...

Answer 7

yes, but it is a different parasite than freshwater

Answer 8

sorry to have to ask but whats ick?

Answer 9

I'm sorry, but what is ick?

Answer 10

possible