Simple rules to avoid Ich and general rules for a successful aquarium.

After reading countless threads on this Ich subject I just have to say. I have NEVER had an Ich problem.How do I account for this?Luck?? Can't be that I am the most unlucky person on the planet.;DI have never seen one spot on any fish. (This is not to say it has never been in my system.)I have NEVER used a QT tank.I acclimate by dropping the bag in for 15 min.and let her/him go. I contribute my success to a few simple rules on SW fish/inverts.
1-Overstocking.Never overstock your tank. SW fish require alot of space compared to FW fish(species dependant).You have to keep any aggresion to a minimum.Aggresion can take on many forms for fish/inverts and does not always include biting or chasing.Simple posturing threats (sometimes physical and or vocal)can be stressful over long periods.Aggresion is not always easily observed.
2-Acclimation. My feeling here is the animal has already been stressed enough by the time it arrives at my house any extended acclimation procedure just lengthens this. I just also would like to point out my LFS has very good water quality compared to some other places.(I guess I am a bit lucky lol) And I usually use my refractometer to check the salinity of the bagged water before dumping.I also would like to add my LFS is only minutes from my home so PH drop is not a factor.Fish that have been bagged longer will obviously need the acclimation time and method altered.
3-Selection. Never buy anything be it invert/fish unless you have witnessed it eating.(Of course this is hard to do with online purchases.)
Inspect the specimen carefully.Buying nothing is better then bringing home death. Be selective to increase your odds of success.Check compatibilty with other fish/inverts in the system.
Always research what you buy. Don't buy it if you don't know what it is.
4-Water quality.Keep up with your WC or other form of nutrient export.Test water parameters on a regular basis.
5-Enviroment. You want to create the right enviroment for the fish/invert you select. Proper aquascaping can help you get the maximum ammount of space out of your tank and keep your fish/invert feeling more at ease.Also remember that corals and inverts will grow over time(hopefully) so plan accordingly.Corals sting and can injure/kill fish especially when space is limited..
6-Feed a variety of foods (After all it is the spice of life) but never overfeed.Good nutrition builds a healthy immune system.
7-Stress.Keeping it to a minimum is vital.
After all this is said and done my point is a healthy fish in the correct enviroment should have the means to combat this parasite on its own. I have had incredibly good luck at keeping fish and inverts. for long periods of time using the above methods.(My record is a Golden striped maroon clown(Homey) that I had for over 20 years.)If Ich could attack and kill healthy fish none would survive the ordeal they go through before they reach your house.
It is also entirely possible that the fish is infected by another parasite/disease before Ich can attack and we think Ich is killing them when its just a contributing factor or vise versa the Ich parasite causes a drop in the immune system and causes the animal to become vulnerable to other diseaes and/or parasites.If one or more of your fish are showing signs of Ich I would not panic and go chasing them around with a net.This tactic is highly counterproductive IMO.Keep them eating good nutritious foods appropriate for the species and limit stress.

 

Great advice! Hopefully this will help a lot people out.

 

I agree with a lot of what you are saying Vinny - except possibly the acclimation. Are you saying you don't mix the water at all? Overall I like your post.

 

and yes i bought 3 tangs online and one of them has ich all over! of course me even observing the fish before he was aclimated into the tank knowing he was spotted up i still trow him into the tank! why? cause im a newbie, just found out about this crap! i thought this was not contagious and the fish can be cured by it self or short term thing. i went to my local fish store and they recommended me some ich treatment that takes 14 days.. so far im into day 6 so hopefully this works, tang still looks the same! any suggestions guys would glady appricate the help.

 

Thanks Matt that means alot to me. The only time I mix water during acclimation is if the salinity is off by more then a point. I should have also pointed out that my LFS is ten minutes from my house so they have not been in the bag for very long. If the fish has been in a bag for a longer period I would definitely extend my acclimation procedure to cope with the ph drop.
Edited my Original post.

 

You should have joined sooner!! LOL How big is your tank? What kind of Tangs? You will need a large tank to house that many.Tangs are far more susceptible to Ich then most fish because of their small scales. Crowding three together is a recipe for disaster.

 

Good post...I agree keeping fish "fat and happy" goes along way. I would like to reiterate the point on feeding. Although all the other points are very important too, I find feeding several smaller meals with a variety of top quality foods is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Feeding the same old flake food day after day just doesn't do enough to support the immune system and overall health of the fish.

 

I agree with most of the post but will not add the water from the LFS as they have copper in the Fish only tanks and will not add it to my reef system. Make sure you know if the LFS has any additives in their system before adding their water, even in small amounts.

 

Good point. My LFS has coral tanks in a shared system with fish so this is not an issue for me.

 

Wow, that is a great point. All the fish I have bought have come from tanks with coral in there as well, but I will have to really keep this in mind now that you mention it.