Ich in DT - Looking for Treatment Advice

I'm still looking for the source of the "forum created fact", but first I dithered around in my Ich journals. But I bet it comes from the studies involving propagation of Ich in the laboratory setting. Sometimes all people need is a single sentence that sounds supportive of their claims and all of a sudden that journal is their proof. The runaway sentence in the article I'm reading "A technique for the preservation of Cryptocaryon irritans at low temperatures" and one sentence reads "However, none of the strains went beyond 34 cycles of propagation..."

Ich is notoriously hard to propagate. I do not think ich is self limiting.... I think they are human limiting.

Does anyone have access to the Parasitology Research journal? I have a subscription, but for some reason 3 Ich article I want on the topic are available in "Preview Only". I don't know why that is.

 

BUSTED! Looks like this myth is untrue.

The original idea came from...

Burgess P.J. and Matthews R.A. 1994. A standardized method for the in vivo maintenance of Cryptocaryon irritans (Ciliophora) using the grey mullet Chelon labrosus as an experimental host. Journal of Parasitology 80:288-292.

They were unable to keep the parasite alive for a year. They kept them alive for 34 cycles, around 10 to 11 months. So, the assumption was made it was because of limited factors of the Ich when it was limiting factors of the researchers.

In 2011, researchers were able to keep them alive for over 2 years at which time they decided to stop the study.

Yoshinaga, T. & H.W. ****erson. 1994. "Laboratory Propagation of Cryptocaryon irritans on a Saltwater-Adapted Poecilia Hybrid, the Black Molly" Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 6:197-201, 1994.

So that pretty much there squashes that "Forum Fact". It also correlates with my experience, because how would one explain my situation otherwise?

So, when if that topic comes up again on another forum, simply list the Molly reference and state they were able to keep them alive for over 2 years. I read the whole article myself.

 

Good stuff Renee. Or I could reference Renee at LFL's personal tank

Glad you found the original reference, and then debunked it! I appreciate the time you put into research

 

LOL. No problem. I've been meaning to dig into that a little more. I ruptured a disc in my back, so I'm house bound..... perfect timing.

 

So sorry to hear this! Hope you are on the mend quickly!

 

+1! I guess in the meantime I should load you up with other things you can research

 

I'm looking at a sample right now from one of my fish and there's Ich everywhere in there twirling. I can even see the skin tunnels. I need a new microscope camera so I can catch it on video. So cool!

 

Neato, please do get that camera so you can share! How did you get the sample?

 

So Renee, does this infer that the parasite does not peter out?

 

Lionfish shed. I knew one had Ich, but no real spots on his body that I can see. So, I grabbed up his molt and stuck it under the microscope.

We can't assume it of these guys anymore than we can anything else. They stopped culturing them after 2-1/2 years because their study had ended. Their study had nothing to do with with this topic.