Ich in the Ocean

[basiab]

Diseases is one thing, parasites is something else. Almost all wild fish have parasites. I would say they ALL do but I don't have time to find the paper I read on the internet that actually put an average number to the amount of parasites a single marine fish carries. Its a crazy high number.

My point is that just because there are bacteria and viruses surounding us doesn't result in all of us getting sick. And the same applies to parasites. Plenty of people in the world live among parasites and a lot of them get sick from them but there are many who don't. And the fact that you can find parasites on an animal doesn't mean they were affected by it. We all have dangerous bacteria and viruses in our bodies and we don't succumb to them.

 

[Domboski]

In all my years fishing, snorkelin anf diving I have only seen one fish in the wild with Ick. It was a Striped Bass I caught in the Raritan Bay. Maybe 12 lbs or so, It was covered head to fin with it.

Its hard to see ich when fish have normal infestations. In fact, you probably wont see it at all. You only can see it when it gets out of control or the fish is stressed or sick. "I don't have ich because I don't see it" is the biggest myth in the hobby. Just because you don't see it does not mean you don't have it. It just means your glass box is in equilibrium and your fish are healthy.

 

[Domboski]

My point is that just because there are bacteria and viruses surounding us doesn't result in all of us getting sick. And the same applies to parasites. Plenty of people in the world live among parasites and a lot of them get sick from them but there are many who don't. And the fact that you can find parasites on an animal doesn't mean they were affected by it. We all have dangerous bacteria and viruses in our bodies and we don't succumb to them.

I gotcha I just wanted to clarify the difference. Healthy fish in their normal ecosystem can handle the endemic parasites without health concerns. Take a look at the tropical strays that come up north towards the end of the season when the water starts cooling. They get obliterated by parasites. I remember catching about 30 spiney box puffers one day with Justin and almost every single one had a terrible breakout of ich. Butterflies loaded with flukes, Groupers with isopods and worms, etc, etc.

Comparing our fish tanks to what happens normally in the wild is prudent when it comes to parasites in most cases. We mix and match fish, inverts and corals from all over the world exposing them to unnatural parasites, bacteria, etc.

 

[charliethetuna88]

Kathy I'm waiting lol

 

[Domboski]

Here's a quick quote from http://www.marineparasitology.com/MarineParasitology.htm

".......Host-parasite checklists suggest that on average, there are at least 3-4 metazoan parasites per studied marine fish species within a specific environment........"

For a detailed description of what Metazoan parasites are check here (includes black ich :wink1: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/aquariums/1815

 

[jaa1456]

Its hard to see ich when fish have normal infestations. In fact, you probably wont see it at all. You only can see it when it gets out of control or the fish is stressed or sick. "I don't have ich because I don't see it" is the biggest myth in the hobby. Just because you don't see it does not mean you don't have it. It just means your glass box is in equilibrium and your fish are healthy.

Yes, I understand how Ick works 100%, I was just stating something I have seen in person after seeing god knows how many fish in the wild, That I only have seen one with a breakout of Ick.

 

[nycmat]

remember in the ocean there is also plenty of cleaning stations fish can attend as well. ive personally scene an atlantic tang with ich getting cleaned at a station. amazing to watch

 

[Tommy Boy]

Its hard to see ich when fish have normal infestations. In fact, you probably wont see it at all. You only can see it when it gets out of control or the fish is stressed or sick. "I don't have ich because I don't see it" is the biggest myth in the hobby. Just because you don't see it does not mean you don't have it. It just means your glass box is in equilibrium and your fish are healthy.

I completely agree with this post. *thumbs up. but be careful there are experts here that argue the health of a fish has nothing to do with whether they get ich or not and that stress is not a factor LMAO

 

[Dre]

You ever had a fish tank with lots of fish and only one get ich and die from it? Just another thought.

 

[jjersey85]

You ever had a fish tank with lots of fish and only one get ich and die from it? Just another thought.

ive had that several times... i also agree with the fact that theres so much more water in the ocean that theres no way ich could reach the concentrated levels we see in our tanks, and cant reinfect the same fish over and over and over again.