Can you get ick with out adding new fish?

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T

Tj203

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 11, 2019
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Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0
If yes, what is your nitrate?
10
If I did not test my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
0-10%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week
If I do not change my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
So I have a fish that looks like it has ick but I have not added anything to this tank in months. I don't feed live food don't use nets or equipment in other tanks. I have increased the water temp to 86 and added about 3/4 of the 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons salt so far. Will add the rest tomorrow like to space it out a bit. But is this possible? Also I have some Clown Loaches in the tank and they are showing now signs of ick also I don't see it on another fish yet. I have included some pictures. Am I over reacting or is this ick? I have a continuous drip system off a well set up

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Until there is stress in a fish that could lead to a breakout, it can be latent for a long time. It can also hitchhike on rocks.
 
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Ok I have not added anything in 3 months at least probably more. But it definitely looks like ick right can it be anything else. Should I keep treating?
 
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Hopefully I caught it soon enough because I only see it on one fish. Guess that is one good reason I watch my tank a few hours a day lol
 
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I am not saying that this had an effect but I just want to put it out there that the only thing to change in my tank is I add carbon.
I just don't get this my water is almost perfect and dose not fluctuate at all. Is it possible that it got introduced from my well water? Will uv kill ick?
 
UV filters will kill any ich parasites that float into it, but won’t do anything to what is on rocks or sand or fish.
I don’t think it would come from well water.
My theory is that one of your fish had it from a long time ago, it is a presence in many fish, and some stressor caused the ich to take over the fish.
 
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dang, sorry brother you have had outbreak after outbreak here….
 
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If a fish has ick, each spot hatches up to 100 new ick.
Most need to find a host right away.
But there may be a few that are programed to go dormant for a while, until another opportune time arrives.
May be 1 month, may be 6 months, may be a year, or a season.
This is how ponds that dry up have occurrences year after year.

I use 3 lbs of salt per every 100 gallons to eradicate ick.
I do not use the volume method, because 1 tbsp of salt of a certain grain size may not equal another grain size and not be a strong enough dose to do the job,
I use the weight method, because 3 lbs of salt is 3 lbs no matter what grain size, and if the concentration is not 3 ppt, some ick may survive.
All it takes is 1.
And you may not notice that one for months, until the tank is in epidemic status.
 
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