ICH and SHRIMP

[czernia03]

What can I use for my fish when I have shrimp in the same tank ??
I don't want to kill the shrimp and taking them out will not work I have to many plants to find them all
Please help.

[XanAvaloni]

Net out the afflicted fish into a small QT tank and treat them there. Keeps them from shedding parasite cysts into the main tank; is easier & cheaper especially if you use medication since you have less water to dose.

Ich is in all tanks all the time, just like staph germs are on your skin all the time. You only get an outbreak if a fish is already ill or stressed from some other cause, like you only get a staph infection if you get a cut or something that lets the germs into your bloodstream. Treat the fish then look into what the underlying issue might be...is that particular fish getting harassed by tankmates, has it not been eating well, etc.

Of course Mel_20_20 is our acknowledged Fish Disease Expert so if she gives you different advice listen to her and not me. But the above is what I'd do. :)

[Star_Rider]

if you remove the fish and treat them in a qt. they you will need to leave the main tank fallow(empty) for at least 1 month,

the ich will need a host to survive without one they only live a short time.
unfortunately , they do not all hatch out at the same time so you will need to leave the main tank fish free for awhile.

as far as Ich in the tank all the time.. I suspect that is debatable.

the thought to this is, fish can build a resistance to ich and there may remain a small community of ich that are holding on via a low population.

there is evidence to support this,

the other line of thought is, new fish probably harbor ich and can infect a tank..one reason we use QT
when we see them at the LFS they may have a low grade infection . when deposited in a new environment give stress of transport etc the infection can become problematic.

btw, when I had a particulalry difficult strain of Ich I used Jungle Ich Guard (granules)