Blennies and Ick?

[rica5tully]

I'd like to buy an algae blenny from our LFS.

Our LFS has a nice selection of SW, but the whole system is tied together with a common sump, skimmer, etc.

Two of their dogface puffers had bad cases of Ick, and I figured that it was only a matter of time that ALL their fish got sick. (This store is only quarantining that one tank even though they're all hooked together!) ha ha But it is a large volume of water total.

My question is, would it be foolish to buy that blenny? I thought I heard that blennies are pretty disease-resistant. I'd be putting him in a tank with 3 crabs and a chromis, so it isn't like I have livestock on the line here.

Other than those two puffers, I didn't see any other sick fish in the store. They are not running UV or anything. What do you think?

[mogurnda]

I'd say the system has a bunch of little parasites running about in it, and you would have to be extremely lucky not to bring it home with you.

[Max]

I wouldn't risk it either unless you could keep it in another tank for about 6 weeks or so. That would be enough time for you to treat for problems outside of your main tank. They are much easier to deal with in a hospital tank. There is a chance that they may not develop the parasite most of the times outbreaks are caused by stress. Why risk it though. It still would probably be better to look around for a non infected source.
hth
chris