Can Ich cysts live out of water?

[Linden]

I'm treating for ich in a new tank (fishy cycle). I removed the bio-wheel's carbon filter frames and put them outside the tank for the treatment.

Can I put them back in when I am done with the treatment? Or can the trapped ich cysts come back to life one I "add water?"

I'm not wild about the carbon...when the floss covers get icky, I will remove them (and the carbon) and replace the frame covering with something more economical. But, will the frame also hold ich cysts?

thanks!

 

[jm1212]

as long as it totally dries out, then it should be fine. ich will die if it dries out.

 

[rrkss]

if it completely dries out or remains out of the tank with no fish available, for 72 hours, it will be ich free.

 

[j_chicago]

If you did a fishless cycle we wouldn't have this post, but since we do...

Ich is a parasite and cant live without a host. Even if it could live in a dry environment, it has no host to attach to and would die in a weeks time.

 

[Linden]

Thank everyone!
I remember reading that ich cysts will die after (2-3??) weeks in a fishless aquatic environment, but I couldn't find anything on a dry environment.

 

[j_chicago]

1 week in a fishless, Viruses need host, no water, no fish, no host...:grinyes:

 

[lucky777ca]

OT: Actually, Ich = Protozoan

As the others have said already, they would be killed either by lack of hosts or lack of an aqueous environment...

 

[Ruben Tolon]

1 week in a fishless, Viruses need host, no water, no fish, no host...:grinyes:

Ich isn't a virus.

 

[j_chicago]

Ich isn't a virus.

eh...said virus, meant parasite...

 

[J double R]

in an aquatic environment, ich can die without a host in as little as 48 hours, or as long as two weeks. the big variable: temperature. the hotter the water, the quicker the life cycle.