RegalAngel
10/31/2010, 12:18 PM
You get a new fish and place it in the QT with 0.5ppm copper using Cupramine. You notice two ich spots on the fish. Now according to the bold statement below, the ich parasite called the Trophont can be burrowed into the gill in cyst form and be there indefinitely!
Indefinitely? How can one ever be sure the fish is ever free of the ich parasite if this is the case.
I always thought it took about 3 or 4 days for the parasite to free itself from the fish and then it moves on to the Tomont cyst stage. Once free swimming the copper will kill the Tomites.
If the fish is truly free of the parasite after 3 or 4 days, why not then move the fish to the DT? It can't be reinfected since the Cu is in the water..correct. But I have a problem with this statement about "indefinitely imbedded in the gills"...yikes.
I think most references use a 28 day cycle as a maximum for a cyst to hatch the tomites, but I guess it can be longer. Probabilities, so the 4-6 week wait if the cyst is in the gills that long.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/ichparasiticdiseases/ss/sbsichlifecycle.htm
The Saltwater Ich or White Spot Disease (Cryptocaryon) parasite has 4 distinct phases in its life. (See Graphic below.)
•1. Tomont Stage•Trophonts which have burrowed into the gills & formed cysts, protected by gill mucus.•Trophonts can live in the cyst embedded in the gills almost indefinitely.
•No effective treatment at this stage.
•2. Trophont Stage •Tomont cysts have been discharged from the gills.
•Can survive for 6 to 10 days in the cyst.
•Hyposalinity (Osmotic Shock) and some chemical treatments are effective in exploding the cyst and Tomites.
•3. Tomite Stage•Parasites (Tomites) discharged from the Tomont cyst and become free swimming.
•Tomites can survive for 1-2 days before they must find another host.
•Hyposalinity (Osmotic Shock) treatment effective in exploding the Tomites.
•Many chemical treatments effective at this stage.
•4. Trophont Stage•Tomites which attached to the fish's gills feed from the host, grow, form a cyst and become dormant.
•Tomites which attach to the fish's surface feed from the host, grow, detach from the fish and go to the Trophont Stage 2.
•Hyposalinity (Osmotic Shock) treatment effective in exploding the surface cysts.
•Some chemicals effective in treatment of surface cysts at this stage.
Indefinitely? How can one ever be sure the fish is ever free of the ich parasite if this is the case.
I always thought it took about 3 or 4 days for the parasite to free itself from the fish and then it moves on to the Tomont cyst stage. Once free swimming the copper will kill the Tomites.
If the fish is truly free of the parasite after 3 or 4 days, why not then move the fish to the DT? It can't be reinfected since the Cu is in the water..correct. But I have a problem with this statement about "indefinitely imbedded in the gills"...yikes.
I think most references use a 28 day cycle as a maximum for a cyst to hatch the tomites, but I guess it can be longer. Probabilities, so the 4-6 week wait if the cyst is in the gills that long.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/ichparasiticdiseases/ss/sbsichlifecycle.htm
The Saltwater Ich or White Spot Disease (Cryptocaryon) parasite has 4 distinct phases in its life. (See Graphic below.)
•1. Tomont Stage•Trophonts which have burrowed into the gills & formed cysts, protected by gill mucus.•Trophonts can live in the cyst embedded in the gills almost indefinitely.
•No effective treatment at this stage.
•2. Trophont Stage •Tomont cysts have been discharged from the gills.
•Can survive for 6 to 10 days in the cyst.
•Hyposalinity (Osmotic Shock) and some chemical treatments are effective in exploding the cyst and Tomites.
•3. Tomite Stage•Parasites (Tomites) discharged from the Tomont cyst and become free swimming.
•Tomites can survive for 1-2 days before they must find another host.
•Hyposalinity (Osmotic Shock) treatment effective in exploding the Tomites.
•Many chemical treatments effective at this stage.
•4. Trophont Stage•Tomites which attached to the fish's gills feed from the host, grow, form a cyst and become dormant.
•Tomites which attach to the fish's surface feed from the host, grow, detach from the fish and go to the Trophont Stage 2.
•Hyposalinity (Osmotic Shock) treatment effective in exploding the surface cysts.
•Some chemicals effective in treatment of surface cysts at this stage.