Ich resistant fish

petoonia · 09/03/2006, 12:38 AM

Does anyone know what fish tend to be more resistant to ich?

Thanks!!!

outy · 09/03/2006, 12:57 AM

isnt it more of a water quality issue???

i think most fish are resistant until stressed by poor water quality.[ unless you didnt quarantine a fish that already had it.]

if you want a hardy fish thats another question but i think that answers yours as well

damsels
triggers
puffers

those are the toughest i know

petoonia · 09/03/2006, 01:19 AM

Yes, I agree that water quality, health, and stress are all a factor.

But I have heard of some fish being more resistant than others, and some being more succeptable than others. I was just wondering if anyone had heard of a particular type of fish being more resistant than others?

Thanks!!!

McCrary · 09/03/2006, 01:43 AM

I have heard that mandarins are not able to contract ich, but that is pure hearsay.

Peter Eichler · 09/03/2006, 02:23 AM

Sharks and rays are believed to be immune, so setup a several thousand gallon aquarium and kiss your ich troubles goodbye. I've also never seen an infected eel before.

Tangs are by far the worst, some species are ich magnets. Just about everything else falls somewhere in between cartilaginous fish and Tangs. A decent rule of thumb is the hardier the fish the lower the likelyhood of it getting a parasite infestation, unless we're talking tangs...

Flobajob · 09/03/2006, 03:22 AM

I think the reason the mandarins are less suceptible to ich is because they have a thick mucus layer. (Well that's what I heard anyway).

Sk8r · 09/03/2006, 07:55 AM

The blennies and gobies and dragonets very rarely get ich. Tangs and rabbits get it very often. Clowns frequently get it but most other damsel types don't get it as readily, and a clown that has an anemone is less likely to get it---in my experience, on the latter: I think it's because living in an anemone increases the slime coat.

The way I've had it explained is that the bottom-dwelling fish like blennies and gobies have a natural defense against this plague, which is also bottom-dwelling. But the open-water fish like tangs and angels and rabbits don't have a thick coat, have no defense against a sand-borne parasite, and will get it at the first opportunity in captivity.

Personally, I keep my tank to gobies, blennies, dragonets and a damsel, and don't have any worries about ich.

Reeses · 09/03/2006, 08:31 AM

My understanding is that rabbits are very disease resistant. They make a thick slime coating that they regurlary shed, which makes them less likely to contract ich than others. That being said, QT and freshwater dips are always a good idea, no matter what. Lots of greens and vitamins in the rabbits diet are a necessity. The fish also needs a large aquarium.

I just got a rabbitfish myself, and I've been doing crazy amounts of reading on it.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/hcs3/index.php

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rabbitfi.htm

Sk8r · 09/03/2006, 09:42 AM

Rabbits stress extremely very easily: they're aptly named. A cool fish, but spooky especially when the tank is too small for them. Their mental size is at least 10", which is what they grow to.

petoonia · 09/03/2006, 09:04 PM

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I was just curious because I have dealt with ich in my tank, and plan to wait about 2 months before adding anymore more fish. Then I will quarantine about 3 weeks as well. I just figured if there are any fish that have a reputation of not getting ich that often I might give one a try in the future. I was planning on a mandarin, but my tank is stil too young. I will research the fish listed and see what I can come up with.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions!!!

Sk8r · 09/03/2006, 09:09 PM

The families of blennies and gobies are huge, and cover a lot of really neat fish. Wander through the catalogs of various companies and see what's out there.

petoonia · 09/03/2006, 09:42 PM

Im glad the blennies and gobies were suggested I have had few in mind already I just cant decide which ones. So far I like the yellow clown goby, green clown goby, neon goby, bi color blennie, tailspot blennie, and lawnmower blennie. They are all nice little fish. Hard to pick just a couple. I have a BB tank so I know some of the others arent compatible. I am trying to stick with hardy fish until we upgrade to a bigger tank.

Thanks!!!

09/03/2006, 12:38 AM	#1
petoonia HereWeGoAgain... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,648	Ich resistant fish Does anyone know what fish tend to be more resistant to ich? Thanks!!! __________________ I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much).... Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef

09/03/2006, 01:19 AM	#3
petoonia HereWeGoAgain... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,648	Yes, I agree that water quality, health, and stress are all a factor. But I have heard of some fish being more resistant than others, and some being more succeptable than others. I was just wondering if anyone had heard of a particular type of fish being more resistant than others? Thanks!!! __________________ I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much).... Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef

09/03/2006, 01:43 AM	#4
McCrary Can't Stop Time Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,079	I have heard that mandarins are not able to contract ich, but that is pure hearsay. __________________ Matt Patience is the best remedy for every trouble. Titus Maccius Plautus (254 BC - 184 BC), Rudens

09/03/2006, 02:23 AM	#5
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	Sharks and rays are believed to be immune, so setup a several thousand gallon aquarium and kiss your ich troubles goodbye. I've also never seen an infected eel before. Tangs are by far the worst, some species are ich magnets. Just about everything else falls somewhere in between cartilaginous fish and Tangs. A decent rule of thumb is the hardier the fish the lower the likelyhood of it getting a parasite infestation, unless we're talking tangs... __________________ April 2015 TOTM

09/03/2006, 03:22 AM	#6
Flobajob Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 388	I think the reason the mandarins are less suceptible to ich is because they have a thick mucus layer. (Well that's what I heard anyway). __________________ Preserve nature - pickle a squirrel

09/03/2006, 12:57 AM	#2
outy Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: auburn CA Posts: 4,021	isnt it more of a water quality issue??? i think most fish are resistant until stressed by poor water quality.[ unless you didnt quarantine a fish that already had it.] if you want a hardy fish thats another question but i think that answers yours as well damsels triggers puffers those are the toughest i know

09/03/2006, 07:55 AM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The blennies and gobies and dragonets very rarely get ich. Tangs and rabbits get it very often. Clowns frequently get it but most other damsel types don't get it as readily, and a clown that has an anemone is less likely to get it---in my experience, on the latter: I think it's because living in an anemone increases the slime coat. The way I've had it explained is that the bottom-dwelling fish like blennies and gobies have a natural defense against this plague, which is also bottom-dwelling. But the open-water fish like tangs and angels and rabbits don't have a thick coat, have no defense against a sand-borne parasite, and will get it at the first opportunity in captivity. Personally, I keep my tank to gobies, blennies, dragonets and a damsel, and don't have any worries about ich. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/03/2006, 08:31 AM	#8
Reeses Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 606	My understanding is that rabbits are very disease resistant. They make a thick slime coating that they regurlary shed, which makes them less likely to contract ich than others. That being said, QT and freshwater dips are always a good idea, no matter what. Lots of greens and vitamins in the rabbits diet are a necessity. The fish also needs a large aquarium. I just got a rabbitfish myself, and I've been doing crazy amounts of reading on it. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/hcs3/index.php http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rabbitfi.htm __________________ There are two systems at work in every tank. There's the system you created and the system IT created. Current Tank Info: Just left :0(

09/03/2006, 09:42 AM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Rabbits stress extremely very easily: they're aptly named. A cool fish, but spooky especially when the tank is too small for them. Their mental size is at least 10", which is what they grow to. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/03/2006, 09:04 PM	#10
petoonia HereWeGoAgain... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,648	Thanks for all of the suggestions. I was just curious because I have dealt with ich in my tank, and plan to wait about 2 months before adding anymore more fish. Then I will quarantine about 3 weeks as well. I just figured if there are any fish that have a reputation of not getting ich that often I might give one a try in the future. I was planning on a mandarin, but my tank is stil too young. I will research the fish listed and see what I can come up with. Thanks for all the helpful suggestions!!! __________________ I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much).... Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef

09/03/2006, 09:09 PM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The families of blennies and gobies are huge, and cover a lot of really neat fish. Wander through the catalogs of various companies and see what's out there. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/03/2006, 09:42 PM	#12
petoonia HereWeGoAgain... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,648	Im glad the blennies and gobies were suggested I have had few in mind already I just cant decide which ones. So far I like the yellow clown goby, green clown goby, neon goby, bi color blennie, tailspot blennie, and lawnmower blennie. They are all nice little fish. Hard to pick just a couple. I have a BB tank so I know some of the others arent compatible. I am trying to stick with hardy fish until we upgrade to a bigger tank. Thanks!!! __________________ I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much).... Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef