 Re: i hope i didn't just kill my tank
From the article linked earlier:
"Free Swimming - The Ich parasite swims around your tank looking for a host. If it can’t find a fish within 6-8 hours, the parasite dies of starvation.
Attachment - It finds a fish and attaches to the skin or gills. It stays put and feeds off the fishes body fluids for 4 days.
Encystment - The parasite is now nourished and encased in a hard shell. It drops off the fish. The cyst floats around the aquarium for up to 18 hours looking for a place to settle down.
Reproduction - Once settled in, the cyst begins to reproduce (by cell division) splitting about 9 times which produces roughly 500 baby parasites within the cyst. This can take up to 28 days. "
Bolded for emphasis
The ich reproductive cycle is up to 33 days. It makes sense to quaranteen at least that long after the last ich is seen. |