Hello,
Below is our general information regarding ich:
1) Ich is in almost every aquarium and almost always present in every tank and can even be in new ones. Normally a fish's immune system is able to fight ich off. A healthy fish’s immunity will be strong enough to keep it from getting infected with ich. When a fish is shipped, their immune system can become compromised from the stress of shipping and it is easier for the fish to become infected. Ich normally will not infect a fish unless their immune system is compromised by sickness, injury, or stress. Ich gains a foothold when the fish are stressed. Shipping conditions can cause stress on the fish and that can compromise their immune system. When a fish is shipped the stress can compromise their immune system and ich has an easier time infecting them. If the box was not handled properly during transit it could cause injury and stress. Ich can develop from an injury that occurred during shipping that got infected. You can treat that with Ich-X or any other type of antifungal medication.
2) If you ever get sick fish please let us know as soon as possible so we can try and help figure out a solution. Our DOA policy covers any deaths within the first 3 days after receiving the package.
3) If you ever have fish with ich we recommend using Ich-X since it is plant and snail safe.
4) Luckily Ich normally is a very slow moving disease and can take some time to become fatal and is completely curable as long as you start the treatment right away!
5) If you have a hospital/quarantine tank we recommend separating new fish from the rest of your fish. The best thing to treat ich would be to raise the quarantine tank temp to around 80°F to 82°F and use a medication like Ich-X. Just follow the directions completely by using the full dosage even if it looks like the ich is gone. The best Ich medication is Ich-X but it can stain anything plastic slightly blue but fades over time. We recommend turning the heat up in the tank to about 82°F for about a week and that can help stop the Ich from reproducing. Please keep us posted and if you have any questions let us know.
6) This is why you should always quarantine new fish and if you see anything out of the ordinary you should dose medications right away. We recommend you always quarantine all new fish no matter where you got them.
7) Also: It is normal for fish to not eat after shipping due to stress and should get back to normal after a few days.
Thank you,
Aqua Huna
