Ich eradication vs. Ich management

[Paul B]

When I started there was no live rock, and no dead rock. We used dead coral skeletons and flowerpots or bricks.
Every couple of weeks we would remove the dead corals and bleach them and sometimes use acid to make them nice and white.
This is my still running "reef" tank from 1971. You can see the dead corals and no rocks. If you wanted rocks you had to go to the tropics and pick them up on the beach or dive for them as I used to do. Then I bleached them in my hotel room and carry it home on my lap. Today they would shoot you if you did that.



You can also see some of those bleached, white corals here in about 1980 or so.

 

[clsanchez77]

Another point to consider: Nowadays most people use "dry rock" to setup their DT. Everything is sterile until you introduce a little bacteria, seed it with pods, etc. A "spark" of life. However, it takes some time for bacteria (and other microfauna) to propagate in there. Takes even longer for these tiny animals to achieve the same concentration seen on a rock in the ocean. And even then, I doubt the wide array of microorganisms found in the ocean is ever achieved.

Back in the old days, most used 100% live rock taken right from the ocean to setup their reef tank. Instead of waiting for it to cycle, you had to wait out all the die-off inside of it which would spike your ammonia level. (But ammonia doesn't kill bacteria & microfauna.) After everything settled down, people would add fish without quarantining and didn't experience all the disease problems seen today. Then as LR became harder to acquire, hobbyists started using dry rock but still added a few pieces of LR + a little sand from an established aquarium. I remember this is when Ich became more prevalent, but I don't remember velvet, brook, uronema, flukes being the major problem those diseases are today...

All just a coincidence???

Exactly, I share this view. I will add the increased demand on fish and the hastened collection and shipment allows for cross-contamination in environments where fish are not at their best health.

 

[clsanchez77]

When I started there was no live rock, and no dead rock. We used dead coral skeletons and flowerpots or bricks.
Every couple of weeks we would remove the dead corals and bleach them and sometimes use acid to make them nice and white.
This is my still running "reef" tank from 1971. You can see the dead corals and no rocks. If you wanted rocks you had to go to the tropics and pick them up on the beach or dive for them as I used to do. Then I bleached them in my hotel room and carry it home on my lap. Today they would shoot you if you did that.



You can also see some of those bleached, white corals here in about 1980 or so.

I too lived in a house with parquet floors and wood paneling lol

 

[Paul B]

I installed that paneling in the 70s, when it was in style.

That floor tile I covered with carpet.

 

[Humblefish]

Good healthy debate, everyone!

 

[Paul B]

Bobby, I love healthy debates. I also love Christie Brinkley, but it is what it is.

 

[Humblefish]

Bobby, I love healthy debates. I also love Christie Brinkley, but it is what it is.

But I hear you don't love Nancy Pelosi

 

[Paul B]

What gave you that idea.

 

[Dr.Reef]

last person i liked was Al Gore

 

[Paul B]

Yeah, like Ross Perot.

I just came back from boating and dumped in a whole bunch of amphipods, snails, seaweed and tiny fry fish. I don't now what they are but I hope they don't grow into whale sharks because then I will have to find a way to at least keep their heads underwater.

 

[Paul B]

I can't believe at least 3 of those tiny baby fish that I collected are still living and actually thriving. I put them in as food. They stay at the surface and eat tiny
"stuff" just like a whale shark. OMG, I hope they are not whale sharks.

Those things never even make it home in a bucket.
They have nice colors and iridescent fins just like very healthy fish are supposed to have. Maybe they will spawn soon.
They may be stripped bass, bluefish, marlin etc. Who knows. The next time I go I will bring a bigger net and collect a few hundred. This may be the next fish craze. I hope they get colorful as I can only see faint vertical stripes on them. They are tiny, like this size. -------> ! <--------
(picture that thing horizontal) but real cute. I can collect thousands of them in 5 minutes at low tide in a small lagoon I discovered. I am sure it was discovered before, probably by Nancy Pelosi, but you know what I mean.

Whatever I throw into that tank lives forever. It's like the fountain of youth for marine creatures.
OMG, I forgot to quarantine them for 75 days.