Fish keeping is not without problems, whether in saltwater or freshwater aquarium.
One of the problems fish keepers encounter is Ich.
Ich popularly known as white spot disease is a parasite that usually infects aquatic animals like fish and many others.
This disease irritates them, making them be scratching themselves on any object they could find, and it could be fatal to them.
It could infect both freshwater and saltwater fish.
If you are reading this article, it means you want to know if Lionfish could get Ich, then read to the end to understand many more about this fish and white spot disease.
Can Lionfish Get Ich?
Lionfish could get Ich, but they are not prone to it. Just like many other saltwater fish, Lionfish could resist Ich.
As I explained above, there is saltwater Ich and freshwater Ich, this means that no fish is safe from it.
It could infect all fish, but the issue is how the fish resists it.
The fact is that this disease is far more active in freshwater animals because many saltwater animals are not very prone to it.
Talking of Lionfish and white spot disease, they could get it.
Although they could get it but they could resist it that sometimes you won’t even know that they have it.
One of the reasons why Ich is hard to dictate the body of lionfish is because the fish already have white dots or marks all over its body, so you can’t easily differentiate the normal white dots on the fish from those made by the disease.
You can hardly see the white dots made by the parasite on Lionfish’s body and the fish could resist it, so they keep the disease hidden until the parasites die.
Sometimes it could affect them, although it depends on the overall health of the Lionfish.
If your fish is in good health and feeds very well, then you have nothing much to worry about because they will resist Ich until the parasites die.
You will only have to worry about other fish or animals in the tank that may not be as resistant as the Lionfish.
Will Ich Eventually Go Away?
Knowing that some saltwater fish are resistant to Ich, you may be wondering if the disease could go away on its own.
Saltwater fish are resistant to Ich, it will die as time goes on while having little or no negative effect on the fish.
As I explained above, the level of resistance a fish puts against Ich is determined by how healthy it is, so a healthy saltwater fish will resist Ich until the parasites die.
Although Ich will go away depending on the health of your fish, it is not advisable to leave your fish expecting the parasites to just go away without fighting them.
There are many ways and chemicals to fight these parasites such as increasing the heat level of the tank, sanitizing it with some recommended chemicals, etc.
Can Lionfish Be Treated With Copper?
Copper is very fatal to Ich and many people use it to cure their fish off Ich. The question is, will it work on Lionfish?
Lionfish could be treated with Copper but it is not recommendable because Copper is harmful to them.
Copper is harmful to fish, In general, and shouldn’t be an option for treating them.
Am not saying you shouldn’t use Copper but don’t just put it in your fish tank while they are still there, they will die.
Although I don’t recommend using copper to cure white spot disease but to use it, first of all, relocate the fish to another tank.
Increase the temperature of the tank so that those on the body of your fish will die after a few days because they are prone to heat.
Then use copper to sanitize the former tank and make sure that your was all the copper off and leave the tank for a few days before putting the fish back.
But why go through this process when you can just order for the recommended chemical and sanitize your tank without many tasks?
How Fast Can Ich Go Away?
If the water temperature is up to 77°F and above, Ich could only survive up to 4 to 5 days. Without a host, they can survive up to 2 to 4 hours.
This is why is said that these parasites can not last long in your tank if your fish are resistant to them and if you have a heater in your tank.
So, get a heater and set the temperature high and the parasites will die naturally and also added with treatment.
Conclusion
All fish can get Ich, including Lionfish but how the fish resist it is what matters most.
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