Could I really have ich?

[oddman]

I started my (small 29gal) tank about 8 months ago with some live rock and live sand. I've added only a few fish to it. Currently I've got 1 pajama cardinal, 1 royal gramma, a single Chromi (which is going to a friend soon), 1 yellow clown gobi, 1 peppermint shrimp and various snails. I added the shrimp at leat three months ago. I added some snails about 1 week ago.

Yesterday my gramma developed some white spots and he hasn't eaten in a day or two. Could he have ich? From what I've read the only way it could have been introduced is by the snails.

Do snails carry ich? I've read nothing that suggests that they do but I haven't added anything else to my tank since well before Christmas...

Is there something else it could be?

[Emo]

Snails dont carry ich, but there couldve been some free-swimming parasites that got introduced when you added the snails.

Theres also the good chance that you tank has always had ich, but your fish were healthy enough that they didnt get infected. People have had outbreaks by adding live rock, corals, etc. Normally its not a problem unless a fish is stressed for some reason and its immunity is low.

Whatever the case it sounds like you gramma needs to be placed in a quarantine tank and started on a treatment regimine.
Hope all goes well.

[leebca]

This will help clarify the Marine Ich myths you may have heard and give you straight facts about the disease:
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html