Re: New Fish Room -Reply -Reply

[William Vannerson <William_Vannerson@ama-assn.org>]

>>Wouldn't the greater danger be that you could be developing a strain
of fish which have a weakened immune system...<<

The effect of a UV in a central system really can't be equated with a
weakened immune system the same way we've been reading about with
the misuse of antibiotics.  Bacteria and viruses don't "develop"
resistance to UV from exposure.  They are either affected by it or not. 
I'm not sure, but I think it's a factor of the pathogen's size and the
strength and duration of the exposure.

The risk comes from the lack of normal exposure to the pathogens,
thereby denying the fishes immune system to naturally develop
antibodies to fight of infections.

I suspect that there are some real issues with that argument.  But I
wonder if it's a real issue in practice.  Even with a central system with a
UV sterilization, the tanks are anything but a closed system.  Holding
new fish and plants in quarantine reducing the chance of transmitting
pathogens, but I doubt it's 100% effective.  I also would doubt claims that
a UV would eliminate ALL pathogens in the water.

Also, our tanks are tiny environments compared to what the fish
experience in the wild.  It's impossible to maintain them in a natural setting
where natural selection of the fittest takes place.  When a tank is
infected with ick, we treat the tank to eliminate the disease completely,
not to reduce the infection to level where the fish's immune system can
control it.

It's difficult to compare tank raised specimens to wild caught fish.  Are
their immune systems weaker?  Probably, even with those not part of a
UV water environment.  The real issue is whether or not a UV raise
specimen is weaker compared to a similarly raised hobby fish from a
non-UV setup.  I would have to believe that fish raised in the proper
environment with frequent water changes, plenty of room and good food
would be stronger specimens, even if they were raised in a UV
environment.

Of course, all of this is speculation. The only way to know for sure
would be for some real scientific studies of the effects of UV on their
immune systems over several generations.

BTW, does anyone want a vial of ick infested tank water to add to your
tank to build up your tank's immune systems (<VBG> with tongue in
cheek)?

Bill Vannerson
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/william_vannerson


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