Does removing fish really get rid of ich?

[jasonak]

Hi
Ive got a 120 about 8 monthes old with soft corals,crabs,fish etc.Ive had a ich problem forever.Basically all the fish that are left deal with it,they get a spot on them every now and then but dont seem to be bothered,but i cant add any more fish because they always break out with it.Ive tried gralic and i even treated the tank with super ich.So if i remove the fish from this tank for 6 weeks like ive read will the ich go away? I want to hear from people who have personaly done this.Im just worried that im going through all the trouble of doing this(removing all my rock to catch these guys,basically tearing down my tank) and have the ich live on a crab or shrimp or anemone or somthing.Also what should i treat the fish with to remove the ich,ive set up another 100 gallon tank for them as there going to be out of this tank for so long.I didnt want to use copper as i figured i couldnt remove it from the other tank.The other tank is just a 100 gallon tank with a crushed coral bottom.Apreciate any advice.
thanks

 

[JetCat USA]

if you leave it without fish for the full 6 weeks it'll be completely removed, it can't live without a host, the fish are the only host and breaking that link in the chain allows it to die out.

 

[wolf pup]

you could use copper in the 100gal simply by leaving it bb, using pvc pipes to give the fish some cover, and filtering with either foam or other plastic media (bio-balls, etc.) Many swear by hypo also so that would be an option to you. Hypo is discussed (and gently debated) in a few threads on this board. Go ahead and read the stickies above and even go to some of the cited sources so you can be confortable that you are working from research and not just opinion. Good luck - you will beat it!

 

[wolf pup]

Oh btw - if you use copper in the 100gal - make sure you have a good cycle (seed it from your 120 and then switch away from any porous cycle material like sand or LR) and "feed" it with food to build up a good bacterial load - might take some time but the copper will interefere some with the nitrification cycle so this is kinda important. GL

 

[JetCat USA]

copper will kill some fish, without knowing which fish he has it's not a good idea to recommend it.

 

[wolf pup]

JetCat you are completely right - I am sure that jasonak will not take any of my advice to do any research but will run off and jump onto copper without reading any of the threads I recommended. In fact I'm sure he will take the advice of a single individual rather than looking around. Give the guy some credit. My response was directed at his concern about removing copper from a tank NOT trying to say he should or shouldn't. Hence why I mentioned Hypo. I don't know how you figured I "recommended" copper but I'd better not mention formulin because he will run out to the local mortuary and embalm his tank. I'll leave the advice to you - I'll stay in the "discussion" mode and start using disclaimers.

 

[Jeff]

Hehehe, dont worry wolf pup, Jetcat will probably find something wrong with your last post and bring it to your attention as well. Its getting harder to have a conversation here without someone saying the sky is not blue.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Yes, but don't forget that while you leave the reef tank without ANY fish six to eight weeks (depending on temp) you also have to treat the fish actively for the same period.

You cannot just leave the fish under observation when they are removed from the reef tank. You have to treat them actively to rid the last ich organism by hypo or copper for the full duration.