Duration of Fallow Tank

[mbrady]

My main Tank contracted Ick. I have pulled all the fish out and sent up QT tank. I left one starfish in the main Tank.

I am treating the remaining fish with cooper all seem to be doing well.

It has been four weeks and I want to know how long I need to keep the main tank without fish before I can be asured that the Ick has died off.

Thank you in advance for any advice

Mike

 

[tmz]

Most recommend 4 to 6 weeks. While it is likely that all of the parasites and their cysts will have perished in that time,it is important to know that some cysts have remained viable for as long as 72 day.

 

[Captain Bucket]

I fallowed my tank for six weeks once, and the ich returned anyway. If you've got a FOWLR, I find it easier just to remove the inverts, and cupramine the whole tank.

 

[mbrady]

Thank you all for your replys.

There is so much conflicting information out there on how to solve the dreaded ick problem now I am very unsure of my next step.

I hesitate to put cupraine into the main tank becasue of the live rock.

On the other hand I can not live through another Ick attack.

I wish there was a sure fire way to sole the problem without statrting all over again.

Any other thoughts out there?

 

[AquaKnight]

Yes, wait at least those 72 days. I lost my entire 125 to Ich and agreed, there's no way I could go through Ich again. Only putting my dog down that I had since iI was 7, was harder then watching all my fish die infront of me.

But anyway, yea, wait at least 72 days, treat your fish now properly in the copper, and of course QT anything new and you should be set. I am not a fan of treating the display tank...

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11419016#post11419016 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mbrady
Thank you all for your replys.

There is so much conflicting information out there on how to solve the dreaded ick problem now I am very unsure of my next step.

I hesitate to put cupraine into the main tank becasue of the live rock.

On the other hand I can not live through another Ick attack.

I wish there was a sure fire way to sole the problem without statrting all over again.

Any other thoughts out there?

Don't put copper in the tank. The rock and sustrate will absorb it and leech it back later. Once in copper your rock and sand will be useless for a reef tank. Ok in a fish only.I don't know about cupriaine;I use sea cure which is plain old copper sulfate. Some of the newer copper medications are chelated which makes it difficult to test levels. fish need to be treated in quarantine.

 

[eskymick]

I just finished a seven week hyposalinity treatment (in quarantine) for an ich outbreak in my display. The display was fallow of fish for that same time period.

I reintroduced the fish earlier this week ... so far, so good.

 

[lowendmelody]

so if I was to treat my tank by removing the inverts and soft corals, and just started a smaller tank for them, I could leave my live rock in what would then be a fish only tank, and coppersafe wouldn't hurt the live rock as long as i kept the rock in a fish only for the rest of it's time?

this wouldn't hurt any of my beneficial bacteria populations?

 

[tmz]

I have used coppered rock in quarantine and fish only tanks without any noticeable decline in denitrification.

 

[tmz]

Afterthought, When I'm done with treatment, I do run carbon and polypad which removes most of it.

 

[stingythingy45]

Do not use copper with LR!!!!
If you do you'll be throwing that rock away!!!!
Do some research.LR will leach the copper back into the system.
You'll be sorry...

 

[lowendmelody]

I myself would only be interested in using that live rock in a fish only fowlr from there on..... if I do this, why should it be problem? especially when I always use carbon (which I wont when / if I treat for ich with coppersafe...

please more input people, i really need it

 

[tmz]

The rock will have some die off of organisms inside and on it such as pods,mollusks,sponges etc. This may cause ammonia to rise untill the bacteria catch up. If you do a fish only be mindful that you will not be able to safely use a cleanup crew since the residual copper may harm them.

 

[lowendmelody]

I am fully aware of the rock no longer being able to be used with inverts of anykind. However I need the rock because it's such an effective nitrifier. Live rock in my opinion is the best filter for this especially with good current and flow around and into the rock. I may give it a shot. All I truely want out of my 125g is a fish only with a good core filter with great flow and no sand. Being able to easily vacuum all detritus weekly after blowing off the rock will keep it great looking. Plus I will be able to keep my fish infection free. Only a couple of my fish have this ich problem, but if there is a sure fire way like copper treatment that wont harm the fish and wont kill the beneficial bacteria, sounds pretty good to me. I've been meaning to downsize the "reef" part of my tank anyway.....

I just wanna be able to keep my fish healthy and looking clan and good. From what I understand, along with UV and light med treatments, and aside from a long term isolation, this is an excellent way to acheive that.....

 

[tmz]

Should be fine in that application. I run a 55 gallon with crushed coral and previously coppered live rock. I'm not sure if any newer inverts would make it or not since I keep Puffers in there and the inverts would be eaten before the copper got em.