Fallow DT and ich

[nicdu]

Hey there,

So. I have/had ich in my main tank and after very extensive reading here, decided to pull all the fish from my tank and go fallow for 12 weeks. It's been about 9 at this point.

However, as I get closer to that magic 12 week mark, I get more and more nervous that whatever strain of ich I have is some type of monster. I decided to use cupramine to treat the fish that I pulled from the main tank (work schedule doesn't allow for TT), but I was still seeing manifestations of ich on my angel at Cu concentrations of 0.4/0.5 (seachem test)!! The level was that for several weeks and I was still seeing breakouts. I had two other fish (maroon clown, orange spot goby) in the hospital tank with him during the time (they never had signs of ich). Sadly, I lost my angel during a power outage while I was at work
So now, I only have the two fish that have never shown a sign of ich in their life left. I guess I am paranoid about 2 things:
1. no matter how long I leave the main tank fallow, my super ich will survive
2. How will I know if my fish I have left have been cured of ich? Is it really possible for ich to survive at a CU level of 0.4/.5 for 3-4 weeks?

It has been such a PITA going through this process. I never want to have to do it again. And FTR, I did QT my fish the first time around. I think the ich came in through some live rock/inverts which I did not QT (lesson learned there). blah.

Just looking for some insight from some of the major fish experts we have in these forums. TIA.

 

[snorvich]

After 12 weeks of being fallow, your tank will be free of ich. However, if you have not properly treated your fish, they will still have it. Read the stickies. Visual signs or lack thereof, mean little.

 

[nicdu]

So, can I assume if I keep the QT in 4 week CU treatment with a level of .5 that the ich would be dead? Should I do longer? My concern here is that there is no real purpose to the 'observation' period after copper dosing for these two fish, since they never show signs/behavior of ich. I know that no outward signs doesn't mean ich is gone. I guess I was using my angel as a bellweather so to speak, since he would show outward signs. And I was having reinfection issues at cu doasges of .4/.5 (The seachem test sure is hard to read) The ich paranoia has me pretty good at this point.

 

[snorvich]

So, can I assume if I keep the QT in 4 week CU treatment with a level of .5 that the ich would be dead? Should I do longer? My concern here is that there is no real purpose to the 'observation' period after copper dosing for these two fish, since they never show signs/behavior of ich. I know that no outward signs doesn't mean ich is gone. I guess I was using my angel as a bellweather so to speak, since he would show outward signs. And I was having reinfection issues at cu doasges of .4/.5 (The seachem test sure is hard to read) The ich paranoia has me pretty good at this point.

Well, if you somehow have copper at a nontherapeutic dose of copper (such as not testing daily or topping off and diluting the concentration), it can mask some parasites such as velvet. The observation period after "treatment" is to insure you do not introduce one of those heavy duty parasites since it should exhibit symptoms within the 4 week window.