How do I know when fish is clear of ich?

PCygni

New member
Recently I had a horrible ich and brook outbreak. My yellow damsel was the only fish that made it through. He's been in the QT for 8 weeks and never showed any signs of disease. Just as a precaution I treated him with Cupramine for nearly a month. He's got lot's of color and energy and is eating like a horse. I guess my main concern is I don't want to re-introduce ich into the DT, how do I know my fish is still not hosting ich or brook? I've read that Cupramine only treats ich in certain stages of its development and does little if anything for brook. I plan on putting him back in the DT (which has remained fallow) on the 10th week, do you think by then he will be clear? I know in the end there are no guarantees, but after watching all my fish die I am committed to keeping diseases out my tank to the extent it's possible. Thanks in advance...
 
If you treated him with Cupramine for 1 month, at a concentration = or > 0.35 mg/L, then he should be clear of ich. Testing and maintaining that level for the entire duration is very important. If it drops below 0.35 for even a second, you have to assume the worst and start over from Day 1.

Like you said in the end there are no guarantees, but following a regimented treatment protocol with Cupramine is how you can get close to 100% certainty.
 
sorry to hear. yeah at that point you can presume the fish is good to go.
again, how long has the DT been fallow?
 
If you treated him with Cupramine for 1 month, at a concentration = or > 0.35 mg/L, then he should be clear of ich. Testing and maintaining that level for the entire duration is very important. If it drops below 0.35 for even a second, you have to assume the worst and start over from Day 1.

Like you said in the end there are no guarantees, but following a regimented treatment protocol with Cupramine is how you can get close to 100% certainty.

Yeah, 100% just doesn't to exist in the world of parasites. They seem to adapt/evolve to just about anything. Be sure the DT has been fishless for about 10 weeks as well as treating the damsel for the 4 weeks suggested by Humblefish. This excellent sticky will explain the 10+ weeks of fallow time. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2389659
 
Thanks for the input. I think I might have the ich beat, but still concerned about brook. Not sure I really want to handle formaldehyde unless I really need to. I might put a couple of tank-breed clowns (I hear they stand up better to brook) into the QT next and see how they do. At the first sign of trouble I'll have formaldehyde at the ready. I plan on an 8 week QT for every new fish. Not sure how to handle invertebrates yet. I really need a few peppermint shrimp to munch (hopefully munch!) on the odd aptasia here and there; but at this point I'm so paranoid about bringing a new parasite into my DT I don't know how to proceed. I guess that question constitutes a whole new thread.
 
Not sure how to handle invertebrates yet. I really need a few peppermint shrimp to munch (hopefully munch!) on the odd aptasia here and there; but at this point I'm so paranoid about bringing a new parasite into my DT I don't know how to proceed. I guess that question constitutes a whole new thread.

Many of us are QT'ing corals/inverts in a fishless frag tank... or dedicated fishless coral/invert QT (did I mention it needs to be fishless? :spin3:). 72 days in there (same as going fallow) if you want to get close to 100%.

Some just pour tank water over the invert before placing it the DT. In theory, this should "wash away" any free swimming parasites that just happened to land on the invert. I think this probably works fine for crustaceans, like pep shrimp. But anything parasites can encyst on (i.e. snail shell, hard coral, rock/frag plug), or anything that seems to soak up a lot of water (i.e. anemones, euphyllia corals) should probably be QT'd IMO.
 
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