Well my butterfly with ich died, so all thats left in his tank is a snowflake eel and cleanup crew. How long will I have to wait for the ich to die off before I can add a new fish? (because the ich wount take the eel as a host, correct?) I really need to get ich out of this tank as I noticed that my new additions have been all dying from ich and I'm finally going to get rid of it for good this time before getting something new. So how long without a fish with scales? Thanks........
How Long Before....................
- Thread starter Torno
- Start date
BTTRFLYGRL
New member
Eels are very resistant to ich, but not immune. Yes, they can get ich. But even if your eel doesn't get ich ,your leaving a host for the ich and therefor keeping the ich alive. I would remove it and leave your tank fallow for 4-6 weeks
Torno,
You're missing a subtlety in what BTTRFLYGRL wrote. 'She' wrote that the eel was resistant, not immune. "Resistant" just means it is hard to infect. "Not immune" means it can get infected or be a carrier of Marine Ich (Crytpocaryon irritans).
Marine Ich cysts have been found by Dr. Burgess to exist up to 6 weeks in an aquarium, without releasing their swimming/infecting theronts. The average time is between 4 and 8 days, but you want to be very conservative rather than killing off more fishes. You want to remove the eel and leave the tank without fish and no additions to the tank for at least 6 weeks, IMHO.
Good luck! :rollface:
You're missing a subtlety in what BTTRFLYGRL wrote. 'She' wrote that the eel was resistant, not immune. "Resistant" just means it is hard to infect. "Not immune" means it can get infected or be a carrier of Marine Ich (Crytpocaryon irritans).
Marine Ich cysts have been found by Dr. Burgess to exist up to 6 weeks in an aquarium, without releasing their swimming/infecting theronts. The average time is between 4 and 8 days, but you want to be very conservative rather than killing off more fishes. You want to remove the eel and leave the tank without fish and no additions to the tank for at least 6 weeks, IMHO.
Good luck! :rollface:
Angela Short
New member
Put a heavy box on it 
serriously just drop the SG to an acceptiable range (why so high anyways) and put a lid of some sort on it. A peice of plywood with a book would be functional. No need for light. Just set a small lamp near it if you need a peek in at him. And bio naturally.
Just a question that haunts me though. If he takes said eel out and lets the main set fallow for 6 weeks what is to say the eel will not keep the infection going (asymptomatically) in QT. I agree with BFgirl they can house it and pass it on with no outward signs but how would you be sure you were not just putting it right back in the main with the return of the said eel? Short of putting it through hypo or something suitable for eels with ick.
Just wondering if he should go ahead and treat the eel?
serriously just drop the SG to an acceptiable range (why so high anyways) and put a lid of some sort on it. A peice of plywood with a book would be functional. No need for light. Just set a small lamp near it if you need a peek in at him. And bio naturally.Just a question that haunts me though. If he takes said eel out and lets the main set fallow for 6 weeks what is to say the eel will not keep the infection going (asymptomatically) in QT. I agree with BFgirl they can house it and pass it on with no outward signs but how would you be sure you were not just putting it right back in the main with the return of the said eel? Short of putting it through hypo or something suitable for eels with ick.
Just wondering if he should go ahead and treat the eel?
Angela --- Absolutely no doubt; the eel must be treated. The eel can't handle copper, at least according to this article, so that leaves hyposalinity:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/fm/index.htm
I was not assuming the eel wouldn't be treated. I was just addressing the original question of how long to leave a tank fallow.
Torno --- You want to get the proper QT. A complete setup as a 'special' package will run less than $40. The eel will need to be treated for Marine Ich. The above article may give you some information. When I perform a hyposalinity treatment, I always use salinity (not specific gravity). I treat at 11ppt like some public and private aquariums do. I'm assuming you know how to do this since you didn't ask about it.
I'm concerned that you do in fact have the proper diagnosis. Are you sure you are dealing with Marine Ich?
Good luck!
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/fm/index.htm
I was not assuming the eel wouldn't be treated. I was just addressing the original question of how long to leave a tank fallow.
Torno --- You want to get the proper QT. A complete setup as a 'special' package will run less than $40. The eel will need to be treated for Marine Ich. The above article may give you some information. When I perform a hyposalinity treatment, I always use salinity (not specific gravity). I treat at 11ppt like some public and private aquariums do. I'm assuming you know how to do this since you didn't ask about it.
I'm concerned that you do in fact have the proper diagnosis. Are you sure you are dealing with Marine Ich?
Good luck!
Im pretty sure, before my fish died they displayed heavy breathing and saltlike flakes on their bodies. every fish i would add would get these symptoms so im pretty sure the ich never left, ill keep my eel at 1.009 in the hospital tank for athe 6 weeks that the main tank has to run fallow. thanks
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