How long to go fishless ?

[Chipie]

Hi,
I have a tank that i had a fish just die of unknown cause. It looks like Icks but not sure it isn't velvet. But anyways, i want to have the tank fishless so i can get rid of any parasites(Ick, velvet, flukes etc etc)
How long should i go fisheless to i can be sure i'm rid of any of those parasites? It would be easier if i knew what the fish died of but i don't.
Thanks

 

[mikejrice]

To be reasonably sure, it needs to remain empty for at least eight weeks. If you don't quarantine though, you will likely end up with it again though, so it might not be worth it.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers
Sent from Tapatalk, so excuse my bad spelling and grammer.

 

[MrTuskfish]

To be reasonably sure, it needs to remain empty for at least eight weeks. If you don't quarantine though, you will likely end up with it again though, so it might not be worth it.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers
Sent from Tapatalk, so excuse my bad spelling and grammer.

+1.....+1,000 on the QT

Sent from my PC, so gramer an spellin be perfeck!

 

[Chipie]

ok but even if i QT, fish might still have some parasites and not show it right? How long to QT? 8 weeks too?

 

[MrTuskfish]

ok but even if i QT, fish might still have some parasites and not show it right? How long to QT? 8 weeks too?

Yes. If the fish were infected with parasites, they need to be treated as well. As long as fish are present, ich will continue to multiply. I'd read the ich stickies at the top of the disease forum.....they're a big help. Understanding the ich life cycle is vital. BTW, copper will kill ich or velvet. I'd treat for flukes too.

 

[Chipie]

Ok thank you guys. I have cupramine and prazipro. I read the sticky for Ick but was not sure about velvet. I've also already threated some clownfishes with hypo with great success. But then again, hypo doesn't cure velvet. So i guess cupramine is the way to go if i want to make sure there's no velvet or Ick left. Thanks again for the help.

 

[bdroddy]

With Mrtuskfish's online help, I pulled all my fish and treated them with cupramine for 4 weeks and then I observed for another 4 weeks. In total with taking a week ramping up the copper and a week bringing it back down, it was a total of 10 weeks. I went an extra week just to make sure. As of tomorrow, it will be one week of having the fish back in the DT and so far no signs yet. Let's pray it is done. Good Luck. Btw, I went and bought 250$ worth of new fish and all are in the qt. they will be proactively treated with cupramine and then prazi-pro. I will not go through this again.

 

[BryanW]

I went fishless in my tank after an outbreak for 10 weeks. Treated all fish in a hospital tank for the same time+ added two extra weeks as I brought the copper level down slowly. Added my two blue tangs back in who were fat and healthy from eating so much while in QT. Two days later, they are covered with ich again. So bummed and dissapointed. Just purchased a 1k 120w UV...not going to have time to install until next Thursday, but will keep you posted on results. Definately not going to tear down tank and catch fish again. 400 gal in wall reef...what a pain it was to catch all the fish the first time!

 

[hvacman250]

There is no 100% number. I went 8.5 weeks for nothing. Try 14-16 weeks. I dont think anybody has gone that long and reported it coming back. Ive read countless stories same as mine in the 8-11 week range.

 

[MrTuskfish]

There is no 100% number. I went 8.5 weeks for nothing. Try 14-16 weeks. I dont think anybody has gone that long and reported it coming back. Ive read countless stories same as mine in the 8-11 week range.

Frustrating stuff. Just my opinion: but I think many (not all) of the accounts of ich reappearing, after 10 weeks fishless, are due to failure to completely cure the parasites in the QT tank. Any ich treatment (copper, hypo, tank-transfer---nothing else works IMO)) demands exact measuring and procedures and even minor measuring errors can ruin the treatment. I've heard of a few re-appearances of ich after using Quinine Sulfate (and other questionable meds) too.
But, as you experienced, and Snorvich's excellent sticky on ich fallow period, point out: 100% kill-rate with ich may be impossible. However, proper treatment in a QT and 10 weeks fallow, will still eliminate it the vast majority of the time. I hear many more success stories than failures.