cooltankmate
New member
got ich and as a result, all fishes dead (3 of them). so it's fishless for now. how long do i have to wait until the ich die? when can i add a new fish again?
how long to wait for a fishless tank after ich?
- Thread starter cooltankmate
- Start date
Steven Pro
New member
One to two months is usually long enough.
Puffer Queen
New member
Definitely wait at least 6 weeks.
cooltankmate
New member
oh man, that long......... is there are any way to speed it up? can i use any med to kill it? or should i?
Puffer Queen
New member
I would not use any medications on the display tank. Live rock and substrates will absorb medications and therefore never achieve a therapeutic level. Some medications can then be leached back into the system later.
The only proven methods/treatments are copper (toxic to inverts, corals, microfauna) and hyposallinity (also toxic to inverts, corals, microfauna), Leaving a tank fallow (NO fish) eradicates the parasite which must have a fish to finish its life cycle.
Patience is the key. Also quarantining EVERYTHING that is wet (rock, inverts, corals, algae, fish, etc) for a minimum of 4 weeks will prevent the introduction of parasites and pathogens into the display tank.
The only proven methods/treatments are copper (toxic to inverts, corals, microfauna) and hyposallinity (also toxic to inverts, corals, microfauna), Leaving a tank fallow (NO fish) eradicates the parasite which must have a fish to finish its life cycle.
Patience is the key. Also quarantining EVERYTHING that is wet (rock, inverts, corals, algae, fish, etc) for a minimum of 4 weeks will prevent the introduction of parasites and pathogens into the display tank.
Triggerfish
Active member
one way you could possibly cut the time down is really jack up the temp to like 90 if you could. which should speed up the time these things hatch.
if not,,do yourself a favor and go longer than 1 month as was suggested above.. 6 weeks absolute min, but a bit light
7 is not wrong
8 should eradicte most strains, i would imagine from anything i have ever read.
if not,,do yourself a favor and go longer than 1 month as was suggested above.. 6 weeks absolute min, but a bit light
7 is not wrong
8 should eradicte most strains, i would imagine from anything i have ever read.
There are things you can do in the meanwhile: you can rearrange your rock, you can get corals, you can get inverts. None of these get ich, and some may actually eat the swimming phase.
And you can set up a qt tank for incoming fish about 1 month before your fallow period ends, so you bring healthy fish into a healthy tank.
If you use this period to build up the microlife and inverts in your tank, you'll be quite busy, and you'll have life to watch, besides acquiring the knowledge and expertise to cultivate this aspect of your marine tank.
Do ANYthing rather than put medication into your system. If you spend the time and effort building the microlife base for your tank, you'll understand why this is such a crash-inducing bad idea.
And you can set up a qt tank for incoming fish about 1 month before your fallow period ends, so you bring healthy fish into a healthy tank.
If you use this period to build up the microlife and inverts in your tank, you'll be quite busy, and you'll have life to watch, besides acquiring the knowledge and expertise to cultivate this aspect of your marine tank.
Do ANYthing rather than put medication into your system. If you spend the time and effort building the microlife base for your tank, you'll understand why this is such a crash-inducing bad idea.
Steven Pro
New member
The problem is corals and inverts could bring more ich parasites into a tank if they are housed in the same system as sick fish. That is why I advocate quarantining everything: fish, corals, invertebrates, liverock, livesand, macroalgae, etc.
Freed, yes, you're quite right: the water they're arriving in can certainly carry ich. They should be acclimated and then rinsed in clean saltwater before being added, not to mention being parasite-dipped, in the case of corals...but if the tank is already full of ich, they're not bringing in what it hasn't got in abundance already. Once the tank is on its way to clean, let me reiterate Freed's point on this--- EVERYTHING needs to be passed through qt, and it doesn't need any new influx of ready-to-reproduce parasites as it approaches clean. I would mark my fallow period from the last introduction of something from the outside, until 6 more weeks.
What worries me is someone with a relatively barren tank NOT waiting the requisite time and starting it all over again by going too fast. I'd advocate getting something interesting [and non-fishy] to keep his interest in the tank going, then observing that rest period scrupulously.
What worries me is someone with a relatively barren tank NOT waiting the requisite time and starting it all over again by going too fast. I'd advocate getting something interesting [and non-fishy] to keep his interest in the tank going, then observing that rest period scrupulously.
Steven Pro
New member
Ich can be in the water, but it can also be attached to any hard substrate (including the base of corals or shells). I am unaware of any dip that would kill the cyst stage of the parasite and not also kill the coral. Additionally, if you have an 8 week countdown to a clean, parasite-free tank, but introduce a coral that houses fesh ich cysts, you could screw up the countdown.
Triggerfish
Active member
with the possible exception of unmounted softies.. this should not be recommended.
c.irritans can and will encyst on any hard surface. if you're going to fallow,,why risk reintroduction at any cost even if it could only be a 10% chance?
Triggerfish
Active member
your comment is valid here up to a very small window of opportunity. and one that I took advantage of myself.
during the 1st couple of days of fallow period, i added 3 corals.
but,,i still need to remain fallow without adding any unquarantined items to tank during the entire fallow period.
going fallow for 4 weeks then adding non quart rock, inverts or whatever basically compromises the effectiveness of the fallow period up to that date....every time you add something you extend the fallow period as you mentioned.
cooltankmate
New member
alright, i raise the temp to 85. dunno 90 is a good idea for my LR (135lbs). hope it speeds up the ich cycle!!!
also, i have a 10g can be set up as a QT. so in other word, i can buy a fish and put it in this QT for a 4-6 months. by that time, my main tank should be ready. cool.
so, what do i need to start a 10g quick and easy QT. i heard that all i need is new water and a HOB filter? should i put any media in the filter? and i'll change little bit of water every other day and that's it?
help please! thanks
also, i have a 10g can be set up as a QT. so in other word, i can buy a fish and put it in this QT for a 4-6 months. by that time, my main tank should be ready. cool.
so, what do i need to start a 10g quick and easy QT. i heard that all i need is new water and a HOB filter? should i put any media in the filter? and i'll change little bit of water every other day and that's it?
help please! thanks
Puffer Queen
New member
4-6 weeks not months is the minimum period of quarantining.
cooltankmate
New member
opps, i mean weeks
Triggerfish
Active member
if you have nothing that great growing on the rock then i don't think the elevated temp would harm the beneficial bacteria..but if you're going to wait it out anyway..just leave it elevated where it's at now..
yes..lmao..4-6 weeks.
ya really have to be careful with q tank setup. this is where most folks have issues and as a result, balk at the idea of even using a q tank at all.
i had many issues getting my 29g to stabalize and the fish load was not all that much.
i used what i thought was cycled media and dosed numerous amounts of biozyme, loads of NH3 remover and still needed to do frequent massive water changes.
perhaps the media wasn't as cycled as i assumed it would have been.
there is a product called 'cycle' that i believe would work better than what i used, which didn't seem to work at all.
yes..lmao..4-6 weeks.
ya really have to be careful with q tank setup. this is where most folks have issues and as a result, balk at the idea of even using a q tank at all.
i had many issues getting my 29g to stabalize and the fish load was not all that much.
i used what i thought was cycled media and dosed numerous amounts of biozyme, loads of NH3 remover and still needed to do frequent massive water changes.
perhaps the media wasn't as cycled as i assumed it would have been.
there is a product called 'cycle' that i believe would work better than what i used, which didn't seem to work at all.
