Ick & water replacment

[Holyreefer]

so I have an outbreak of ick on a couple of my fish. I'll be getting all fish out &placing them in a copper treated tank. My question is if I'm planning on keeping this Hospital tank for 2-8 weeks. Can I remove all my water & replace it with fresh saltwater? I know the parasite of ick host can live up to 21 days which they will be treated for. But because the host needs a fish to live & it stays in the water if I replace all my main display tank water keep all fish out for 6-8 weeks would the original host be removed from the water? & fish treated...Also my wrasses are they opper safe? I've noticed the ick is more on my tangs then my wrasses...

 

[scottwhitson]

You don't need to replace all your water in the main tank. If you leave it fishless for 8 weeks then the ich parasite will have died and when you reintroduce your fish from the copper treatment you will be OK. Changing out all the water won't do any good either because the ich cysts are in the sand and rock not in the water.

 

[Holyreefer]

Ok cool I thought the parasite only lived on living breathing organisms. For example fish. What about my wrasses can I treat them as well?

 

[Jstdv8]

some wrasses do not take copper treatment well. you have to check up on that. I know leopard wrasses don't do well, my sixline went for 6 weeks.

 

[Chris27]

For fish that are sensitive to copper, I use Mardel Coppersafe and test with an API kit.

 

[Damasta5]

Be careful not to overdose and if you can find a cheap UV steralizer and put it on your main tank it kills the free floating ich. I have had some good success curing ich with roggers food with some extra garlic adding. Like I said be very careful while dosing copper and always stay on top of checking your levels.

 

[Chris27]

Be careful not to overdose and if you can find a cheap UV steralizer and put it on your main tank it kills the free floating ich. I have had some good success curing ich with roggers food with some extra garlic adding. Like I said be very careful while dosing copper and always stay on top of checking your levels.

You didn't cure Crypt with garlic......