Question regarding Ich

[Newtralizer]

Ok so I have read online a lot about possible treatments. I am new to reef tanks have had freshwater most of my life. I understand that the 2 Ich are different I have 2 questions about it though. First of I have had 2 fish in my main tank a 55 gallon reef die from the disease. There are 3 fish left a fire fish, a sand goby and a lawnmower. None of these fish are showing signs of the disease my question is if I leave these fish in the display tank, because I cant catch them without tearing apart the reef, how long will it take for the ich to go away if these fish never get it? Second question I have a QT tank and was wondering if it would be wise to set it up with a hypo salinity set up for all new coming fish or would that just stress and kill them? That way I would know that the fish where not caring the disease when I put them in the main tank. Really I would love to never have to have this problem in my main tank again and thought that if I pre treat that it could be over with. Any help or comments would be great. All I can seem to find is where people treat fish with the hypo salinity method but could it be used as a pre treatment?

 

[Reefers Digest]

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http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/6/fish

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

http://www.breedersregistry.org/Reprints/SeaScope/v11_sumr/crypto.htm

Check the above links out. They'll help a lot.

The key in treating Cryptocaryon irritans lays in understanding its life cycle.

It is important to understand that, given satisfactory conditions, the parasite will continue to multiply and prosper in your tank. In order to eliminate ich, you must create an inhospitable environment. This can be achieved via hypo-salinity, copper dosing, or, as often is undertaken when invertebrates are present in the main tank, quarantine of the fish in a separate tank and one of the above treatments (usually copper or other medications mentioned in links above) while leaving the display tank "fallow" so that when the tomites excyst and become theronts, they are left without suitable hosts and perish... effectively (theoretically) eliminating the entire irritans population in your display. At the same time, we assume that the inhospitable environment you create in quarantine (via copper, hyposalinity, etc.) will eliminate the parasite at its varying stages before being able to further proliferate. Raising your display and QT temperature slightly will help in increasing the parasite's metabolism and speed up the life-cycle. The longer you treat the fish and leave the display fallow, the more assurance you have that the parasite has successfully been eliminated. There are varying recommendations, however, a period of one month, especially at slightly elevated temperatures, appears to be sufficient to effectively cover the duration of AT LEAST 1 life cycle. If it were me, and I planned on adding expensive fish or putting a lot of work into tank development, I'd play it safe and keep the display fallow for >a month while treating the fish in qt.


Note; if you treat for an extended period of time, be aware of the toxicity of copper. Do your due diligence in reading.

Good Luck!

 

[Tin_Whistler]

As long as those other fish are in your tank you will forever have ich in your tank. It may not look like you do now, but your fish will still have the parasites in their gills and mouths.

To completely rid your system of ich you'll need to pull those three fish out, and treat them for ich in a hospital tank while the display tank sits fishless for 9 weeks.

On the bright side, once you do this, and if you quarantine every fish you put in your tank in the future, you won't have to worry about getting ich in your tank again.

 

[MrTuskfish]

As long as those other fish are in your tank you will forever have ich in your tank. It may not look like you do now, but your fish will still have the parasites in their gills and mouths.

To completely rid your system of ich you'll need to pull those three fish out, and treat them for ich in a hospital tank while the display tank sits fishless for 9 weeks.

On the bright side, once you do this, and if you quarantine every fish you put in your tank in the future, you won't have to worry about getting ich in your tank again.

Exactly. Either properly treat the ich or it will certainly return at the worst possible time. there are no shortcuts. Using a QT on all new fish is strongly urged by every source in the hobby; I had to tear a big tank apart before i believed it too.

 

[Newtralizer]

So the second question should you always pre treat with hypo salinity

 

[snorvich]

So the second question should you always pre treat with hypo salinity

Hypo is difficult compared to copper or preferably tank transfer.

 

[Newtralizer]

Thanks everyone for all the help and those 3 links were amazing I definitely think I am going to use a bare bottom hypo salinity tank to quarantine my fish in for the 30 days and will probably keep them in there an extra 5 getting them use to there normal salinity. Again

 

[snorvich]

As long as those other fish are in your tank you will forever have ich in your tank. It may not look like you do now, but your fish will still have the parasites in their gills and mouths.

To completely rid your system of ich you'll need to pull those three fish out, and treat them for ich in a hospital tank while the display tank sits fishless for 9 weeks.

On the bright side, once you do this, and if you quarantine every fish you put in your tank in the future, you won't have to worry about getting ich in your tank again.

Exactly correct.