How long do you let your tank sit fallow after ich

[Neptune1707]

I'll get to the facts of my situation:
• 135g DT infected with ich from a non-quarantined coral purchase from LFS around mid March 2016.
• Ordered Kick-Ich as first line of defense hoping not to tear rock apart to get fish out for QT.
• Got through first treatment period of Kick-Ich and no success, fish look worse. (Side note...coral/sea anemone unaffected by Kick-Ich...whewwww)
• ALL fish removed April 9th in the pm, added to QT.
• Timer starts on April 10th on treatment in QT with malachite green, don't like copper because I have read it affects organs of fish and shortens overall life span of fish.
• April 10th I do a 35g water change on DT, turn skimmer, UV back on, add carbon back in, change filter socks. All cleaning hoses, buckets, tools, nets cleaned/dried with bleach.
• Timer starts on April 10th to leave 135g DT fallow.

My questions:
• Based on this forum and others I have read over the weekend....I'm seeing the "average" fallow time period for 99.99% success is 9-11 weeks??? please advise!
• Based on other forums I will treat QT for 4 weeks, doing weekly water changes and re-medicating after each water change? After 4 weeks, I will do a 50% water change, add carbon and keep water params 100% for fish until they can be added back to DT? please advise!
• Since I feed my fish once a week with frozen mysis....is there any risk of ich being dormant in frozen foods? I generally thaw, rinse, soak in selcon/garlic before adding to tank. please advise!
• Does doing a weekly water change of 35g help the DT "siphon" off and thin the herd of ich that is still in the tank? Or is this overkill to do that many water changes for 9-11 weeks? please advise!

 

[Humblefish]

• Based on this forum and others I have read over the weekend....I'm seeing the "average" fallow time period for 99.99% success is 9-11 weeks??? please advise!

I recommend going fallow for 76 days.

• Based on other forums I will treat QT for 4 weeks, doing weekly water changes and re-medicating after each water change? After 4 weeks, I will do a 50% water change, add carbon and keep water params 100% for fish until they can be added back to DT? please advise!

Are you only treating with Malachite Green? If so, that will not eradicate ich. Effective treatment options are listed here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.191226/

• Since I feed my fish once a week with frozen mysis....is there any risk of ich being dormant in frozen foods? I generally thaw, rinse, soak in selcon/garlic before adding to tank. please advise!

Freezing kills all known fish pathogens.

• Does doing a weekly water change of 35g help the DT "siphon" off and thin the herd of ich that is still in the tank? Or is this overkill to do that many water changes for 9-11 weeks? please advise!

That might help to eliminate some of the free swimmers, but those die within 48 hrs anyway if denied a fish host to feed upon.

 

[Neptune1707]

Great, thanks for the helpful threads HumbleFish. The product I started using this past Sunday was Marineland Ick Remedy. Contains Victoria Green, Nitromersol. If you think that is not an effective solution, I do have a new bottle of Cupramine. I can run some carbon tonight to pull the Marineland Ick Remedy out, dose Cupramine instead. Will need to get a test kit. Yeah, I think to play it safe 77 days = 11 weeks should do the trick for DT.

On a side note, since I have all this time on my hands while DT sits fallow....Attached is pic of QT. If I were to buy some coral and put into QT (bottom tank) while my fish are in QT, how long do you normally QT corals for? I bought some Coral RX to dip also before QT. Dipping them in Bayer insecticide, just seems wrong even though I see a lot of reefers using it. I would not add new corals to DT until fish are ready to go back in. Your thoughts on this????

 

[Humblefish]

Contains Victoria Green, Nitromersol.

That combination may successfully treat FW ich, but not Cryptocaryon. I would switch over to Cupramine.

On a side note, since I have all this time on my hands while DT sits fallow....Attached is pic of QT. If I were to buy some coral and put into QT (bottom tank) while my fish are in QT, how long do you normally QT corals for? I bought some Coral RX to dip also before QT. Dipping them in Bayer insecticide, just seems wrong even though I see a lot of reefers using it. I would not add new corals to DT until fish are ready to go back in. Your thoughts on this????

It is ideal to isolate all new corals/inverts for 76 days, same as going fallow. However, 45 days generally works except if you were to encounter this one strain of ich (unlikely). So, it all comes down to how patient you are vs. how much risk are you willing to take.

However, there is this problem with how close your two QTs are: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/aerosol-transmission.190292/

 

[Neptune1707]

interesting viewpoint on QT proximity. Yeah, plan on switching to Cupramine tonight. I'll prob just chill for now on getting any corals. Just get through this time period nice and slow. I plan on buying another metal shelving unit anyway...I have enough room in the utility room to move the tanks apart. Def had planned on using different tools/nets etc for each tank though.

 

[Neptune1707]

Ran carbon filter over night to pull out the Marineland Ick Remedy. Added the Cupramine solution this morning...restarted QT timer. Said to re-dose Cupramine in 48 hours, therapeutic treatment is up after 14 days. I ordered a Seachem copper test kit, should be here tomorrow.

 

[domination2580]

72 days

 

[Neptune1707]

Yup leaving DT sit for 77 days (11 weeks) play it safe! Hopefully my fish in the QT will be fine for that total duration....cramped quarters from 120g display to 20g

 

[scfurse77]

Agreed. A good long term way of getting beneficial bacteria in QT is to have pieces of filter sponge in your sump/refugium. When you are setting up a QT, pull one of the pieces out and it should be loaded with bacteria. It is less expensive than rock and easier to clean.

If your going fallow, And take some sponge from your DT to put into you QT won't that sponge have ICH in it? Hope that makes sense.

 

[melypr1985]

If your going fallow, And take some sponge from your DT to put into you QT won't that sponge have ICH in it? Hope that makes sense.

Yes. If you know there is ich or velvet or any other parasite in your display, it's not a good idea to use a sponge from there. But I think what Neurotic aquatics was referring to was in the event you need to set up a QT quickly and know there isn't any disease in your tank. At that point, it IS a good idea to use a seeded sponge from your display.

 

[Neptune1707]

Yes. If you know there is ich or velvet or any other parasite in your display, it's not a good idea to use a sponge from there. But I think what Neurotic aquatics was referring to was in the event you need to set up a QT quickly and know there isn't any disease in your tank. At that point, it IS a good idea to use a seeded sponge from your display.

Thanks! I have actually decided to skip the malachite green in the quarantine tank. Did a 50% water change and have completed a 2 week cycle using Cupramine using a test kit to get right level. After 2 week period, still had a few spots on my blue hippo, so did a 50% water change, ran carbon for a few days and started a second treatment of this stubborn ick. Main display continues in a "fallow" state until after Father's Day (77 days total fallow by then). At this point my problem is ammonia/nitrite spikes in the quarantine. I started this tank when the fish got sick....now my tank is going thru a cycle as well. Last few nights I have been doing 75% water change, and re-dose Cupramine to correct levels. Fish look better and eating. 2 chromic, 2 clowns, 1 blue damsel, 1 juvenile emperor and 1 adult blue hippo is putting a strain on water quality. I don't want to move any sponge from DT to quarantine as it may re-infect my QT. So I'm going to pick up some bottled bacteria, keep up with the water changes until the tank stabilizes. Once I get done with this, I'm going to keep my QT running 24/7 so that it is always cycled for new addition. ;-)

 

[scfurse77]

Also my other question is i know that the bacteria that the fish provide to the tank is a must for a successful reef tank. So if you are to pull out all of the fish and go fallow for 70 whatever days will this negatively effect the Coral?

 

[Neptune1707]

Also my other question is i know that the bacteria that the fish provide to the tank is a must for a successful reef tank. So if you are to pull out all of the fish and go fallow for 70 whatever days will this negatively effect the Coral?

Not necessarily. Since ick only thrives on fish, I still have snails, shrimp, starfish in my display tank. So I'm lightly feeding the shrimp adding a food source for the bacteria to break down. I'm also using Red Sea Algae Management supplement No3Po4-x (biological nitrate/phosphate reducer) to keep my good bacteria well feed and thriving, thus keeping my tank clean, algae free and happy corals. However, once I add my fish back to the tank after fallow period I will follow up with some back to back water changes to keep up with any "flex" in the water quality area...testing etc.

 

[melypr1985]

Did a 50% water change and have completed a 2 week cycle using Cupramine using a test kit to get right level.

You want to run the Copper at .5 for 30 days straight. If it drops down at any time below therapeutic levels, then the clock starts over. This time run for 30 days straight before pulling the copper and see how the fish do. It seems like they are handling it well enough so they should come out of this clean as a whistle.

 

[Neptune1707]

You want to run the Copper at .5 for 30 days straight. If it drops down at any time below therapeutic levels, then the clock starts over. This time run for 30 days straight before pulling the copper and see how the fish do. It seems like they are handling it well enough so they should come out of this clean as a whistle.

Yeah agree....it is possible that the .5 level dipped and the ick got a foothold. I have time on my side since the tank is fallow. As of last night all fish are looking good. The 3 cyst spots on my blue hippo have gone, so hopefully the copper can start working on the free-floaters. My only concern is a small dot on one fin on my blue damsel. Cant tell if its a stubborn ick cyst or my angel chasing him/nipping which can cause a "spot" on the fit from nip marks. Will have to continue to monitor him. Meanwhile I have a bucket with freshwater that all my utensils/nets/syringes etc go into if they touch the quarantine tank. All water hoses are rinses with super hot tap water and dried....not taking any chances.

 

[Humblefish]

Not necessarily. Since ick only thrives on fish, I still have snails, shrimp, starfish in my display tank. So I'm lightly feeding the shrimp adding a food source for the bacteria to break down. I'm also using Red Sea Algae Management supplement No3Po4-x (biological nitrate/phosphate reducer) to keep my good bacteria well feed and thriving, thus keeping my tank clean, algae free and happy corals. However, once I add my fish back to the tank after fallow period I will follow up with some back to back water changes to keep up with any "flex" in the water quality area...testing etc.

+1 A pinch of flake or pellets every few days will also help maintain bacteria levels. However, realistically speaking some of the bacteria will die and its best to assume you only have minimal levels after 76 days fallow. So I suggest reintroducing your fish over a 2-3 week period to avoid a possible mini-cycle.

 

[Neptune1707]

I'm currently doing a 77 day fallow period. I think it's worth the effort to ensure that ick has died off in the tank.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

Yes. If you know there is ich or velvet or any other parasite in your display, it's not a good idea to use a sponge from there. But I think what Neurotic aquatics was referring to was in the event you need to set up a QT quickly and know there isn't any disease in your tank. At that point, it IS a good idea to use a seeded sponge from your display.

But it shouldn’t matter if you’re treating the QT with copper etc right?

 

[Carlosmc151]

Hi guys, do I got my first two fish (clownfish) and two days later one died, it looked like ich but who knows.
Fast forward 5 weeks and ny fish is still alive, healthy and eating well in the tank.
What should I do? Should I get s cheap fish just so see if it survives? Should I wait longer?
This is not a fishless tank and I haven’t treated my fish with medication.

 

[Weeb]

My question is how long should I let it sit empty?

It depends. I MHO:
Studies have shown that about 45 days of the tank going fishless (fallow) are reliable if you can raise the DT temperature to 27C (80.6F) and there are no dormant Marine Ich in the DT and DT system (assuming corals and invertebrates, if present, can handle this temperature). Since you have a FOWLR DT, raise temp to 30C (86F) for 15 days, again assuming there are no dormant Marine Ich in the DT or DT system (assuming invertebrates present, if any, can handle this temperature).

Marine Ich can lay dormant in low oxygen (anaerobic) areas and is able to survive longer than the above times. To avoid this, you want to reduce/eliminate areas of low oxygen. These areas include:

1. Thick substrates -- need to be 'disturbed.'
2. Rock sitting on substrate can hide dormant Marine Ich;
3. Canister filters -- need to be broken down;
4. Other non-biological filters and chemicals need to be replaced (e.g., carbon),
5. Check that bio filter(s) are not trapping any water; and lastly
6. Rock crevices can hide dormant Marine Ich.

Use high circulation and 'blast' under rocks and into rock crevices -- as much as any corals you have can take. If there is any part of the system which you feel may have low oxygen areas, find and eliminate them.

After removing/eliminating low oxygen areas, then begin the times noted above.

If raising the temperature above 78F is not an option, then go 75 days after removing/eliminating low oxygen areas.