When to make a comeback

ltindle · 02/26/2009, 08:50 AM

Well i lost my entire tank to ich (even with quarantine). The last fish died Jan 25. i did a large water change and actually moved my whole tank to another part of the room. Nothing but snails and crabs in there since. When can i start adding fish again. I'm thinking around march 26, but is that overkill (pardon the pun). Is six weeks sufficient?

shuguley · 02/26/2009, 09:04 AM

I've read many times that 6 weeks is the time it takes for the ich to complete it's life cycle and die off. If it were me, I'd probably play it safe and make it 7 weeks. So I'd go with March 15th at the earliest.

thegrun · 02/26/2009, 09:14 AM

I would wait the full 8 weeks, you've waited this long, what's another 2 weeks (I know, easy for me to say, it's not me doing the waiting)? Be sure to either use an isolation tank or at least give your fish a freshwater bath before putting them into your main tank (a lesson I assume you've learned the hard way). Good Luck!

ltindle · 02/26/2009, 09:19 AM

Thats the thing they were quarantined and the last added fish was in the main tank a good six weeks before any ich appeared. Im scared to death of it happening again. I was really attached (especially to my blenny)

indydog1 · 02/26/2009, 11:09 AM

if you added anything to the tank besides fish, that could have added ich to the tank. just because it cant be a host doesnt mean it wasnt a carrier.

indydog1 · 02/26/2009, 11:10 AM

were your ph and temp stable?

zooxanth · 02/26/2009, 11:31 AM

When was your latest addition and what?

Sk8r · 02/26/2009, 11:33 AM

8 weeks to be absolutely safe.

ltindle · 02/26/2009, 12:24 PM

I think it was my singapore angel. I didnt add anything else. I dont have any corals yet. Is everybody sure the ich will be all gone in 8 weeks. I dont wanna go thru this again.

indydog1 · 02/26/2009, 01:14 PM

from the tank....yes

from anything else....... not without an 8 week qt.

fish would be after a hyposalinity treatment.

EnglishRebel · 02/26/2009, 01:25 PM

Check out this article. Drs Foster & Smith
Where they state;
"The completion of the entire life cycle can be between 9 and 40 days and is temperature dependent. The warmer the water the faster the cycle occurs, and most likely is complete in a couple of weeks in most home aquariums. However, there are some reports that indicate that despite being at a warmer temperature, there may be other variables that make the multiplication process take longer than two weeks, which is why some experts recommend a slightly longer treatment period."

I'm unsure as to what a 'slightly longer period' means but I would think that 8 weeks would be fine (but at 80 degrees).

02/26/2009, 08:50 AM	#1
ltindle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 178	When to make a comeback Well i lost my entire tank to ich (even with quarantine). The last fish died Jan 25. i did a large water change and actually moved my whole tank to another part of the room. Nothing but snails and crabs in there since. When can i start adding fish again. I'm thinking around march 26, but is that overkill (pardon the pun). Is six weeks sufficient?

02/26/2009, 09:04 AM	#2
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536	I've read many times that 6 weeks is the time it takes for the ich to complete it's life cycle and die off. If it were me, I'd probably play it safe and make it 7 weeks. So I'd go with March 15th at the earliest. __________________ 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Midas Blenny, Spotted Mandarin, Pistol Shrimp, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, Large CUC Corals: Xenia, Candy Cane, Zoas, Frogspawn, Brain, Bubble, Shrooms, Sun Current Tank Info: 55G Reef w/ 15G sump/fuge w/chaeto, Phosban Reactor w/GFO, AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer, 2 Koralia 3s, Nova Extreme T5HO 216W, 85lbs LR, 60lbs LS

02/26/2009, 11:09 AM	#5
indydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: round lake, il Posts: 1,590	if you added anything to the tank besides fish, that could have added ich to the tank. just because it cant be a host doesnt mean it wasnt a carrier. __________________ Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself Current Tank Info: 210 gal

02/26/2009, 11:10 AM	#6
indydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: round lake, il Posts: 1,590	were your ph and temp stable? __________________ Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself Current Tank Info: 210 gal

02/26/2009, 11:31 AM	#7
zooxanth Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Scotland, United Kingdom Posts: 149	When was your latest addition and what? __________________ The Solotion To Pullution Is Dillution Current Tank Info: 450ltr bowfront, 6 54w t5's, sumpless, Deltec mce 600, aquatronica with dosing pumps for balling lite

02/26/2009, 09:14 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would wait the full 8 weeks, you've waited this long, what's another 2 weeks (I know, easy for me to say, it's not me doing the waiting)? Be sure to either use an isolation tank or at least give your fish a freshwater bath before putting them into your main tank (a lesson I assume you've learned the hard way). Good Luck!

02/26/2009, 09:19 AM	#4
ltindle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 178	Thats the thing they were quarantined and the last added fish was in the main tank a good six weeks before any ich appeared. Im scared to death of it happening again. I was really attached (especially to my blenny)

02/26/2009, 11:33 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	8 weeks to be absolutely safe. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/26/2009, 12:24 PM	#9
ltindle Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 178	I think it was my singapore angel. I didnt add anything else. I dont have any corals yet. Is everybody sure the ich will be all gone in 8 weeks. I dont wanna go thru this again.

02/26/2009, 01:14 PM	#10
indydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: round lake, il Posts: 1,590	from the tank....yes from anything else....... not without an 8 week qt. fish would be after a hyposalinity treatment. __________________ Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself Current Tank Info: 210 gal

02/26/2009, 01:25 PM	#11
EnglishRebel Retired Rebel Reefer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Triad NC Posts: 1,902	Check out this article. Drs Foster & Smith Where they state; "The completion of the entire life cycle can be between 9 and 40 days and is temperature dependent. The warmer the water the faster the cycle occurs, and most likely is complete in a couple of weeks in most home aquariums. However, there are some reports that indicate that despite being at a warmer temperature, there may be other variables that make the multiplication process take longer than two weeks, which is why some experts recommend a slightly longer treatment period." I'm unsure as to what a 'slightly longer period' means but I would think that 8 weeks would be fine (but at 80 degrees). __________________ Alan "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " Sir Winston Churchill praising those young RAF pilots. August 20th 1940 Click on my name for drop down list and select "Visit EnglishRebels Home Page" for my build thread. Current Tank Info: 60x30x24 200G AO custom glass tank, basement equipment room, 30G and 55G Fuges, LifeReef sump & 30" skimmer.