Had ich, 6 weeks later, fishless tank okay?

cherubfish pair · 04/14/2012, 10:34 PM

Had some kind of disease on a clownfish. It was a light dusting on body that came and went for a while. The clown died. It was the only fish in a 29 gallon tank that has been empty of fish for 6 weeks now.

When can I add new fish?

mattsilvester · 04/14/2012, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherubfish pair

Had some kind of disease on a clownfish. It was a light dusting on body that came and went for a while. The clown died. It was the only fish in a 29 gallon tank that has been empty of fish for 6 weeks now.

When can I add new fish?

Do you plan to quarantine all your new fish? If so, I would suggest you go get your new fish now and q-tine.

Ich has a lifecycle of 4 or 5 weeks or so, although some strains have been kown to linger for longer. So to play it safe waiting another week or two will all-but-gaurantee its ich free.

However, if you then add a fish without q-tine then you run the risk of undoing your hard work. Also, if you add rock / coral / snails or anything this a hard surface from a tank that contianed fish within the prior month, then there is the risk of re-introducing it.

Personally I have given up on the idea of trying to maintain a sterile tank. I have not always been diliegent, but I do advocate q-tine of all new fish. These are by far and large the highest risk of introducing ich into your system.

If you do not plan on q-tine then the short answer is go for it - 6 weeks should be fine. But you continuously run the risk another wipe out.

BTW - a "dusting" as you describe sounds more like velvet than ich..... which is an altogether more serious affair. Under the correct conditions and with a little help from a skilled aquarist, a fish my get over ich "naturally" - but velvet will kill - there is no immunity or escape from that.

snorvich · 04/15/2012, 05:37 AM

Well, I do not totally agree. First, it sounds like velvet rather than ich. If so, six weeks is fine, but an additional week might be better. Ich can be prevented by a good quarantine protocol and fish do not really get over it. If you want anecdotal experience read all the folks posting in the fish disease forum. Please read the stickies in the fish disease forum. If it is ich, best would be ten weeks of being fallow.

cherubfish pair · 12/06/2012, 04:19 PM

I've had fish in this same tank now for 7 months past the original post in this thread. So maybe the parasite cysts died off?

needmore-reef · 12/06/2012, 05:04 PM

7 months and no sign of it, you're good. It may have been brooklynella, other fish (not clownfish) are usually unaffected.

04/14/2012, 10:34 PM	#1
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Had ich, 6 weeks later, fishless tank okay? Had some kind of disease on a clownfish. It was a light dusting on body that came and went for a while. The clown died. It was the only fish in a 29 gallon tank that has been empty of fish for 6 weeks now. When can I add new fish? __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

04/15/2012, 05:37 AM	#3
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	Well, I do not totally agree. First, it sounds like velvet rather than ich. If so, six weeks is fine, but an additional week might be better. Ich can be prevented by a good quarantine protocol and fish do not really get over it. If you want anecdotal experience read all the folks posting in the fish disease forum. Please read the stickies in the fish disease forum. If it is ich, best would be ten weeks of being fallow. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

12/06/2012, 04:19 PM	#4
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	I've had fish in this same tank now for 7 months past the original post in this thread. So maybe the parasite cysts died off? __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

12/06/2012, 05:04 PM	#5
needmore-reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 425	7 months and no sign of it, you're good. It may have been brooklynella, other fish (not clownfish) are usually unaffected.