Ok my first tank was a total disaster. All my fish died from the ich. It was a total tradegy brought upon me because of my inexperience and lack of capital. After the last fish died I decided to let the tank as it is, and try to do something I read. I'm going to let the ich parasites cycle in the tank until they die. I read it takes 4 to 6 weeks for them to die of but I will let it like that for 8 weeks just in case.
disaster
- Thread starter AZT3K
- Start date
Alexander
Reef enthusiast
sorry to hear you had such poor luch its a real bummer when fish die.
Six weeks was the amount of time I waited after I had an ich outbreak that wiped out my whole tank. There are many articles on parasites that I think you should take a look at while you wait. As for my experience, when I introduced new fish six weeks later, I had another ich outbreak. I fed vitamin enriched foods soaked in garlic and they all made it through. I suggest as you start stocking you boost their immune system by doing this. Good luck!
yote
In Memoriam
Hate to hear about your bad luck.
I've read that leaving your tank fallow for for 6 to 8 weeks gets rid of the ick.
But actually all fish carry the ick parasite.Stress brings it out.
Like Wanna said though,Feed your fish a diet soaked in garlic extract.That is supposed to booste their immune system.
And ick only effects fish,so corals and inverts wont get it.
I've read that leaving your tank fallow for for 6 to 8 weeks gets rid of the ick.
But actually all fish carry the ick parasite.Stress brings it out.
Like Wanna said though,Feed your fish a diet soaked in garlic extract.That is supposed to booste their immune system.
And ick only effects fish,so corals and inverts wont get it.
Altohombre
The Tennis Pro Reefer
as I am reading this my gf comes running upstairs telling me there is white stuff all over my Midas Blenny that I just introduced and it was very stressed during travel. We both looked at it for several minutes and we are thinking that it is just sand on it, because it was digging out a hole in one of my rocks. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
reeffreak
Reef pro
While you are waiting,it is safe to add other inhabitants.Shrimps,crabs and corals do not carry Ich.You have the lights and your system is stable then add away.
Alexander
Reef enthusiast
In addition to garlic extract there is also something called Selcon food booster. Its the SH*T. When I make my own frozen food i dump both selcon and garlic in the mix.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Everyone has good advice so far. Even if you do keep your tank fishless for two months, any new fish you bring in will probably carry ich (almost definitely and certainly). Really there is no 100%, surefire way to avoid ich. The trick is to make the environment as healthy and stress free as possible, as ich is an opportunistic parasite and can only take hold in animals that are already compromised, stressed or unhealthy. Like others have said, pick out some nice corals and inverts in the mean time to keep your tank looking alive.
daugherty
part time reefer
sorry to hear about the ich prob. just let it sit.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
You are on the right track. Let the tank sit with no fish for 6-8 weeks. You can add coral and/or inverts as ich does not and can not live off them. There is a slight, extremely small chance that the coral/invert can be carrying ich when it's in the trophant(tomont cyst) stage. That cyst can then hatch and start the infestation. The cyst can live 6-10 days without a host fish, then it dies.
Ich is either present on a fish or not present. There is no "sometimes it has it". It can't die off and mysteriously reappear. There are 2 100% scientifically proven ways to kill the cryptocaryon (ICH) parasite. Copper treatment or hyposalinity. Not garlic, not vitamins, not hocus pocus magic reef safe potions. Copper or hypo....period. If you properly treat a fish that had ich, it WILL NOT RETURN unless the parasite is introduced again. You can treat and cure a 15" sohal tang, put it in a 10g tank by itself, and even tho it will be stressed to the max, it WILL NOT GET ICH AGAIN. It is a parasite. A living organism that doesn't appear out of nowhere.
If you wait the 6-8 weeks with no fish, make sure you quarantine any new fish and watch for problems. Without quarantining new fish, you can introdice the parasite back into the tank and you will be back to square one.
Sorry for the rant. Ich misinformation kills me.
Ich is either present on a fish or not present. There is no "sometimes it has it". It can't die off and mysteriously reappear. There are 2 100% scientifically proven ways to kill the cryptocaryon (ICH) parasite. Copper treatment or hyposalinity. Not garlic, not vitamins, not hocus pocus magic reef safe potions. Copper or hypo....period. If you properly treat a fish that had ich, it WILL NOT RETURN unless the parasite is introduced again. You can treat and cure a 15" sohal tang, put it in a 10g tank by itself, and even tho it will be stressed to the max, it WILL NOT GET ICH AGAIN. It is a parasite. A living organism that doesn't appear out of nowhere.
If you wait the 6-8 weeks with no fish, make sure you quarantine any new fish and watch for problems. Without quarantining new fish, you can introdice the parasite back into the tank and you will be back to square one.
Sorry for the rant. Ich misinformation kills me.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
QUESTION: From the time you first noticed the ich, how long did it take for all the fish to die?
Also, 'hypo-salinity'? How much gravity?
Also, 'hypo-salinity'? How much gravity?
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Bifferwine
I am a girl
True, garlic and vitamins do not CURE ich, but ich has a hard time establishing itself in healthy animals that are not stressed. Stressed animals have compromised immune systems and get sick easier (just like people). Garlic and vitamins can help boost the immune system so that they can fight off the infection easier and not get infected as easily again.
