how long after treating ich can i put my fish back?

[Tropical Baker 17]

In my infinite string of bad luck I have lost 2 fish in 2 weeks and almost my third. My setup is 55gal with 40# sand and 60# LR. The tank us relatively new and as of 2 weeks ago contained 2 clowns and a strawberry bassalet. First the clown died 4 days after getting him with out any signs of disease or distress. I checked all my readings and everything was fine. 4 days later the bassalet is also found dead. Fine at night but dead in the morning. His tail was ripped up but I think that was from getting stuck to the powerhead after. So now I am down to 1 clown. I wake up this morning and he is swimming oddly in a part of the tank he usually doesn't go to. He is close to the surface and weak. Upon further inspection he had white spots.

So before work I grab my 10g and fill it with water from my MT. I throw in a small PH and a heater and does it with formulin/malchite green I have lying around. When I return home my clown is swimming happily and no longer has white spots. YAY!

So my question is can I return him to the MT after I get home tomorrow? I will double check all my readings before doing so and need to add 5gal of new water anyway. I'm curious because it seems like a very quick turn around time since he seemed on the brink of death not long ago.

 

[Northstar24]

You added way too many fish too fast, which likely led to your issues.

If your goal is to get ich out of your display, it will need to be fish less for 8 weeks - that is the life cycle of the ich parasite

 

[monkiboy]

+1, i would say even longer. you got to let that DT run fallow for 12 weeks+ to be certain.

the guy you have in QT now needs to be there for at least 30 days regardless of the white spots being gone. and that's 30 days after he seems healthy, active, eating vigorously, etc in QT.

 

[Tropical Baker 17]

Ok so if I let the DT run out the 8-12 weeks with just my inverts my clown will stay in the QT tank for that entire time. To help with water quality, now that I'm done dosing with meds, shoud I strap on a carbon filter?

After I am certain that all the ich has been killed off I should QT all new fish for at least 30days correct?

 

[wontonflip]

Well, in the qt., you'd also have to treat the actual ich (copper or hyposalinity -- lowered to 1.009 are the best treatments).

But otherwise, yes....all new fish have to be qt'd and actually treated for ich even if they're not showing signs going forward. Because some fish can handle the stress from the move rather well, and will not show signs, but doesn't mean they're not carriers. But if you want an ich free tank, then this is what you have to do.

Most of us don't QT (not that I recommend it, really, because if I could start all over, ALL my fish would be pre-treated), but it's the risk we take. We just strive to keep our fish healthy and our water parameters stable. Some people here who've had ich have had success letting the fish fight it off on their own. But yes, there can be losses, regardless. It's always a risky move. I'm sure my tank's got ich, but I've never ever seen it on any of my fish. They're all nice and healthy as far as I know.

 

[Tropical Baker 17]

so the formulin and malachite green are not actually killing off the ich in the QT?

 

[Northstar24]

so the formulin and malachite green are not actually killing off the ich in the QT?

No. The only two ways that will consistently and reliably work to get rid of ich are copper and hyposalinity

Check out these handy dandy links
https://www.livingreefs.com/oh-no-have-ich-do-do-t30950.html
https://www.livingreefs.com/hyposalinity-treatment-ich-t29672.html
https://www.livingreefs.com/copper-101-a-t29680.html

 

[Tropical Baker 17]

perfect! Thanks guys!

 

[bjohanson1234]

Malachite green is used more for fresh water Ich. Even though very similar to marine Ich, they are two different species and are affected differently by the same medications.