50 gallon partial tank crash with ich outbreak

[Gregsreef]

My 50 gallon reef tank is going through a partial tank crash which was do to very high nitrate which caused a ich outbreak that killed all but one fish which is in a hospital tank now and I did a few water changes that got the nitrate level from around 100ppm down to 35ppm. I am doing a fishless cycle and am wondering how long it will take for the ich to go away and if I could add any corals during this time? I have a 2 inch sand bed and plenty of invertebrates.

 

[HeyJay]

High nitrates did not cause ich, and at 100ppm it probably wasn't effecting the fish at all.

When you say fishless cycle, do you mean going through a fallow period?

 

[Gregsreef]

The nitrates were at least 100ppm my anemones were the first ones to show signs that something was wrong and my small horseshoe crab was kicking up a lot of sand which may have been the cause of the ich outbreak and a lot of the fish started hiding and seemed to have a decrease in appetite except the chromis which is in the hospital tank.

The 50 gallon is established so I am trying to starve the ich by having no fish in there.

 

[Gregsreef]

After 2.5 months of no fish and no feeding the nitrates fell way down to 10ppm I added 2 pj cardinals yesterday and so far they are doing fine.