Fallow period for tank

[TortillaMan]

Wanted to figure out what I had. I have 52 days left on my fallow period. My question is what did I have really? These are pics of the ailments my fish had. These are old pics of them they were alive so I can’t retake the pics in white lights. Might hinder the disease ID’s.

What I suspected the fish to have after doing research : flukes, ich, black ich.

Threadfin would do this thing where it would “shake his head no” or dart from one end of the tank

Sohal: dip its head in the sand (mainly where is lateral lines were) and it would swim into the powerheads. I know it wasn’t velvet because it shouldn’t have lasted 2.5 months. It would do a gentle flash against the back wall

Midas: eye turned clody and went a bit pale, would flash against back wall and/or sand bed

Mandarin: developed these clody growths on it. Reminded me of moldy bread

File fish: hid from light and its fins seemed to be nipped to shreds (likely the six line I had but never caught it attack), fish also had this large patch on its side

Six line: seemed to have ich and would flash against rock or back wall. No pics tho

 

[Naekuh]

#fishmedic

You need one of these guys....

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Wanted to figure out what I had. I have 52 days left on my fallow period. My question is what did I have really? These are pics of the ailments my fish had. These are old pics of them they were alive so I can’t retake the pics in white lights. Might hinder the disease ID’s.

What I suspected the fish to have after doing research : flukes, ich, black ich.

Threadfin would do this thing where it would “shake his head no” or dart from one end of the tank

Sohal: dip its head in the sand (mainly where is lateral lines were) and it would swim into the powerheads. I know it wasn’t velvet because it shouldn’t have lasted 2.5 months. It would do a gentle flash against the back wall

Midas: eye turned clody and went a bit pale, would flash against back wall and/or sand bed

Mandarin: developed these clody growths on it. Reminded me of moldy bread

File fish: hid from light and its fins seemed to be nipped to shreds (likely the six line I had but never caught it attack), fish also had this large patch on its side

Six line: seemed to have ich and would flash against rock or back wall. No pics tho

Those fish may not have all had the same issues, but most of what you described is a sign of flukes.

 

[TortillaMan]

Those fish may not have all had the same issues, but most of what you described is a sign of flukes.

Should I still do the 78 days just to be safe?

 

[nereefpat]

Head shaking is the way flukes is described.

Follow period for flukes, I believe, is 6 weeks. Jay would have a better opinion on that. The 78 day fallow period for ich is pretty unnecessary. 45-60, depending on temperature is the current practice.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Should I still do the 78 days just to be safe?

With no fish in the tank, flukes die out within 45 days. The eggs have to hatch out within 30 days and if the larva don’t find a fish just in a few days, they die.

 

[TortillaMan]

Head shaking is the way flukes is described.

Follow period for flukes, I believe, is 6 weeks. Jay would have a better opinion on that. The 78 day fallow period for ich is pretty unnecessary. 45-60, depending on temperature is the current practice.

Right 78 is a bit much but it’s ok. I’m currently at 79F in my DT and it’s been like that for about a month now. How long do you think I should ajust to

 

[TortillaMan]

With no fish in the tank, flukes die out within 45 days. The eggs have to hatch out within 30 days and if the larva don’t find a fish just in a few days, they die.

Based on what you read in the post are you sure its flukes instead of ich? They did not respond to polyp-lab medic at all. They should not have survived for as long as they did if it was ich. Might do 78 days anyways to be safe but I’ve heard you know your stuff. I’ve done my own research and for my own personal schedule I will be purchasing pre-Qt’d fish from a reputable source

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Based on what you read in the post are you sure its flukes instead of ich? They did not respond to polyp-lab medic at all. They should not have survived for as long as they did if it was ich. Might do 78 days anyways to be safe but I’ve heard you know your stuff. I’ve done my own research and for my own personal schedule I will be purchasing pre-Qt’d fish from a reputable source

No - as I said, the main symptoms seem like flukes, but fish can have more than one disease at a time. 60 days at 79 degrees is long enough to cause protozoans and/or flukes to die out from lack of a host. 30 days is enough if it is just flukes. 78 (actually 76) days was incorrect information that got spread around for years. It was based on somebody misreading a scientific paper.

 

[TortillaMan]

No - as I said, the main symptoms seem like flukes, but fish can have more than one disease at a time. 60 days at 79 degrees is long enough to cause protozoans and/or flukes to die out from lack of a host. 30 days is enough if it is just flukes. 78 (actually 76) days was incorrect information that got spread around for years. It was based on somebody misreading a scientific paper.

I did end up gettting secondary infections. My sohal got black Ich maybe 2 weeks before it died. It’s some kind of worm or something and I think it’s fallow is 45 days(?). I am worried that if I don’t do the 76 days then this whole thing for nothing and I had ich some where