Getting ready to restock the tank. Questions about ich?

[cdare99]

So I started up a new tank awhile ago, it was all set up and fully stocked. Probably a little too much but they were all young, and planned on trying to remove them in they ever out grew it. The tank was going great fish were happy and ate like mad men. Then over the course of 2-3 day was just about wiped out, my ignorance to trust my fish store in properly treating them, but will not trust any one to do it but myself. The suspect was ich but was never sure(lfs though ich too). Basically, everything died but 1 green chromis. Caught him after awhile and was going to give to lfs to put in the copper tank but they are temporarily closed. So I put him in my refugium, my question is I was going to copper treat him in qt with another fish once I start up. But how long will it take for ich to be eradicated in my tank? Is one fish really enough for ich to survive in my tank? Its been about a month since its been only the chromis in there.

 

[cdare99]

Also, I don't really think he is the one that gave everyone ich, I think it was my purple tang that was also new, so I don't think he directly had the strain when I got him.

 

[ngoodermuth]

To eradicate ich, your tank should run fallow (fishless) for 76 days.

With a fish in the tank to host, ich can live up to FOUR years, assuming a new strain isn’t added to “refresh” the gene pool. In that case, could be longer...

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

So I started up a new tank awhile ago, it was all set up and fully stocked. Probably a little too much but they were all young, and planned on trying to remove them in they ever out grew it. The tank was going great fish were happy and ate like mad men. Then over the course of 2-3 day was just about wiped out, my ignorance to trust my fish store in properly treating them, but will not trust any one to do it but myself. The suspect was ich but was never sure(lfs though ich too). Basically, everything died but 1 green chromis. Caught him after awhile and was going to give to lfs to put in the copper tank but they are temporarily closed. So I put him in my refugium, my question is I was going to copper treat him in qt with another fish once I start up. But how long will it take for ich to be eradicated in my tank? Is one fish really enough for ich to survive in my tank? Its been about a month since its been only the chromis in there.

A complete wipe out that fast sounds more like velvet but since you don’t know for sure you will need 76 days fallow.

 

[cdare99]

See that’s what I was thinking because how quick it was and didn’t appear to be like ich, but the lfs seemed to think it was. Does anyone know of a treatment for velvet ok for corals I could do once the fish is out? Hoping I could speed up the eradication of it.

 

[cdare99]

Also what are your opinions on uv sterilizer, does it do enough to help. I know a lot of people think it doesn’t.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

See that’s what I was thinking because how quick it was and didn’t appear to be like ich, but the lfs seemed to think it was. Does anyone know of a treatment for velvet ok for corals I could do once the fish is out? Hoping I could speed up the eradication of it.

No you need to go fallow

 

[cdare99]

Don’t necessarily mean speed up but, have more success of the eradication. You think basic ich/velvet treatments will help at all.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Don’t necessarily mean speed up but, have more success of the eradication. You think basic ich/velvet treatments will help at all.

The only way to eradicate ich/velvet properly is to go fallow. If you rush it you will have another outbreak

 

[cdare99]

Another question, I wanted to keep the one chromis, it would be fine to treat him (only him)for 30 days, then retreat him for another 30 when I add more fish(more green chromis) to the quarantine for another 30-day treatment then observation after right? My reason why is so I can give the tank the full 76 days to get rid of the ich/velvet. Then just reintroduce him with the new fish.

 

[jsvand5]

Honestly if it were me I’d just return the chromis. Not really worth going through the hassle of treatment and holding it for your Fallow period for just one chromis.

Also, I don’t think you can hold it against your LFS. All stores get there fish from big wholesalers and it’s really not practical from a business standpoint to put all of their fish through a full QT. EVERY source of fish can introduce a disease. Even divers den.