ICH why is it back

[exos1]

Hello I had Ich and I think Velvet in the DT, I took all the fish out and in to QT for the copper treatment, left the DT fishless for 76 days.
Its back after 4 weeks of putting the fish back in...... WHY is that ......
I put nothing in the DT tank for the 76 days QT was 15ft away
what have I done wrong ????????????
Many Thanks

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Assuming that you have a correct diagnosis, the fish in the QT were probably not 100% cleared. Ich can simmer at unoticiable levels for a long time. Another possibility is that ich reinfected your tank by being carried in on some new invertebrate.
Jay

 

[Timfish]

What Jay said. The cycsts can form on any hard sustrate and be transferred that way.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Were you still doing vacuuming and water changes in the DT during the 76 days?

 

[nereefpat]

What product did you use for copper? What concentration and how long? After treatment, did fish go to a new QT tank?

 

[piranhaman00]

What was "Copper Treatment"? If you didnt do a tank swap at 14 days that is probably your answer.

 

[exos1]

Many Thanks for your replies
I used Cupramine as the instructions stated?
I put nothing in the DT for the 76 days, the fish were in the QT for the same length of time. This is what I don't understand as reading everywhere the time is 76 days and that should have killed the cycle !?
I did do water changes but not as many and I made sure I did not cross contaminate.
I am now thinking that it is velvet as it is more of a powdery sprinkling, the fish are now out of the DT and all in quarantine and I am now treating with copper again. I will leave the DT empty of fish for another 3 months. Is there anything else I need to do as I am at my whits end ?

 

[jaganshi066]

Strange mine usually go away and don’t come back when I use cupramine. It did come back when I decided to add a dish without quarantining him which made me go another two months woth no fish in my dt but not doing that again

 

[nereefpat]

The fish were copper treated for 76 days?

 

[Uncle99]

Hello I had Ich and I think Velvet in the DT, I took all the fish out and in to QT for the copper treatment, left the DT fishless for 76 days.
Its back after 4 weeks of putting the fish back in...... WHY is that ......
I put nothing in the DT tank for the 76 days QT was 15ft away
what have I done wrong ????????????
Many Thanks

How long after the last spot seen did you continue the treatment?

I go 14 days after the last spot is gone, then, 7 days beyond that in normal saltwater.

So, on average, 30ish days from the fish entering the copper.

 

[ReefOnTheBayou]

Many Thanks for your replies
I used Cupramine as the instructions stated?
I put nothing in the DT for the 76 days, the fish were in the QT for the same length of time. This is what I don't understand as reading everywhere the time is 76 days and that should have killed the cycle !?
I did do water changes but not as many and I made sure I did not cross contaminate.
I am now thinking that it is velvet as it is more of a powdery sprinkling, the fish are now out of the DT and all in quarantine and I am now treating with copper again. I will leave the DT empty of fish for another 3 months. Is there anything else I need to do as I am at my whits end ?

Any updates? I would like to know how long you treated your fish for in your qt? Did you verify that the levels were in therapeutic range for a total of 30 days if you did the 1 tank qt? Thanks