Inverts and Ich please help

[Gonj]

Recently just started up a 37g tank, I’m on week 2 of cycling and I had a pair of clown in there to help cycle. I noticed 1/2 clowns started showing signs of ich so I removed them both into a hospital tank and begun treating them. The one experiencing symptoms did not make it, the other clown seems just fine. I want to keep it quarantined at least 30days until the ich dies off. However I was gifted an urchin and a cleaner shrimp I also have pre existing snails and hermits. Will they be okay in the 37g? Can the ich live off them until I introduce fish again?

 

[40g Nano]

Ich can not live on anything but fish
So you should be good

 

[Gonj]

Ich can not live on anything but fish
So you should be good

Got it I was just concerned I wasn’t sure if it could remain dormant on the urchin or snails until i reintroduce my clown.

 

[40g Nano]

shouldnt
Just keep it fallow for 76 days, then add the fish back

 

[Gonj]

shouldnt
Just keep it fallow for 76 days, then add the fish back

Got it an should I continue treatment on the seemingly ich free clown?

 

[Hugh Mann]

You are treating the surviving clown with some method or other, yes? Otherwise waiting out the fallow is moot. Fish can carry ich, without showing the telltale spots.

You'll have to wait a minimum of 45 days before reintroducing any fish to the display. Many will say 76 days, but that was the result of one study that the accuracy of which is highly debated. Increase display tank temperature to 81, and 45 days and you'll be fine.

As for the urchin and such. Ich cannot reproduce without fish present. However, upon introduction the countdown timer for your fallow is reset. Part of the ich life cycle is encysting onto a hard surface, be it rock, coral, glass or invertebrate shells. It may be unlikely, but if there was any on the shell of the shrimp, it would restart the fallow period.

 

[aquakj]

shouldnt
Just keep it fallow for 76 days, then add the fish back

There has been a more recent discussion about the number of days by Jay Hemmal, who stated that 45 days is also a decent amount of time for the ich to die off...but if you want to be really sure and not have a doubt then yea go for the 76 days but a lot of people see or hear 76 days and then they dont even try at all anymore becasue its so long...so shoot for 45 and if you feel like you can wait it out longer then why not.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Got it an should I continue treatment on the seemingly ich free clown?

Yes! Most definitely!
Fish, especially thick slime coat fish like clowns, do not always present the white spots, but can still host ich in their gills. Put the clown through the full course of ich treatment.

 

[aquakj]

Also another tip dont add anything to your display until you have quarantined it...that includes corals, inverts, all of it! becasue they too can carry ich it just doesnt effect them they are a good transportation sysytem for ich to get into your tank.

 

[Gonj]

You are treating the surviving clown with some method or other, yes? Otherwise waiting out the fallow is moot. Fish can carry ich, without showing the telltale spots.

You'll have to wait a minimum of 45 days before reintroducing any fish to the display. Many will say 76 days, but that was the result of one study that the accuracy of which is highly debated. Increase display tank temperature to 81, and 45 days and you'll be fine.

As for the urchin and such. Ich cannot reproduce without fish present. However, upon introduction the countdown timer for your fallow is reset. Part of the ich life cycle is encysting onto a hard surface, be it rock, coral, glass or invertebrate shells. It may be unlikely, but if there was any on the shell of the shrimp, it would restart the fallow period.

I started treatment with api super ich cure it was all I can find on short notice I’ve since gotten seachem cupramine not sure if I should switch over to that. Got it I’m getting the urchin tomorrow so once it’s in the tank I’ll start the 45 day count down.

 

[Gonj]

Also another tip dont add anything to your display until you have quarantined it...that includes corals, inverts, all of it! becasue they too can carry ich it just doesnt effect them they are a good transportation sysytem for ich to get into your tank.

Definitely gonna start doing that this was my first tank and I just took LFS advice and dumped the clown in to cycle :/

 

[aquakj]

Definitely gonna start doing that this was my first tank and I just took LFS advice and dumped the clown in to cycle :/

Yea I know it seems like a lot of work but at the end of the days its worth it as opposed to dealing and losing fish because of ich...sometimes poeple will add corals to thier tank while they have the fish in QT and when time comes to put the fish in there is till ich in the tank because the whole time they kept adding stuff to it...then they will say things like the QT method didnt work, medication didnt work, fish will always have ich etc. So yea QT everything then add it I know it sucks but it is what it is...My best advice for corals would also be to remove the plug they came on if possible and put them on a new plug...and obviously dip the coral.

 

[Gonj]

Another questions will the snails,crabs,urchin, and shrimp produce enough ammonia with some feeding to continue to cycle my tank. I got some bottled ammonia just in case not sure what the best route would be.

 

[Gonj]

Yea I know it seems like a lot of work but at the end of the days its worth it as opposed to dealing and losing fish because of ich...sometimes poeple will add corals to thier tank while they have the fish in QT and when time comes to put the fish in there is till ich in the tank because the whole time they kept adding stuff to it...then they will say things like the QT method didnt work, medication didnt work, fish will always have ich etc. So yea QT everything then add it I know it sucks but it is what it is...My best advice for corals would also be to remove the plug they came on if possible and put them on a new plug...and obviously dip the coral.

Thanks for the tips any meds you recommend to treat new incoming fish that don’t appear to have any symptoms. Essentially meds for treating out of precaution rather than due to visible issues?

 

[jaganshi066]

Also another tip dont add anything to your display until you have quarantined it...that includes corals, inverts, all of it! becasue they too can carry ich it just doesnt effect them they are a good transportation sysytem for ich to get into your tank.

What a good way to quarantine inverts? I always wondered that cause I o lot have one quarantine tank for fish and that has copper in it

 

[aquakj]

Thanks for the tips any meds you recommend to treat new incoming fish that don’t appear to have any symptoms. Essentially meds for treating out of precaution rather than due to visible issues?

The go to's you hear a lot are copper, prazipro and ociassionally some freshwater dips and its best to have a copper test kit specifically the hanna copper test which is like $70 :[ lol...

 

[Gonj]

The go to's you hear a lot are copper, prazipro and ociassionally some freshwater dips and its best to have a copper test kit specifically the hanna copper test which is like $70 :[ lol...

Understood and treat with all 3 at once or just one would be safe?

 

[Gonj]

What a good way to quarantine inverts? I always wondered that cause I o lot have one quarantine tank for fish and that has copper in it

If you changed of the water and wiped down the tank would it still be unsafe for inverts?

 

[jaganshi066]

I keep a constant quarantine tank for fish though that’s always running. Even if I have a tank for inverts how would that be quarantining them without medicating them?

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

Don’t add ammonia to the tank with living things in there- this will kill all your inverts. Also I wouldn’t get the urchin- they eat a lot and if your tank is new enough to not by cycled then its very likely its not anywhere near mature enough for an urchin. These days the best way to cycle the tank is with nothing alive in it.

most people add a bacteria additive and and a small piece of table shrimp or manually dose ammonia until the tank proves it can process the ammonia with 24 hours- once thats done add some inverts (not an urchin) like crabs and snails, make sure they do ok for a while, then add your pair of clowns- so on and so forth until the tank is fully stocked.