Tank Fallow Completion.

[Psylacus]

So, I bought a purple tang QT it for a (NOT ENOUGH) period of time. Put it into my main tank and BAM! ICHASAURUSREX. Anyway, so pulled everyone out of my tank and have had all my babies in 3 tanks scattered across the house. Its now been 71 days as of this posting.

Everyone has been coppered (If they can i.e. Mandarin - poor thing hasn't been). Now with that being said. I want to start putting fish back in. Starting with the mandarin and maybe the Chromis.

Have I waited long enough- I have seen EVERYTHING from 4 weeks/6 weeks/8 week- 72 days/76 days. 6 months BURN THE WHOLE THING DOWN AND START FRESH and - who cares just manage it and feed them.

Ok, now that, thats out of the way - what are the thoughts?

This whole time I have changed out the rock, vacuumed and moved the sand. 110 watt UV sterilizer running as well - Checked the parameters - fed the corals and yup here we are. 71 days of now fish except for feed bins and QT tanks on the floor.

So now - what is the consensus here? Time to go for the fishes. The Tangs will be last. So here is what I have.

So the question is, should I go for it, and in what order would you put them back in

Tangs (lots of them its a 600 gallon system - 300 DT / 210 Sump/ 100 Refugium).
Cherub Angel/Flameback angel. (I know there is a risk).
3 Dartfish
3 Chromis
1 Mandarin
Lots of Wrasse like 6 of em.
Copperband Butterfly (I know he is a risk).
2 Blue Throat Triggers (also a risk)
4 Clowns
2 Rabbitfish
1 Spot Breast Angel
1 Watanabe Angel
2 Flamehawks
2 Blue Spot Jawfish
1 Zerbra Goby
2 Cardinals
1 Anthias
1 Royal Gramma
1 Midas Blenny
1 Angst-y Wife

 

[Big G]

Good on you for taking such great care of your little buddies
I usually do 76 days just to make sure.
Restocking the tank. I'd keep it simple. Start with the least aggressive.
Best of luck.

 

[Psylacus]

Ya I just have a hard time waiting any longer. Considering it's been now almost 72. Standard deviation is so far removed that I'm really curious if at this point I'm splitting hairs. Especially with uv running

 

[Fowler freak]

I waited 76 days fallow after an ich outbreak while copper powering all fish for 30 plus days. Ich was still present which was devastating. Round two I threw all of my sand away and dried all of my live rock. If I could do round 1 again I would’ve waited 90+ days. Take your time so this is the first and last time you do this. Good luck

 

[Psylacus]

Ya, I think I will go insane. I have so many fish tanks around my house all that need water changes. So its like literally I am doing water changes every day of my life. Anyone else want to chime in? <3

 

[Fowler freak]

I feel your pain you have no idea. I had to empty a fully stocked 260 with angels, tangs, wrasses, and all kind of other beautiful stuff. 4 qt tanks total for 3 months with constant monitoring/WC,s. I won’t do it again this is the second time to attempting to irradiate ich. Predator tank if this doesn’t do the trick. Good luck and don’t cross contaminate.

Ya, I think I will go insane. I have so many fish tanks around my house all that need water changes. So its like literally I am doing water changes every day of my life. Anyone else want to chime in? <3

 

[Psylacus]

OK at 74 days anyone else one to chime in?

 

[sharpimage]

How did you deal with the mandarin to rid him of ICh? TTM or what? And I would wait until 90 ish days. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Fowler freak]

OK at 74 days anyone else one to chime in?

74? Nope

 

[jsvand5]

If it were me I’d just throw everything back in at once but I wouldn’t have pulled everything in the first place. I had a very similar situation in my 210g tank. I QTd everything but ich still slipped through. The thought of pulling everything was ominous and I decided to just buy a TMC110 sterilizer. Signs of ich were almost completely gone within a week. Haven’t lost any fish even though ich is still present. The only fish that ever shows spots is my Achillies tang. Generally has between zero and ten spots on him depending on the day. Been well over a year and I just don’t worry about ich anymore.

 

[Nhltc99]

76 days is the number I've always heard. I would wait the extra few days at this point just in case.

Also, for your mandarin I would recommend tank transfer method. Even mandarin's that don't generally have issues with ich due to the thick slimecoat can carry it in their gills and bring it into your sterilized tank.

 

[Psylacus]

@sharpimage he never showed signs of ich and I caught it the day that I started seeing it. The Mandarin is In a tank that has been moved around 2 or 3 times. Been housed with an achilles. So at this point I assume him to be ich free. 70 days with an Achilles 2ith no spots is a good sign lol.