How long after last ick drops off to return to main tank?

[jamal-188]

My main tank has been fishless for about 5 weeks. I've been treating the Q tank with copper(should have went with hyposalinity but didin't know any better at the time) Anyway I was dumb and was having problems with elevating nitrites in the Q tank so I did a couple water changes the first week or two with water from the main tank hoping some bacteria would transfer over knowing free swimming ick might as well but I didn't want all my fish to die from high nitrite. It's been 2-3 weeks since the last ick spot I've seen on my coral beauty, can I assume it is all dead and put the fish back in my main tank now or should I wait a little longer?

 

[fishfreek]

The normal livecycle for ich is approx 3-4weeks. If your main tank has been with out fish (aka the host for the parasite) for longer than 4 weeks then you shoudl be ok.

 

[Biggen]

Yeah, if your display has been fish free for 5 weeks, than it is safe to believe your display tank is clean.

I would give your coral beauty 4 weeks in the QT though. Two to three weeks is kinda stretching it thin.

 

[jamal-188]

I would give your coral beauty 4 weeks in the QT though. Two to three weeks is kinda stretching it thin.

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Sorry I think my original post was a little confusing. The coral beauty has been in the QT 5 weeks with all the other fish but I mean the last time I've seen ick on him was 2-3 weeks ago. I just don't want to transfer ick from the Q tank back to my display tank. I"m assuming unless the ick is directly on the fish I won't transfer it back.

 

[Biggen]

The coral beauty has been in the QT 5 weeks with all the other fish but I mean the last time I've seen ick on him was 2-3 weeks ago.

Doesn't matter if he has been in there for two years. If the last time you saw ich on him was no more than 3 weeks ago, then I would give him one more week in the QT. Like FF said, the normal lifecycle for ich is 3-4 weeks. I would do 4 weeks just in case. You wouldn't want to have to go through all of this again, would you? One more week is a small price to pay in order to prevent this from happening again.

I just don't want to transfer ick from the Q tank back to my display tank. I"m assuming unless the ick is directly on the fish I won't transfer it back.

Oh yes it can. If the parasite is in its free swimming stage, you could easily transfer it back to the main tank by taking your QT water and pouring it in your main tank.

What I would do, is give the fish one more week in the QT. If no signs of ich are present, begin to acclimate the fish to the display and put him in.

 

[jamal-188]

I thought maybe if I neted the fish and didn't transfer the water it would be better but I'll give the coral beauty and all the other fish in the Q tank another week or so. I'll just acclimate them in a bucket with a drip line, then net them and put them in the display tank after that.

 

[jamal-188]

double post sorry

 

[Biggen]

Ok so I'll give the coral beauty and all the other fish in the Q tank another week or so. I also figured it would be better not to transfer the water from the Q tank back to my main tank just in case. I'll just acclimate them in a bucket with a drip line, then net them and put them in the display tank.

 

[jamal-188]

Another problem, my one damsel in the Q tank has been in front of the water return jet and has scratched on the rocks a few times today, I guess my ick problem is not gone I've used the recomended dosage of coppersafe and added it when I did water changes, I don't understand how he could possibly be getting ick again?

Maybe I should just start the hyposalinity treatment now and wait another 3 weeks or so to add them back to my display. I'm so upset, I was really looking forward to putting them back in my display in a week with alll my new LR and inverts

 

[Biggen]

He may not have ich. Are there any visible signs on the parasite on the body? He may have just scratched himself accidently. My coral beauty always seems to have cuts and abrasions on him from roaming around the rocks all the time.

I do think your best bet *was* to use hypo, but go ahead and finish out the treatment you have already started and we will take it from there.

I'm so upset, I was really looking forward to putting them back in my display in a week with alll my new LR and inverts

Yeah, I know it sucks but hang in there. At least you are learning at the same time. From now on, you won't have to worry about infecting your main tank any longer.

 

[jamal-188]

I don't see any ick spots on him so I"m crossing my fingers. I will always up the hypo treatment from now one!

 

[Lance126]

Just like to ask will the Ich survive in the Tank if the fishes left show no sign of infestation despite the infection of one fish? Does this mean the Ich will die becuase the cannot attach themselves to the remaining Fish ( potential hosts)?

I already quarantined the infected fish.

Thanks 8)

 

[Biggen]

Just like to ask will the Ich survive in the Tank if the fishes left show no sign of infestation despite the infection of one fish? Does this mean the Ich will die becuase the cannot attach themselves to the remaining Fish ( potential hosts)?

Not necessarily. Your remaining fish may be showing no signs of ich because the life cycle has not gone completely around again. The normal life cycle for SW ich seems to be a month or so. This is probably actually longer than the cycle, but this gives one a good margin of error.

Some fish have an innate immunity to the parasite. But these seem to be few and far between. You can either hope for the best for the remaining fish, or move them to quarantine.