Fallow Tank

[danj]

I had a problem with saltwater ick and had to remove all my critters from my main tank. 55g. I am presently treating it with rid ick+. There are no fish in the tank. How long should the tank remain fishless? I want to be positive that i dont put fish back in a bad tank.
I am also very new to saltwater. I have a 75g freshwater that is doing very well.
TIA Dan

 

[Brenden]

6-8 weeks without a host will kill ich by itself. I would not have added the chemicals to my main.

 

[danj]

I have stopped the chemicals and put my charcoal filters back in. This should help get rid of the meds. I have the powerheads heater and filters still running. Should i also restart my skimmer? Is there anything else i should be doing for the next 6 to 8 weeks?
I am also still doing partial water changes.

 

[Brenden]

I would start the skimmer. I would remove the filters. After med is out I would put new filters in. I am guessing you have no corals since you medicated the tank. WC's are definitely not going to hurt your main but I would focus most of your WC's on the tank the fish are currently in.

 

[danj]

All that is left is two yellow tail damsels and some live rock all in a QT tank right now. I will take out the filters as suggested and continue the WC's. On both tanks.

Thanks for the help Brenden.

 

[Phyl]

I would do some water changes, run carbon and watch the skimmer if you've already turned it back on. Some meds make them go haywire. I would fallow the 75 for at least 8 weeks.

How are you treating the remaining fish?

 

[danj]

Phyl
The remaining fish and live rock are all doing well in a QT right now. Just doing the normal maintainance on them. No meds etc. The 55g tank is the sick one. And there is nothing in it . And i am running carbon filters on it now.

Thanks

 

[reeling reefer]

I ran my 37 gallon tank fallow for 6 weeks and that did the trick, but 8 weeks is even better.

 

[melosu58]

I agree meds not nessesary. As long as no fish in you will rid tank in 8 weeks. Good luck

 

[Brenden]

6 weeks will work 8 weeks is adds a guarantee

 

[Phyl]

I have heard people say that they fallowed for 6 and had them come back. I wouldn't take the chance over the 2w, personally. Are the fish in QT the ones from the "sick" tank?

 

[danj]

Yes. The two damsels were in the main tank when the ich occurred. I did get a QT up in a hurry and put the LR and inverts in it. I then started to treat the fish in the main tank. How ever the Heni still dyed. One damsel looked very ill. So i removed the damsels also. It has now been a week since this happened and the damsels and the LR and inverts all seem to be doing well in the QT. As suggested i have stopped meds and i am just doing like regular maint. on both the main tank and the QT.
I am just going to wait the 6 to 8weeks before i start to put back the LR and fish in the main tank. Unless someone has a better idea. Like start all over or whatever.

 

[danj]

While probably not able to affect a cure in a full-blown infestation, the use of cleaner shrimp may help with a mild problem.
Has anyone tryed this to help get rid of ich. This is from a reef aquarium site.

 

[Phyl]

Cleaner shrimp, garlic, selcon and possibly ground ginger will help fend off ich, but if you have ich the only way to really get rid of it (even though your fish are asymptomatic) would be to treat them (but not the inverts nor the rock) using either hypo or copper. There's a chance that when you get your fish back into your tank that you could end up with ich again upon introducing a fish that is more susceptible than the damsels that you've got in QT.

 

[Brenden]

Has anyone tryed this to help get rid of ich

It will only remove the symptoms not the disease.
I would hypo the fish while your main is fallow. If not you may simply re-introduce ich.

 

[danj]

At present the damsels do not show any sign of ich. Is it possible that they are just a carrier?? I thought ich would kill any fish if not treated.
And is it also true that inverts and LR will not get ich?? And if that is true could i put the LR and inverts back in the main tank??
I'm sorry for the 90 questions here, but i am a real noob at saltwater. And this ich has me very discouraged. It seems the more i read the more confused i get .
I do want thank u both for all your help.

 

[Brenden]

I thought ich would kill any fish if not treated.

not in six weeks. fish can carry disease a long time. Only when stressed etc. and immune system is low do they get sick"

And is it also true that inverts and LR will not get ich??

true but if they are in a tank with a host the ich can still "hitch hike" on the rock.
I would put the lr and inverts back in your main and then hypo the fish for 6 weeks. Then over the next week or two (week7 & 8) bring your salinity back up. at the end of week 8 put them back in the main.

 

[danj]

I will start the hypo right away. And have moved the other stuff back to main tank.

 

[Phyl]

Ich is actually a parasite and not a disease

The parasite can proliferate without killing the host as long as the host is strong/healthy enough to keep fighting them off. You may not even notice them continuing their cycle. If you've had ich in your tank your best bet is to hypo the fish that you've got.

Use 1 week to get the salinity down, 6 weeks at the lowered salinity, 1 week to bring the SG back up to speed and 1 week for insurance.

If you've moved anything back into the main your fallow starts all over. Nothing into the main for at 6-8 starting today! Those inverts could be carrying some stage of ich with them.

Good luck! Watch your PH, SG, Alk & ammo (even if the tank has been stable as the drop in salinity could cause a new cycle).

 

[danj]

Ok! I will let u know how things turn out in 45 or more days. This has turned out to be a very bad experience. But some of it is my own fault. Should have done more research and used the QT in the first place.