Post-ich dilema

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johnkristie

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Messages
215
Location
San Diego
So I've had my main tank in hypo treatment for about for about 6 weeks and all signs of ich are gone :D . I originally took all of my hermits out before hypo and kept isolated in a 5 gal bucket doing water changes every other day. I'm brining the SG back up in my main tank now and am wondering if it is safe to bring my hermits back in without the risk of re-infecting the main tank again with ich. Thoughts?
 
Hermits are not an ich risk. It's fine to put them back in. Ich is fish specific and doesn't seem to prey on inverts. What you should keep a weary eye on are nitrate levels to help avoid re infestation and QT any new fish for about two weeks before introducing into the main tank. If you have a reef system...invest in a skunk cleaner shrimp or two. They'll eat the little buggers right off the fish if they come back.
 
I know inverts are not an ich risk, but what I was more concerned about was that they could be carriers. If the ich was able to survive in the water from the bucket isolation and then when I put the hermits back in they would carry that water and re-infect the tank. I've never really had a nitrate problem. The ich came in on a blue tang that had been quarantined. For the history of this link see the "Tangs Diseased" thread in this general discussion forum.
 
If you want to be completly safe, which you do, rinse them in some tank water from your main in a bucket before putting them back in. ;)
 
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