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Dr. Dai Phan

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jun 13, 2008
Messages
231
Hello all,

After a month in 10 gallon QT, my Powder Blue Tang is ich free. He is eating and quite happy everytime I enter the room. He is eating the green and red caulepra and the flake I give him. Should I now acclimate him followed by a fresh water dip then to the main tank? I am afraid he will be stressed out then ich will start all over in my main tank! My LFS told me not to worry because ich won't attack fish that are healthy as all my fish are thriving. Or should I return the fish because the risk if ich attack is too high when he is transfered to my main tank? Thanks Dai Phan
 
If your fish no longer has ich and you allowed your main tank to remain fallow for the required 30 days then your tang won't get ich upon reintroduction. Animals cannot get a parasite that doesn't exist. Also, ich can and does indeed attack healthy fish. Think about it, why on earth would a parasite attack a non-healthy animal? If that animal is on its way out, it would not be beneficial to the parasite ;) I wouldn't bother with a freshwater dip upon acclimation as this just isn't a viable method to reduce a Crypt. infestation. Most people don't seem to realize that a freshwater dip usually refers to the animal remaining in freshwater for at least 5-10 minutes. I personally find freshwater dips to be beneficial at times, but some animals do not tolerate them well so observe your animals closely (do not walk away while fw dipping!) :)
 
Like innovator said, it's good to go. I am assuming that the water in the QT is about the same as the DT. If so just add the fish in. if not then put it in a plastic bag and at least acclimate for temp.
 
If your fish no longer has ich and you allowed your main tank to remain fallow for the required 30 days then your tang won't get ich upon reintroduction. Animals cannot get a parasite that doesn't exist. Also, ich can and does indeed attack healthy fish. Think about it, why on earth would a parasite attack a non-healthy animal? If that animal is on its way out, it would not be beneficial to the parasite ;) I wouldn't bother with a freshwater dip upon acclimation as this just isn't a viable method to reduce a Crypt. infestation. Most people don't seem to realize that a freshwater dip usually refers to the animal remaining in freshwater for at least 5-10 minutes. I personally find freshwater dips to be beneficial at times, but some animals do not tolerate them well so observe your animals closely (do not walk away while fw dipping!) :)

Hi,

What do you mean "your main tank to remain fallow.."? My main tank has all kinds of fish and coral in it. I know you will kill me but this is what I have (and they all thrive) and the tank is about 14 months old.

1. 4 green chromis
2. 8 yellow tail damsels.
3. 4 tomato clowns.
4. one fox face.
5. one pajama cardinal.
6. one yellow wrasse.
7. one blenny (the one with eye lashes).
8. one mandarin fish.
9. two cleaner shrimps.
10. one blood cleaner shrimp.

I have a bunch of soft corals and they are multiplying in the tank. There are pink coraline algae all over. Any concern about overstocking with the PB? Water chemistry is as good as it is going to get. Nitrate about 5, everything is zero. PWC 20 gallons every two weeks. It is a 125 gallon with 20 gallon-ish refugium/sump with green/red caulepra. Thanks DP
 
Going fallow means going fishless. So as long as there are fish in your main tank, you can assume that ich is still in there. Ich needs fish to survive. The only way to rid yourself of ich is to remove all fish from the display, treat them for ich, and during that time let the main tank go fishless for 6-8 weeks. That will then break the life cycle of ich and insure that it's not in your main tank.

If you kept all those fish in there while treating the PBT, then you can probably assume ich is still present - even if the other fish show no visible signs.
 
A misunderstanding?

Hello all,

To make sure I understand please confirm the following. I need to get all the fish out in my main tank (going fallow) for 30 days? The main tank is healthy and never had any disease outbreaks at all. All the corals and fish are doing very well. The task of taking all the fish out is impossible because they are impossible to catch and there will be major disruption in the main tank. If I need to go fallow in my main tank to accomodate the PBT, then I just return the fish as it is not worth the hassle in my view. Besides I don't have another place to stock my fish. Is there another way? DP
 
You say the main tank "never had any disease outbreaks at all". Did the PBT come out of the main tank? Or did it develop ich while in quarantine BEFORE going into the main tank?

If the PBT came out of your main tank, then sorry... your tank has ich. But I'm thinking you don't want to hear that.
 
No, that's 6-8 weeks without fish. Since you have so many fish in there I would just return the PBT. If not he might be okay until he is stressed out by something then since the ich is more then likely resident in your tank he will come down with it again.
 
You say the main tank "never had any disease outbreaks at all". Did the PBT come out of the main tank? Or did it develop ich while in quarantine BEFORE going into the main tank?

If the PBT came out of your main tank, then sorry... your tank has ich. But I'm thinking you don't want to hear that.

The PBT got ich while in quarantine tank. It never set his fins in my main tank at all. For historical purpose, the Kordon's Ick Attack (made up of herbal) does not work in my case at all. After I switched to Coopersafe, ich were gone. Good stuff but I heard extremely bad for corals. DP
 
OK... if the tang was never in your tank, AND none of the fish in your main tank have ever shown signs of ich, then it's probably safe to assume there is no ich in your tank. No guarantee obviously, as ich can be present and not necessarily get a strong enough foothold to make itself known.

But if you've quarantined all incoming fish for 4 weeks in a separate tank, and not seen any disease in your main tank, I'd say you're as good as you can get.
 
I think it is ALMOST time!

Hello all,

I will keep the PBT in the QT for another week then he will go into the main tank. What is the proper protocol to transfer him over? Fresh water dip then drip acclimation then to the main tank? Or acclimation then to the main tank? I must take into account the cooper in the QT water so that means no water from there can be allowed to get in the main aquarium. I think the LEAST stress that he is in, the better he will be. Dai
 
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