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kenqc
05/06/2009, 08:17 AM
Okay, so I was into the hobby for years, took a break and I am now starting over. I had 3 damsels, 2 ocellaris clowns, a lawnmower blenny, a sailfin tang and a Pakistani butterfly fish. I have live rock, a clean up crew, live sand, a hot protein skimmer, and 260 watts of pc lighting on a 60 gallon tank.

My BF started showing spots, but was eating well. So I bought some "reef safe" ich treatment. The spots disappeared. I stopped treatment. Then the rest of the fish got spots, I resumed treatment. The BF, then all the rest of the fish died over the course of two days except for my blue damsel. he has no spots, looks fat, eats like a pig and exhibits beautiful coloration. The cuc, including 2 different star fish, crabs, and snails appear fine.

My plan is to not add any fish for 6 weeks, but perhaps to add some corals such as mushrooms. I will then add perhaps 1 fish every three weeks, maxing out with 3 or 4 smaller fish total. I also have a 50 gallon where I am taking my time, and I am adding livesand today. The saltwater has been in for 3 days, the lighting and the hang on filter have been running. Bare bottom, no live rock yet.

I made a few mistakes with the 60 gallon.

1. added too many fish too soon
2. when my BF became infected, I should have captured him and removed him
3. bought some "reef safe" snake oil to treat
4. did not QT. I am setting up a third 10 or 20 gallon QT tank

Going forward 1 fish can be added every 3 or 4 weeks, never sooner.

My question is, is 6 weeks long enough to ensure that the ich or other parasite that wiped out my fish is gone? Second, is it safe to add mushrooms, zoos and other hearty corals depite potential ich in the tank? Third, should I have sand or a barebottom QT tank? What filtration? What Lighting? Does it have to cycle? Please advise so I can get my fish to live for years instead of months.

thegrun
05/06/2009, 08:34 AM
I would be concerned about the ich coming back. The damsels could act as a host, and while never showing signs of ich, keep it alive in your tank. I would recommend removing the damsels (I know, easier said than done) and keeping them in a QT tank for 6 weeks.
It is safe to add corals while you are waiting for the ich to go away.
I keep my QT tank with sand and LR. The truth is, my QT tank is morphing into a frag tank/mini reef tank all on its own (a common danger to reefers). I treat all new arrivals before they go into the QT tank. I haven't had to actually treat any fish/corals once in the QT tank, but if I did, I would set up a third treatment tank with a bare bottom and PVC fittings for the fish to hide in.

kenqc
05/06/2009, 09:04 AM
thanks for the info. What do you treat new arrivals with?