Going fallow and treating fish - What would you do?

[Brieninsac]

I'm trying to decide how best to treat my fish after my DT got Ich. I know I'm going to get varying opinions and hopefully I'll choose the right one.

Over the last month I've lost two fish to Ich with a few others showing signs of it. So I'm debating how to go about this in the best fashion. I have no problem removing all the fish and going fallow for 72-days. It's how I deal with the fish that has me confused.

Currently I have two 10-gal QTs. I usually just observe my fish in there for a month before putting them into the DT. Recently, I rushed what I thought was a stressed Kole Tang into my DT, which is how I got the Ich. Lesson learned.

I've done the TTM with Praziopro before so I'm familiar with that method. But if I do this I'll have all my fish in a single 10-gal. tank. So I'm concerned about too many fish being confined into a small space. If that's true, then I can split them up into the two QTs and treat them each with Cupramine.

I don't care about work level so much as doing it the right way. Hopefully I can get some guidance in doing so.

Fish list
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Firefish
1 Royal Gramma
1 Pajama Cardinal
3 Dispar Anthias
1 Neon Blue Goby
1 Coral Beauty Angelfish
1 Diamond Watchman Goby
5 Green Chromis
1 Longnose Hawkfish
1 Carpenter's Wrasse

[microlady]

That many fish will never work in 10 gallon tanks. A couple of 29 or 40 gallon tanks would probably be needed. It is going to be hard keeping them there for a few months if they are uncycled. Good luck to you.

[microlady]

What size is your display? That's quite a stock list!

[Brieninsac]

73-gal.

[ali1]

The fish are small. You can split them into 2 10g tanks and do transfers daily to minimze risk of ammonia.

Or buy 2 30g tanks and do 72hour transfers

2nd option is safer.

[Brieninsac]

Ok, so it sounds like trying to put all these fish into one 10-gal. tank is too much. So, I'm going to go the Cupramine route.

Since I want to use new water in my hospital tanks is it ok to use Bio-spira to cycle them before adding the fish and then the Cupramine? Will Bio-spira have any negative effect on the Cupramine?

[ali1]

Im sure cupramine will wipe chunks of your bacteria.... resulting in mini cycles

[pisanoal]

Im sure cupramine will wipe chunks of your bacteria.... resulting in mini cycles

Why are you sure of this? Never experienced this when using cupramine.

[snorvich]

Are you sure the pathogen was ich?

[Brieninsac]

I'd say I'm 90% sure.

In lieu of using new water and Bio-spira I'm going to use 70% DT water and the rest new.

Making water now and hope to start this process in a few hours. My biggest concern will be tying to catch he fish. I suspect this will take all day.