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09/27/2017, 11:37 AM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Key Largo, FL
Posts: 184
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What can I put in an ich fallow tank?
I have an interesting scenario. Unfortunately, due to hurricane Irma and the extended power outage we had in Key Largo, I lost every fish in my DT and about 10% of my corals and some of my invertebrates (including a bubble tip anemone and cleaner shrimp). Just before the hurricane hit, I noticed that one of the fish, my blue hippo tang, had ich. I put him in a QT and he survived the storm. He's undergoing copper treatment now.
I think I read in the past in this forum that leaving a tank without fish for 90-days is guaranteed to kill ich, because ich needs fish hosts to survive. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm wondering what creatures (e.g. cleaner shrimp, bubble-tipped anemone, etc.) I can put back in before the 90-days has passed without increasing the odds of the ich surviving? |
09/27/2017, 11:49 AM | #2 |
RC Mod
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corals and invertebrates. ONLY fish can get ich. The object of the fallow period is to force any ich that may be encysted to break out, try to reproduce and die out (the swimmers have an exceedingly limited time to find a susceptible fish and latch on.) Failing that, it dies within a certain number of hours and does not reproduce. As a species it relies on blind luck and many, many individuals trying.
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Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%. Last edited by Sk8r; 09/27/2017 at 11:55 AM. |
09/27/2017, 11:52 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Brentwood,CA
Posts: 776
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A 72 day fallow period should be sufficient (unless things have changed since I did it 3 1/2 years ago). Anything wet from a system with fish has some potential to bring ich in. If you add things at the beginning of the fallow period it shouldn't be an issue
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10/05/2017, 10:51 AM | #4 |
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Key Largo, FL
Posts: 184
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Thanks everyone
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