Adding fish after ich outbreak

[southeastfishaddict]

So I had a large ich infestation that killed most of my fish, except for a few that are doing well. It looks like they have survived, hopefully. Many of you claim that ich is in the majority of the fish tanks, including many of the fish shops that I have been to. They say that their tanks all run together and that they had similar issues, so it’s almost impossible to get rid of it since they had it before at some point. If that’s the case, can I add one or two more fish to see how they react or do I have to wait for the ich to die off? The problem is that the few small fish that are still alive are lightning fast in a large tank with a lot of rock work and can’t catch them.

Thank you all & your advice is always appreciated.

 

[Lavey29]

I feel mature healthy systems can manage ich much better then new still developing systems so depends on your tank. Certain fish are much more prone to outbreaks. Your 2 fish you have left may have good immune systems so if you wait 76 days and they still seem healthy you can try a new fish but I would go slow and QT any new additions.

 

[littlefoxx]

I would go the fallow route (fishless) for whatever the life cycle of ich is

 

[southeastfishaddict]

I feel mature healthy systems can manage ich much better then new still developing systems so depends on your tank. Certain fish are much more prone to outbreaks. Your 2 fish you have left may have good immune systems so if you wait 76 days and they still seem healthy you can try a new fish but I would go slow and QT any new additions.

Thank you Lavey29, I was going to pay a little more and purchase already quarantined fish. To speed up the process should I still treat the tank with polyp lab? I have a couple of bottles still..

 

[southeastfishaddict]

I would go the fallow route (fishless) for whatever the life cycle of ich is

Thanks little Fox, but as I mentioned.. it’s impossible to catch the few fish that are still in the tank, therefore going fallow is not an option at the point.

 

[littlefoxx]

Thanks little Fox, but as I mentioned.. it’s impossible to catch the few fish that are still in the tank, therefore going fallow is not an option at the point.

Ah missed the part about the two fish still in there! Is it a reef tank?

 

[southeastfishaddict]

Yep, it’s a reef tank ..

 

[littlefoxx]

Yep, it’s a reef tank ..

Ooof @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 might be able to advise

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you Lavey29, I was going to pay a little more and purchase already quarantined fish. To speed up the process should I still treat the tank with polyp lab? I have a couple of bottles still..

That's fine for the fish. Never used that polylab. I recommend still waiting 76 days. If the fish in your tank are able to fend off ich then it has no host to continue to cycle so theoretically you are fallow even with fish in the tank. Just my opinion of course. Now after 76 days you start adding multiple tangs right from the start then ich will return most likely as they are prone to it even with QT sometimes. I would just add one or two small fish after several months and monitor.

 

[mfinn]

With ick present in the tank, any fish you do add will be infected. Will they live or will they die?
Tough to say. Do you really want to buy fish that you know might not make it because of something in the tank?

If this were my tank ( and it has happened with me ) I would do what ever it takes to get all the remaining fish out of the tank.
Set up a quarantine tank and use a copper medication on the fish. Cure them.
You can pick up cheap kiddy wading pools to put rock and corals in while you are searching for the fish.
The fallow period has been generally accepted that it only needs to be 45 days( I think).

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yep, it’s a reef tank ..

You might need to rely on "ich management" since you can't pull the remaining fish to run a true fallow period:

"Ich Management"

Because this topic continues to come up, I wanted to create a sticky thread so that it is more easily referenced. Please understand that I am NOT presenting this as an optimum method for controlling marine ich, just putting it out there for people who want to try it. Also, do not pick and...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[southeastfishaddict]

You might need to rely on "ich management" since you can't pull the remaining fish to run a true fallow period:

"Ich Management"

Because this topic continues to come up, I wanted to create a sticky thread so that it is more easily referenced. Please understand that I am NOT presenting this as an optimum method for controlling marine ich, just putting it out there for people who want to try it. Also, do not pick and...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

Thank you Jay, so if I go with the ich management can i still get tangs or not recommended? I always liked tangs, and that was the reason I purchased my tank in the first place.

 

[dakoop]

From my understanding as long as you have fish you will have ich now that you've had it. Adding any fish could trigger an outbreak but the fish already in the tank can handle it better

 

[crabgrass]

My first 4 fish added to a smaller tank were never QT (3 from Petco and 1 from LFS). I suspected one of having ICh, but it never spread or got worse. I didn’t treat them (maybe I should have), however kept them in their own tank for 90 days.

I have since gotten a larger tank, and added them plus some QT fish I got from dr reef. I run a UV set in stun for parasites as well as feed heavy and add some garlic to food.

No fish have showed signs of it. It’s either in the tank and I am preventing an outbreak or I am overly cautious.

 

[southeastfishaddict]

got it crabgrass, well from what I have learned from my outbreak is that it’s extremely tough to beat it.. even if you overly feed with garlic until you turn blue in the face. If the ich keeps living it’s going to multiply and eventually the fish are going to suffer and it will take them down.

 

[musel101]

Will a cleaner shrimp help control it a bit like keep it a bay?

 

[Idech]

Thank you Jay, so if I go with the ich management can i still get tangs or not recommended? I always liked tangs, and that was the reason I purchased my tank in the first place.

I do ich management and have a tang, but there is always a risk every time you add a new fish. I try to decrease stress levels as much as possible by feeding a lot (frozen mostly), giving vitamins and garlic. I use a UV.

I also use Polyp Lab as soon as I see a little bit of itching after introducing new fish, even if I see no ick, or just 1 or two spots. I do a full 10 days, to help their immune system fight it off. Beware you might still lose fish, there are no guarantees.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Will a cleaner shrimp help control it a bit like keep it a bay?

Cleaner shrimp best with flukes and often cannot keep up with the reproduction rate of cysts.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you Jay, so if I go with the ich management can i still get tangs or not recommended? I always liked tangs, and that was the reason I purchased my tank in the first place.

Ich management is at times a gamble and often used as a short cut. First importance is to identify the given disease and then consider what fish are affected as some tolerate hypo and other methods while some fish do not. Adding garlic is not a cure but serves as an immunity booster

 

[Idech]

Ich management is at times a gamble and often used as a short cut. First importance is to identify the given disease and then consider what fish are affected as some tolerate hypo and other methods while some fish do not. Adding garlic is not a cure but serves as an immunity booster

When you live in Canada, you have to do things differently. It’s because we’re taking short cuts; we have no access to meds.