Former Marine Velvet: When Should I Add Fish?

[tiabakshi]

Hi everyone. In December of 2020 I believe I acquired marine velvet. I tried freshwater dipping the fish, quarantining them, but by the time we decided it was marine velvet it was too late for the fish. I was told that my 2 options were to either throw everything out of the tank and replace rock, inverts, and sand, or I could keep my tank up and running for 2 months without fish to starve the disease.

I have put 2 algae blennies in about 10 days ago and they seem to be doing alright. At this point it has been 3 months since there have been fish in the tank. Is it alright for me to start adding larger fish such as tangs?

While I was starving the marine velvet, I still kept starfish, anemone, snails, crabs, shrimp, live rock, coral, and sand in the tank. Was this okay? Do you think the marine velvet is gone?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Depending on the water temperature, keeping a tank free of all possible fish hosts for 45 days is usually sufficient. Wait 76 days to be 100% certain. That said, not quarantining the new fish puts you right back at risk....so those blennies could very well brought parasites in with them.
Jay