Guidance Please for Post Ich

[mdobbins]

To give you some background, I am new to the hobby and had everything going seemingly well until I got ich. My local fish store initially gave me some treatment for it but when I lost my first fish to it I realized how bad it was and set up a quarantine tank (which I know realize the importance of and should have had one ready) to try and save the other three. I did slowly end up losing all four of my fish, which I’m devastated by.

I know this hobby will come with its learning curves and highs and lows. Here are a few things I would love some guidance on moving forward. I spoke with my local fish store but I can’t say they helped me feel super confident.

1. How long should my display tank be fish free? I’m at 3 weeks now, I have seen 6-8 weeks.

2. When I do purchase a new fish how long should it be in quarantine and do you treat them as if they are sick or just observe. The fish (flame hawk fish) that I think introduced it to my system never showed signs (the small white spots) of the ich but was the first to die. A very sad and dramatic death. He was fine one minute and not the next.

3. What happens if I see signs again later on. Will I have to do this all over again? In terms of removing all the fish and going fish free again.

I’m so nervous to add fish again in fear that it will just immediately return. Thank you for any advice and guidance you leave.

 

[fishyjoes]

For questions 1 and 2, I follow the advice from the fish disease forum here:

Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis

A forum for discussing treatment and diagnosing saltwater reef fish.

www.reef2reef.com

Specifically of interest in this case are the "Current Quarantine Protocol" and "45 Day Fallow Periods" stickies

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

45 Day Fallow periods

I've been doing some research into the "76 day fallow period". I never heard of that prior to coming to Reef2Reef this past summer. I had always used 32 days as the maximum time for a tomont to remain viable under tropical conditions, and then I would round up to 45 days to help ensure that...

www.reef2reef.com

For question 3 - yes, if you get new fish and get them through quarantine, and then later they get ich you will have to treat and fallow again. This is why it's very important (in my opinion) to be very generous with your quarantine procedure and not rush it

 

[vetteguy53081]

To give you some background, I am new to the hobby and had everything going seemingly well until I got ich. My local fish store initially gave me some treatment for it but when I lost my first fish to it I realized how bad it was and set up a quarantine tank (which I know realize the importance of and should have had one ready) to try and save the other three. I did slowly end up losing all four of my fish, which I’m devastated by.

I know this hobby will come with its learning curves and highs and lows. Here are a few things I would love some guidance on moving forward. I spoke with my local fish store but I can’t say they helped me feel super confident.

1. How long should my display tank be fish free? I’m at 3 weeks now, I have seen 6-8 weeks.

2. When I do purchase a new fish how long should it be in quarantine and do you treat them as if they are sick or just observe. The fish (flame hawk fish) that I think introduced it to my system never showed signs (the small white spots) of the ich but was the first to die. A very sad and dramatic death. He was fine one minute and not the next.

3. What happens if I see signs again later on. Will I have to do this all over again? In terms of removing all the fish and going fish free again.

I’m so nervous to add fish again in fear that it will just immediately return. Thank you for any advice and guidance you leave.

6-8 weeks fallow and you can purchase fish 30 days before fallow period of 6 weeks and quarantine them. Quarantine should help prevent reoccurance if done properly

 

[Jay Hemdal]

To give you some background, I am new to the hobby and had everything going seemingly well until I got ich. My local fish store initially gave me some treatment for it but when I lost my first fish to it I realized how bad it was and set up a quarantine tank (which I know realize the importance of and should have had one ready) to try and save the other three. I did slowly end up losing all four of my fish, which I’m devastated by.

I know this hobby will come with its learning curves and highs and lows. Here are a few things I would love some guidance on moving forward. I spoke with my local fish store but I can’t say they helped me feel super confident.

1. How long should my display tank be fish free? I’m at 3 weeks now, I have seen 6-8 weeks.

2. When I do purchase a new fish how long should it be in quarantine and do you treat them as if they are sick or just observe. The fish (flame hawk fish) that I think introduced it to my system never showed signs (the small white spots) of the ich but was the first to die. A very sad and dramatic death. He was fine one minute and not the next.

3. What happens if I see signs again later on. Will I have to do this all over again? In terms of removing all the fish and going fish free again.

I’m so nervous to add fish again in fear that it will just immediately return. Thank you for any advice and guidance you leave.

Sorry to hear that you lost your fish. What treatment did the store suggest you use?