The fate of my tank…ich after fallow & QT.

[Lionfish hunter]

That’s true. I hear “ich is in every tank” all the time but that simply isn’t true. It can be eradicated, but it takes some care to avoid contamination or partial eradication.
Jay

@Miami Reef If anybody knows what he is talking about, it is this guy. Rest assured being ich free is possible.

 

[BoneDoc]

I didn’t do my fallow treatment properly. I added an urchin and I added shrimps. Maybe I cross contaminated equipment somewhere too.

But I have much more experience now and I hope I can officially beat it this time.

Any update? How’s the Idol doing?

 

[Miami Reef]

Any update? How’s the Idol doing?

Idol is doing good. I have about 3 weeks left until my copper treatment is completed. It will basically guarantee me being ich free. At least that’s the plan!

 

[ying yang]

Idol is doing good. I have about 3 weeks left until my copper treatment is completed. It will basically guarantee me being ich free. At least that’s the plan!

Hopefully sorts it out this time around, keep us updated as I'm sure you will.
Good luck

 

[Miami Reef]

Hopefully sorts it out this time around, keep us updated as I'm sure you will.
Good luck

Yes. I will. Can I share my worries?

So copper is maintained at 2.4ppm for 6 weeks. Temps around 81-83 Fahrenheit. Sometimes it went as low as 80F.

I did not add any fish, coral, invert ever since I started the copper. There is no chance of cross contamination.

The ways it’s possible for me to fail is if there is a copper resistant strain of ich, or if ich went dormant somewhere.

BUT, I did blow my sand and rocks with a very powerful pump. I think it will be fine, but we will see. I even shifted all the rocks with a grabber tool.

I really do not think it’s possible for me to fail this treatment. But we will see in 3 weeks!

To remove the copper, I will use cuprisorb and water changes.

I’m excited and very nervous!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yes. I will. Can I share my worries?

So copper is maintained at 2.4ppm for 6 weeks. Temps around 81-83 Fahrenheit. Sometimes it went as low as 80F.

I did not add any fish, coral, invert ever since I started the copper. There is no chance of cross contamination.

The ways it’s possible for me to fail is if there is a copper resistant strain of ich, or if ich went dormant somewhere.

BUT, I did blow my sand and rocks with a very powerful pump. I think it will be fine, but we will see. I even shifted all the rocks with a grabber tool.

I really do not think it’s possible for me to fail this treatment. But we will see in 3 weeks!

To remove the copper, I will use cuprisorb and water changes.

I’m excited and very nervous!

What copper product are you using?

That is a more aggressive copper treatment than I use, I can't see why it would fail.

Resting tomonts are arbitrary and random in where they rest - they don't try to "hide" from the copper or anything. Any gap that they can fit into is wide enough that it isn't going to be anaerobic. Water diffusion ensures that won't happen.

Copper resistant ich? I've never seen that. I know that the majority of the reports of this from hobbyists can be traced back to poor treatment protocols or poor biosecurity. However, I can't say that it hasn't happened - some dealer bringing through new fish every week and holding them in low copper...

Finally, if you want to ensure that no resting tomonts can be activated, there is that practice that I think I mentioned to you of moving fish out of a QT while they are in full copper. The idea is that even if there are still viable tomonts, any theronts they release would be killed by the copper. The only reason I don't recommend that in every case is that I like people to use a two week "cooling off period" where the fish in the QT are not medicated with anything, just to help ensure if any disease breaks, it does so in the QT and not the DT. As a result, the best practice would be to do all preventative treatments, then let the fish chill for two weeks and then redose the copper for 72 hours and then move the fish. Home aquarists just aren't going to stand for that much effort, but some public aquariums routinely do this.

Jay

 

[Miami Reef]

Thank you Jay.

Question, does copper kill the ich as its falling off the fish to become a tomont? I’m just wondering.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you Jay.

Question, does copper kill the ich as its falling off the fish to become a tomont? I’m just wondering.

Good question. I don't know. My standard thought is that copper is only effective against the theronts/tomites (free-swimming stage). Is there a point when the trophont drops off to form a tomont where copper can kill it? IDK, but if there is, it must be a pretty short time span.

Jay

 

[BoneDoc]

Did you end up plumbing the UV? I think but can still be very beneficial

 

[Miami Reef]

Did you end up plumbing the UV? I think but can still be very beneficial

Yes. I have the UV running.

 

[marinehead]

Well, that sucks to follow procedures and still get it- but that's disease control in general!

I got a big boy Amalgam 57W sterilizer for my 109G Bow, clears water unbelievably well set to protozoa flow.

UV either kills ich or damages the DNA so they can't reproduce or become weak and stupid, add that with low levels of H2O2, over a long period of time it should completely eradicate a single strain of ich or at least make ich so dumb the fish just shrug it off.

Hi I have the same sized UV 57 watt and 110 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. What is the flow rate you’re using for protozoan/parasites?