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Ok, about 8 days ago, I first noticed that my tank had ick. 3 days later, I bought medications and began treating the tank. It said to add 4 teaspoons every 2 days, which I did. However, I am now on my 5th day of treating it and have used all of the medicine. Unfortunately my fish are dead, so now the tank is completely empty. I also did a 50% water change and added 90 degree water. My question is, could the ick have survived the hot water? And, if they did, can I starve them by not adding any fish to the tank for X number of days? I read that it takes 3 days for ick to complete it's life cycle. Therfore, if I wait 4 or 5 days before adding my new fish (are in q-tine), can I assume that the ick starved to death for lack of fish hosts?

i'd wait at least a week (maybe more) just to make sure, because ich would have also been put in with the new water...

it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Ich survivability without food depends on a number of factors including temperature and to some degree they may be able to subsist on the detritus from fish tissue in the tank- make sure that your filter media is changed too to be sure this includes thoroughly cleaning tubing, impellors etc.

Boiling gravel can be uncertain as a method for the destruction of ich as it depends on the porosity of the gravel, and the duration its exposed to hot water. Leaving tank equipment and decorations and even nets and algae scrapers and gravel cleaners in salt solution for several days is probably more effective than boiling, and is much easier, and is less likely to damage the equipment.If you want to keep salt sensitive fish like corydoras, make sure all porous materials are well soaked in clean water afterwards.

Cycling the media again will take about 21 to 30 days and although its a bit of a wait at least the ich will be unlikely to survive that long. Ich can be treated by the addition of salts to the aquarium, or various copper solutions, the use of which is often recommended for a minimum of 30 days so I would leave it at least that long before adding new fish. Another excellent defense is allowing equipment to dry thoroughly, especially in sunlight for several days, the arid conditions as well as the intense uv will be more than the ich can take.

The basic tip is - just dont rush it.

A few general notes on cleaning...

If i have a tank that is of unknown origin or second hand , or indeed any second hand equipment i tend to throw all media away- and soak the equipment for a few hours in harpic limescale removing toilet cleaner- and trust me - no bacteria or organism,invertabrate, fish, or plant of any kind, larval, neonate or adult will ever survive that, it also gets rid of the limescale and salt crusts that can be harbouring bacteria and parasites.

This cleaning method is of course absolutely lethal to fish if any residue is left on the equipment- even the vapour from it can be harmful - and you would never use it to clean sponges, filter media or gravel - which should be discaded, but if you clean things, rinse them thoroughly, and wipe them down repeatedly and leave them unused for several days then this is pretty much the best ,absolutely guaranteed way to kill just about any germ or parasite.

Plus it makes your tanks all sparkly and new looking lol.

ps you might even want to throw away your plants as many harmful bacteria may live on them or within them- possibly protected by osmotic layers within the plants against contact by medications and germicides.

The choice of "acceptable risk" is up to you -but when you know there has been a serious and fatal disease outbreak there is only ever one way to be sure, and that is total cleaning. Its strange how many people would risk a known killer disease against an emergeny change of equipment and water, especially when even if you have to cycle a tank from a fresh start there are chemicals, tricks and ways you can employ to help your fish survive.

Better odds methinks than leaving a tank with a proven potential for fatal disease in operation.


Last edited by longhairedgit at 31-Aug-2005 14:19

Last edited by longhairedgit at 31-Aug-2005 14:44

The fish that I want to put in were just bought and therefore have no ick on them. The same thing goes for the water.
Therefore, I would be putting clean fish housed in clean water into a tank which might or might not be clean.

exactly

plus dont assume that the fish from your shop dont have ich on arrival-ever notice how fish dealers always seem to have about a 100 tanks, all linked to the same large filter with fish from different countries throughout the world effectively living in the same body of water- then they lecture you about how you should keep species from different regions seperate !

Disease free fish is pretty much more guarantee than any fish seller can realistically provide, and even the shops that offer 5 day guarantees are still pretty much laughing, as fish diseases usually take weeks to months to kill your fish, sometimes even visible symptoms can take months to appear.

Too late dudes, waaaay too late.

Go where the experienced keepers go- reputation is everything - as is decent quarantine in the home after you get your fish.




Last edited by longhairedgit at 31-Aug-2005 15:00

I really think the methods you suggested are a bit extreme. I mean, after all, I treated with medication anyway. Also, I don't see how the ick would have enough fish material to live for more than a week. I will add salt though. How much is appropriate, especially in a planted tank?

djtj

You have been given some excellent advice, and I very strongly suggest you have a good think about the advice given.

The fish that I want to put in were just bought and therefore have no ick on them.
Can you 100% gurantee that?

The same thing goes for the water.
That is also a big question?


Therefore, I would be putting clean fish housed in clean water into a tank which might or might not be clean.

I think you have summed it up there very well.


I personally would keep treating the tank fish or no fish.
For at least two more weeks. Surely you can wait that long.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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How would you suggest I treat?
I had a whole bottle of ick medication which I used already. Do you suggest I buy more? I also have salt.

How big is the tank that you used four teaspoons of ick meds in, also what brand is it.

it just seems like a lot of meds to dose at once



The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an bacon and egg breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

I recommend rinsing out the gravel with a highly concentrated solution made from ick medication (Mardel worked for me). This should get rid of the rest of the ick.

I'd jack the temperature up to 34*C for 30 days or so, and leave it fish-free, doing a good gravel vac or two in the middle. Not perfect, but it saves the hassle of sterilising it. I'd add salt too.

Any plants to worry about?


As was said, don't rush. I rested a tank for 6 months in my early days of fishkeeping to try to make sure a pathogen was gone. Of course, you can't be sure, but as git said, acceptable risk

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett