Quarantining Works...What Next?

[dogofwar]

I bought some dithers a couple of weeks ago and put them in a 30g to quarantine for a few weeks.

Well, a few days in the fish developed some of the most resistant ich that I've every experienced. None of the treatments worked and all six of them ended up dying.

The good news: they were in quarantine and no other fish were affected.

The bad news: I need to sterilize it before I use it again.

In a perfect world I would completely drain the tank, scrub it with vinegar, add new substrate, and soak the sponge filter in vinegar or dilute bleach.

Unfortunately, the tank will be hard to remove from the stand. I've already drained the tank to about 1/2" of water (all that I could get with a siphon) and have dropped the filters and heater, etc. into a bucket with Quickcure.

Any recommendations for sterilizing the tank? I was thinking that filling it, adding some bleach, waiting a couple of days, draining it, refilling, draining again, refilling and using de-chlor would do the trick. I'd then test with some tough fish...Any other suggestions?

This hasn't happened to me much...fortunately!

Thanks,
Matt

 

[UNCLERUCKUS]

matts since its only a half inch pour the vineagar in with some really HOT WATER ( BOILING ) if you can and clean rinse, refill again. the letting sit a few days with bleach sounds good too. sorry for your loss and good luck i dont envy your task.

 

[F8LBITE]

Ive read that Ich can only live in water and once the tank or filter dries out it cant come back.

 

[dogofwar]

Thanks guys!

 

[maddog10]

I have used the bleach method in the past.

 

[Charlutz]

You could ask your friend Charlie to loan you his UV sterilizer...

 

[mscichlid]

Did you use salt as the treatment or a chemical?

 

[Cartel]

This happened to a little planted tank I have. Everything died so i emptied it then refilled it and nuked it with alot of those ich tablets. With all the filters and heaters off. After a couple days I did alot of big water changes and then let it cycle for a few days before adding anything in. Anything silicone is now stained blue but all my plants made it! And now its stocked with neon tetras, cherry barbs, and golden barbs, and an oto. All are doing well. Of course I have nooo idea if I did anything right so dont quote me! But heck it worked for me.

This is why I dont have dithers in my cichlid tank besides 2 danios that were left over from cycling the new tank. Im always scared of getting ich! And I dont have spare room to quarintine dithers. Id like to have them though. And not trying to hijack but what does everyone use for dithers? Something better then the next?

 

[iamzrad]

How does everyone go about quarantining new fish? (If not already done by the LFS or a breeder)
Besides having a separate tank setup, what is included in the process?

 

[F8LBITE]

Cartel, ive used rainbow fish as dithers when I had some shy Tangs with lots of rocks.

The way I QT is put new fish in a 10g for 2 or 3 weeks. The tank has filter, heater, hood and I just make sure they are eating and no diseases develope. If nothing shows up then im comfortable putting them in.

 

[Andrew]

I would fill the tank and run everything with three cups of bleach for a couple days. Then drain and fill again and run with a heavy salt concentration at 1 cup/2 gallons for a couple days. Then drain, rinse, fill and try some new fish.

 

[dogofwar]

Even if they've been "quarantined" by the LFS or another hobbyist, I really, really try to have a separate, empty tank set up for any new additions.

If they're wild fish, I feed them metro/prazi-laced food for a week or so...and watch closely. I try to keep them in quarantine for at least 4 weeks to see if anything emerges.

For captive fish I just give them their own tank and observe closely.

Thanks for the offer, Charlie! I'll have to get it next time...

 

[dogofwar]

Thanks Andrew - anything that can survive that deserves to feast on a few "tester" fish!

For the record, the fish that I was quarantining didn't come from SCALES or our auction!

I would fill the tank and run everything with three cups of bleach for a couple days. Then drain and fill again and run with a heavy salt concentration at 1 cup/2 gallons for a couple days. Then drain, rinse, fill and try some new fish.

 

[maddog10]

How does everyone go about quarantining new fish? (If not already done by the LFS or a breeder)
Besides having a separate tank setup, what is included in the process?

I always have a tank with a some sacrificial fish keeping the filter cycled. I keep fish in their own tank for over a month before adding them to a tank with other fish. Most of my tanks are species only tanks, so they get usually are put into their permanent home when I get them.

The exception to this was when I recently set up my saltwater tank. All the fish went straight in. Had an outbreak of Ich and while I was treating for it (and almost had it beaten) the heater went out, the temps plummeted for 2-3 days before I noticed and all but 2 fish died. Most of the corals also died or bleached out.

 

[F8LBITE]

I would fill the tank and run everything with three cups of bleach for a couple days. Then drain and fill again and run with a heavy salt concentration at 1 cup/2 gallons for a couple days. Then drain, rinse, fill and try some new fish.

So Ich does survive even if dried out? Or did you mean do that if the tank is needed right away?

 

[Charlutz]

Most people say ich is always present but healthy fish will be resistant to it. Usually, the break outs are tied to sudden temperature drops. Ich does not like heat (above 84*) or salt. I've never had an african cichlid get it. In fact, even when I was keeping clown loaches and red tailed sharks with my africans, they never got it either. I used to add salt to my water and that probably had something to do with it.

Anyway, I bought a UV sterilizer when I had a reef tank. I then learned that it would wipe out SW ich overnight. Fish that were on death's door would be fine in the morning. I still have a UV for my tanks, but haven't needed it yet for freshwater ich. If someone has an outbreak, I'd be happy to volunteer it as a test.

 

[dogofwar]

Ding dong. It's Charlie. He's here with the UV sterilizer. Well let him in