Saltwater Ich

[fishnut]

Does anyone know how long a tank has to be empty of host fish before all the parasites are dead ?

[bcdope]

Myself I would give it a good 3 to 6 weeks depending on whether you know you have ich or not... a sure fire method of killing off ich in your tank is to keep it fish free for a 4 to 6 week period just to make sure... a sure fire method people have been ranting about is to fire that fish free tank to around 85 to 88 degrees, thereby quickening the ich's life cycle... but only do this for short spurts of time....

Bottom line, I'd give it a good 6 weeks...if you are planning to house fish, then get a hospital tank ready just in case... hospital tanks are a mainstay for those who care about ich treatment....

also beware copper and corals are a deadly mix....

just ask mares77 about ich... dosing your fish food with garlic extract (dyi) and vitamins, and you're fish will live happy for a long time... that's beyond giving them the right nutrients and living environment....