Ich Treatment
 

So some of my fish have come down with Ich. I dont have a spare tank to treat them but I have a few buckets. The effected fish are my new Lyretail Anthias (I assume he brought it in) and my 3 clownfish. So I was planning on treating with Cuppremin (sp?) but was wondering could I do it in these buckets? They are 5 gallons each. The other thought was maybe a rubbermaid container. The Anthias is 3-4 inches, the big clown is 2 inches, medium clown is 1.5inches and the little guy is 1 inch.

My plan was to run my current Internal Filter in the bucket or tote for biological and treat in there. Then just replace the internal filter with a new one and keep the current one for future treatments. The thought is to buy the same size unit so I can take the cartridge from the tank filter and put it into the sick tank filter.

Anyway what is everyones thought on the 5gal pail or should I pick up a 10 gal rubbermaid?

PS. its still fairly early but the Medium Black Clown (Tank bred) is covered, the Athias has it all over but nowhere as near as dense as the clown and the other 2 clowns seem to just be starting it. The Bangaii Cardinal and Firefish dont seem to be effected.

Oh last thing. I was planning on picking up a small CBB on monday but am not now. After there is no more sign of the Ich how long do you recommend I wait before adding the CBB?

I would really, try to find a use 10-20 gal. tank to use as a hospital tank. This way you would be able to see how the teatments are going. Your fish can be in there for up to 6 weeks.

I also recommend the hospital tank I just went through an Ich issue and they were in there for about 50 days I can’t see keeping them in Rubbermaid container. I did the hyposalinity method and have not seen it come back

I dont want to use an aquarium because aquariums break and there is a move coming up. I have kept them in sterilite for 3 weeks before I moved and 2 weeks before I got them moved into their current tank.

You could try keeping them in one of the large rectangular rubbermaid containers (to make it easier to catch them) with a seeded sponge filter and airator. I had to go through ich recently with my tang, but did not want copper in my qt tank, so I put him in a 5 gal. bucket for dips with an airator, heater and premixed/heated/airated water with 20 drops of copper treatment (I forget if it was aquarisol or cupramine) for 20 min x about 4 days (sometimes on the second day). Then he went back into the qt tank with melafix and antibiotics (he was injured so that's why) and a 50% water change every 2nd day. This got rid of the ich spots for me within a week, but the tang still had to be kept in a separate qt due to his injuries and the fact that ich takes a while to die off. Don't know if this is "right" but it worked for me anyway...

How long does it take for the ich parasite and its eggs to finally die off?

I take it you did not QT your new fish before it was added to your main tank.
The bucket system is better than nothing or your can choose to treat your fish in the main tank.
Here is what you do
Go to the LFS and buy some Garlic Extreme or go to the store and buy garlic extract.
The watered down garlic juice won't do.
Get some dry food and using a saucer place some dry food and soak it with the garlic extreme. Dry because it absorbs well. Also add some selcon.
You need to feed very often say 6 times for the first week and only garlic soaked food.
The idea is to get as much garlic in the fish as possible. You need to continue to do this for at least 3 weeks. You will notice that the ich will fall off the fish but it will come back if you discontinue.
At the LFS buy a couple of cleaner shrimp or neon gobies (not a cleaner wrasse). Acclimate the shrimp very slowly, please.
You need to start this immediately as your fish have advanced ich.
reconsider getting a Copper Banded as they have a poor survival rate. I would not add anything to your tank for a couple of months and please consider the use of a QT even if it is a bucket.
Good luck

your going to need to leave your main tank empty as well for 6-8 weeks so any ich in the main tank will die as it as no fish to host

Well I lost my Black Clownfish today while I was at work. he had it the worst and now the little black has it pretty bad. I am not sur ewhy but only the tank bred clowns have it bad. The WC clown is now showing no signs of the ich same with the Anthias and Firefish. The tank bred Bangaii isnt showing any signs either. Really make me scratch my head.

Sorry about the black.
The ich will fall off the fish as part of its cycle and then come back even worse unless you have set up a QT or treated the fish.
What steps have you taken?