What are the do's and don'ts of a post-ich aquarium?

[Gemtrox42]

I have found a lot of help online for what to do when facing an ich infestation, which helped tremendously. However, I have noticed that most articles and advice fail to cover what to do AFTER the ich is gone. So, simply put, I'm interested in knowing the do's and don'ts of post-ich cleanup, monitoring, et cetera. Other than in general, I have a few specific questions:

- How long do/should you have to wait after last seeing/treating ich to know that you killed them all?
- What can you expect in the wake of ich in terms of secondary infections, and how to identify them?
- Should you hold off on getting new fish or plants, until a certain amount of time has passed?
- For treating with chemicals/ich-x, when can you put carbon back in your filter? Should you let the chemical stay in the tank, or remove it quickly?

Feel free to add any advice besides just answering my questions. I'm curious about your experiences too!

 

[AilyNC]

I used the heat method @Colin_T details. My advice is take your time lowering the temp to ensure it's really gone.

Then if you can quarantine new fish for two weeks first. For me I couldn't do that so very cautious about where I buy fish from.

 

[Colin_T]

When treating white spot and other parasites, continue treatment for 1 week after the disease has gone (is no longer visible and fish appear normal).

If you use chemicals or heat, wait the week after the disease has gone and then do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. This will remove any chemicals and dead parasites from the tank and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.

You can then add some carbon if you like. The first batch of carbon should be replaced after a week because it might become full from residual medication.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

--------------------
There should be no secondary infections from white spot assuming you caught it in time. If the fish were heavily infected and you didn't start treatment straight away, there will be scar tissue on the gills and the fish will have trouble breathing. The scar tissue can take up to 6 months to clear but usually takes less. However, if the scar tissue was extreme, it may never clear up properly and the fish will have permanent breathing problems.

Having lots of aeration/ surface turbulence, and having clean gravel, water & filter, will all help provide good conditions for the fish to recover in.

--------------------
If you have sick fish or you lose a fish, wait at least one month before adding anything to the tank. This includes fish, plants, snails or shrimp. Adding new things can introduce diseases and put the original inhabitants under more stress and cause new diseases to occur. The new diseases are usually brought in with new fish and plants.

If possible try to quarantine all new livestock, including plants, for at least 2 (preferably 4) weeks before adding them to an established display tank. Most diseases show up in 2 weeks but giving them 4 weeks in their own tank, allows them time to settle down and recover from the stress they have been through prior to arriving at your house.

 

[itiwhetu]

When treating white spot and other parasites, continue treatment for 1 week after the disease has gone (is no longer visible and fish appear normal).

If you use chemicals or heat, wait the week after the disease has gone and then do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. This will remove any chemicals and dead parasites from the tank and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.

You can then add some carbon if you like. The first batch of carbon should be replaced after a week because it might become full from residual medication.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

--------------------
There should be no secondary infections from white spot assuming you caught it in time. If the fish were heavily infected and you didn't start treatment straight away, there will be scar tissue on the gills and the fish will have trouble breathing. The scar tissue can take up to 6 months to clear but usually takes less. However, if the scar tissue was extreme, it may never clear up properly and the fish will have permanent breathing problems.

Having lots of aeration/ surface turbulence, and having clean gravel, water & filter, will all help provide good conditions for the fish to recover in.

--------------------
If you have sick fish or you lose a fish, wait at least one month before adding anything to the tank. This includes fish, plants, snails or shrimp. Adding new things can introduce diseases and put the original inhabitants under more stress and cause new diseases to occur. The new diseases are usually brought in with new fish and plants.

If possible try to quarantine all new livestock, including plants, for at least 2 (preferably 4) weeks before adding them to an established display tank. Most diseases show up in 2 weeks but giving them 4 weeks in their own tank, allows them time to settle down and recover from the stress they have been through prior to arriving at your house.

Go @Colin_T