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Old 09-22-2006, 12:06 AM   #4 (permalink)
lcstorc
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Re: partail tank crash/fish dead/how long to wait

I am so sorry to hear of your losses.
Too late to say this now, but you need to aclimate your tank inhabitants to any new lighting. This may not have been your problem since you mention a heat spike, but something good for all to know. I used several layers of window screen between my new mh lighting and the tank and removed a layer at a time.
Meanwhile you also mention Ick. To be sure it is eliminated from the tank you should leave it fish free for 6 weeks. This will eliminate all of the parasites since they do not have anything to host on.
Not sure if it helps or not, but the temp spike did not cause the ick. It lowered the fish's imune system and let a previously existing issue spike.

Here is some info I got from BoomerD when I had an ich issue w/my new tangs.

Here's some more information:

"Free-swimming cells called tomites are released from a mature tomont, or encrusted cyst, and go in search of a host fish, typically dying in a day or two if one is not found.

Upon finding a host the tomites attach to the gills or body and develop into parasitic trophonts, at which stage the organisms burrow into the fish and begin feeding on its tissues.

Once well fed the trophonts stop feeding and encyst, at which stage they become inactive tomonts.

These dormant cysts can remain trapped in the fish's mucus, be inbedded deep in the tissue, or drop off and fall to the bottom. Over a period of 6 to 10 days the cells inside the cysts reproduce by single-cell division, and become tomites. Once reaching maturity the cysts rupture, each releases hundreds of new free-swimming tomites, and the cycle begins again, but in much larger numbers.
Symptoms to Look For

Unlike Oodinium and Brooklynella that typically attack the gills first, which allows these ich diseases to advance into life-threatening levels quickly as they go unnoticed, Cryptocaryon usually appears at the onset as salt-sized white spots visible on the body and fins of a host fish, and when the organisms become parasitic, it is then that they move inwards to the gills. Because crypto is more easily recognized in its beginning stage, this makes it much easier to treat and cure before it gets out of control.

Aside from the appearance of the white spots, fish will scratch against objects in an attempt to dislodge the parasites, and rapid respiration develops as tomonts, mucus, and tissue debris clogs the gills. Fish become listless, refuse to eat, loss of color occurs in patches or blotches as the trophonts destroy the pigment cells, and secondary bacterial infections invade the lesions caused by the trophonts.

Reinfection will occur no matter how effectively the fish have been treated if Cryptocaryon is not eradicated from the main aquarium, which can be accomplished by keeping the tank devoid of any fish for at least 4 weeks. "

There is lots more info out there and I frequently hear 6 weeks instead of 4 but it certainly gives you something to start from.
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