1st Ich disaster...here's my plan

[platzap]

Well..first I need to thank everyone on this board for the unbelievable service you provide to us Newbies. Here's the short version of my story: 37 gall tank, FOWLR, lots of snails, 5 scarlet hermits,1 emerald crab..had textbook cycle, added pair of aquacultured Clowns..all is well. 1 month later added 6 line, also doing well. 3 weeks ago added some more live rock. Never QT'd anything. about a week ago i posted the question..did 1.026 kill my clowns....well, it turns out ICh killed them. we saw small white spot on one clown..a few days later spot disappeard..and we forgot about it. about 2 weeks later both clowns were dead. we then noticed "salt" like spots on the 6 line.
i read everyones posts...and the famous Beth faq. yesterday i bought 10 gall tank for QT. I have filled QT with tank water (good parameters..but i guess ich-filled), and brought over into the QT a big well cured conch shell (where my 6 line happens to sleep). the plan at this point is to bring down Specific Gr to 1.009 over a 48 hour period after i get my internet ordered refractometer in a few days. and keep my 6 line in Hyposalinity for 30 days. I will closely monitor water parameters in QT since this is more of an emergency tank that clearly has not had time to cycle (though i hope the big shell i put in will help (got lots of purple stuff growing on it). By leaving my "display tank" fishless for 30 days the ICH is theoretically going to die off. I plan on maintaining the display tank only half full of water (enough to cover the LR, and keep the crabs and snails happy). after the 30 days, I hope to add back my 6 line, and reestablish my tank. Go by another pair of clowns...QT them first for 3 weeks!, and then add them. Is this a viable plan?
also:
what do you think the chances are that the 6 line will survive?
(anything else i should do for him? -fresh water bath? formalin?)
Is there any problem with adding back that big shell to my display tank when the 30 days are over? (since no meds are being used)
should i do anything else in the main tank now that its fishless (but has crabs, and snails) to help ensure it will be ich-free...like Raise the Temp? (currently at 78), or treat with small amount of something (copper?). Try a huge water change (like 90%?)
what does it mean when people say the parasite can remain in the "water column" ?
I am proud to join the ranks of QT'ers and to have on the way a refractomer (and sad how i learned my lesson).
thanks for the help
platzap

 

[elfdoctors]

Your situation does sound like ich. Your plan sounds good. As long as you pay attention to water quality and keep the ammonia level down, the chances are good that the six-line will survive. Hyposalinity actually lowers the stress level of the fish so it is more likely to survive the damage that is already done.
Don't do anything else to the fish. Other medications can actually be toxic, particularly for a weakened fish.
The shell is fine to go back into your display tank later as long as you don't use any medications.
Don't do anything else to your tank. I don't quite understand why you want to keep the tank level so low but no additional treatment is necessary. Ich requires a fish to reproduce and cannot go dormant. There is a water-borne phase (meaning it is in the water column) but the parasite cannot stay in this phase for very long. If there is no fish around for it to infect it dies.

 

[platzap]

appreciate the response.
we are seeing salt-like deposits on some of the glass in the main tank...might this be the parasites in one of the stages?
if so, should we scrape it off the glass...try to get it out of tank or anything. (i'm guessing that it doesnt really matter since the key to this is to wait out the ich's life cycle without any fish in the tank).

 

[elfdoctors]

Except when ich is attached to fish (trophont phase), it is not visible. The spots on the glass are not ich.
Most likely they are normal growths coming out of your live rock, (perhaps the most common are spirorbidae worms which are harmless filter feeders). They only need to be removed for aesthetic reasons.