Going Fishless

[jv hermit]

I'm trying to understand the life cycle of ich and someone please answer this question. All of my fish are in a QT right now and my display tank is fishless. How long should I keep the tank fishless and will ALL of the parasites die without a host? Should I do hypo even if the tank is fishless?:notsure:

 

[elfdoctors]

Ich will complete its lifecycle within 23-28 days depending on temperature. It requires a fish to complete its lifecycle. Otherwise it will die off.
If your only concern is ich, most people leave the tank fishless for a month to have a little insurance. There is no need to do hyposalinity also.
There are a few diseases which require a longer fishless period, but the month period will eliminate most of your problems.

 

[jv hermit]

Thank You. You have been a big help!

 

[beth]

Take a look at the post on ich in the FAQ. It will explain the lifecyle of ich completely.