Ich, Quarantines & Inverts - Beth/Terry?

[pitons]

I have an outbreak of ich in my 72 gallon reef tank.
I've got a quarantine tank ready to go, so I can move the fish into it and start hyposalinity today.
My understanding is that the ich in the main tank will die naturally over 30 days - if I don't put any food in. Is this correct?
My problem is that I still have a coral, feather duster, 70 hermit crabs, cleaner shrimp, boxer shrimp, brittle starfish and a flame scallop. If I leave these in the reef tank and don't feed them, they will die.
What do I do? Do I need a SECOND quarantine tank?

 

[kev]

If im right.. it should be ok for you to go ahead and feed your inverts.. the ich needs a host to stay alive and with no host it will die, the food wont help the ich stay alive at all

 

[pitons]

Another question - if I put a Mandarin fish in QT for a month, can he survive that long without eating? It only eats live copepods and there won't be any copepods in the QT tank.

 

[beth]

Feeding the main tank has nothing to do with irradicating ick there. The lack of any fish in your main tank is what will kill off the ick in your tank. Thus, definately feed your inverts while you treat your fish!
Yes, do begin the treatment immediately. If you're all setup there's no reason to wait, is there?
Offer the manderian brine shirmp. Perhaps you can find a source for live brine? He can subsist on regular fish food during the treatment. You may want to be sure that brine gets to him by using a syringe.

 

[pitons]

Thank you for your help - I'm getting everything done now!