Ick catching shrimp?

lcc

Member
My main tank has ick. I only have two fish in the tank so I thought I would take my snails and crabs and put them in my 10 gal tank and then just treat the main tank.
Question how do I catch the cleaner shrimp? net, container etc.? if I net them will it break their antena?
 

playtime

Member
Do you have live Rock in your tank? Why wouldn't you just catch the fish and put them in the 10 gal and treat them. If you do have LR and you use copper, you cant add inverts and your live Rock is ruined. What kind of fish do you have? To answer your question, no it probably wouldn't break their antenia if your careful, remember, they had to catch them to get them to you right. I would seariously consider just catching the fish and treat them only.
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liongirl

Member
If you use anything to treat the ick that has ink in it be careful that it doesnt turn your seals of your tank colors. I treated one of my tanks once and the seals were fine. Then i treated another tank for 3 days (following the instructions of my lfs) and the seals are turquoise. Now i have to tear down the whole tank, because i cant stand it. Good Luck!
 

lcc

Member
I thought it would be easier to catch the 2 shrimp, and 3 snails, 3 crabs than to stress the flame angel and clown by attempting to catch them. I also remember a post that stated that the whole tank has ick not just the fish.
I also thought that by treating the fish in the tank I the treatment time would be less because the main tank would not have to starve; instead it would medicated.
 

b_ball12_99

Member
If what you use is something like copper that isn't invert. safe the treatment is still present in CC and the seals, therefore the tank is no longer safe for inverts. Treating the fish for the 23 days in a hospital tank is the better way to go.
 

playtime

Member
I agree with b ball who is agreeing with me that a qT is the easiest and safest. The life cycle of ich is 21 days without a host which is why you put your fish in another tank to treat it. While your fish is being treated, you tank is slowly killing the nasties ( they are starving) because they don't feed on inverts. Does this make sense?
You are tha way in a since, killing 2 birds with one stone.
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