ick question...tank wiped

[ebaybrad]

i baby sat my friends fish that turned out to have ick. it killed off all my fish before i had a chance to intervene. the tank is empty now for 2 days...do i need to do something before getting new fish? I just did a partial water change and cleaned out the sump. Does ick stay in the water? Will my new fish get it if i buy em? What should i do?

 

[bret61081]

I'd let the tank sit empty for 3-4 weeks...I think the life cycle of ich is about 2-3 weeks....so leave it empty as long as u can with nothing in it for it to host....sorry about ur loss...ask beth in the otehr forus though...she will be able to tell you better then me!

 

[darth tang]

4-6 weeks is ideal to be safe. That is what I did. No reason to rush back in and have the same problem still.

 

[af330i]

I have one word for you ebaybrad ... Stability

!!!!
There is a very good chance that when your friends fish came into your tank and told your fish that there should be some tank decorations such as peices of coral for them to sleep in. Your fish then got very upset by this and got ick from the stress of realizing there tank was empty and that there could be a better life out there for them.
This then caused his fish to then get the ick though from what I understand your friends fish are all still alive

... your fish needed therapy not medicine

BTW I know a porcupine puffer with your name on it