Can a seasoned tank keep its microfauna after a tank renovation/redo?

[dirtboat]

i used to have an old tank, around 2 years old, with pretty good microfauna and was very stable. I ended up adding a new fish to the tank which caused the whole tank to have an ick outbreak where the only surviving members are shrimp. would the beneficial bacteria and microfauna transfer into the new setup through the substrate if the substate was wet? and will the microfauna come back to the tank?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 5/11/2024 at 11:12 PM, dirtboat said:

would the beneficial bacteria and microfauna transfer into the new setup through the substrate if the substate was wet? and will the microfauna come back to the tank?

Sounds like you intend to take the substrate from the existing tank, and put it in a new tank? If yes, assuming that the substrate stayed wet the entire time, and the bacteria didn’t starve and die (there’s  much debate as to how long it takes bacteria to starve, just like does Prime really lock up ammonia…) then yes, it would transfer over. 
 

As far as the microfauna, same answer. I will also say it should come back, even if you started a new tank from scratch! I know I never intentionally added copepods and seed shrimp and all the things in my tanks, but they’re there! Water is the basis of all life, after all. 
 

My main question is how long since the ich outbreak and last fish was alive? Definitely don’t want to bring any cysts over in the old substrate to the new tank and start the battle all over again! 

[dirtboat]

@AllFishNoBrakesI've been running the new tank for about a month. the ich outbreak took place 3months before the new setup and the last  fish died around 2 months before the new tank setup.

Edited May 12 by dirtboat

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@dirtboat Word. If I remember correctly, the ich life cycle is 14 days, and you’re well beyond that so you should be good! Assuming the substrate remained wet, bacteria would transfer over and help you jump start the cycle on the new tank. 

[dirtboat]

On 5/12/2024 at 9:29 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

@dirtboat Word. If I remember correctly, the ich life cycle is 14 days, and you’re well beyond that so you should be good! Assuming the substrate remained wet, bacteria would transfer over and help you jump start the cycle on the new tank. 

thnx for the help

[johnnyxxl]

My understanding was ich was sort of like canker sores or acne and stress induced. 

I didn't realize it was a parasite that had a cyst, like a fluke.