ich/velvet?

I had an out break of what I thought was ich while I was away for a few days..Figured out that it was velvet and not ich.. Ended up wiping out all fish in my tank but I still have 1 blood shrimp, 3 peppermint shrimp and snails(turbos,conch's and nassarius) If I leave the tank empty for 8 weeks will that get rid of the velvet problem? Can I leave the inverts in the tank and consider it as empty or does eveything need to be out of the tank? Guess I am basically asking if ich/velvet can use the snails/shrimp as hosts instead of fish?


Thanks
Shane.

 

It needs a host fish. It will die out, regardless of the presence of inverts and corals.

 

Thanks Corailline, so if I just leve tank empty for 8 weeks, will do a couple of water changes and lightly vacuum substrate in the meantime, then after the 8 weeks the tank should theoretically be free of any ick/velvet causing bugs??

Thanks
Shane.

 

Yes theoretically,

I have heard of some strains living as long or longer than 90 days, but I have no first had experience with that.