Spar
New member
I have a 10g that i use as a non-fish (inverts/coral/rock/plants/etc) QT, primarily for the purpose of preventing ich from entering my DT.
I let the stock sit for 12 weeks before moving it over. However, I have always gone by the rule of thumb that if I add anything during the 12 weeks, the clock starts over at 0, for ALL items (prior or new added). This being due to the risk that a Protomont happens to be crawling on a new item and transfers over to a prior added item before encysting... won't know what piece in the tank has a cyst on it (the reason for the 12 weeks).
So my question is... given (I think) the only time period of the Ich life cycle in a fishless environment that a stage of Ich could possibly transfer from one non-fish to another non-fish and later encyst would be the Protomont stage, is it reasonable to NOT start the clock over at 0 for new items (e.g. each item would have an independent clock), if:
(a) any new items spent 2 or 3 days in an isolated environment to allow for Protomont's to fully encyst on whatever item they choose; and
(b) before moving over to the DT, the items spend 2 days in an isolated environment to allow for any Theronts happening to hitchhike to die (since won't find a host within 24 hours).
Seems like if we rely on the Ich life cycle, this method would keep from having to have a restarting clock for everything each time a new addition comes in. I understand that with fish, this wouldn't work.
Quick reference to Ich cycle:
Trophont - is when attached to the fish - 3 to 7 days attached to the fish
Protomont - drops off fish and crawls on substrate - 2 to 18 hours
Tomont - begins to encyst on substrate - probably quick
Tomites - while a cyst, it splits into daughter parasites - 3 to 28 days inside cyst, however possibly 72 days max
Theronts - new parasites hatched from the cyst - 24 hours to find host or die
I let the stock sit for 12 weeks before moving it over. However, I have always gone by the rule of thumb that if I add anything during the 12 weeks, the clock starts over at 0, for ALL items (prior or new added). This being due to the risk that a Protomont happens to be crawling on a new item and transfers over to a prior added item before encysting... won't know what piece in the tank has a cyst on it (the reason for the 12 weeks).
So my question is... given (I think) the only time period of the Ich life cycle in a fishless environment that a stage of Ich could possibly transfer from one non-fish to another non-fish and later encyst would be the Protomont stage, is it reasonable to NOT start the clock over at 0 for new items (e.g. each item would have an independent clock), if:
(a) any new items spent 2 or 3 days in an isolated environment to allow for Protomont's to fully encyst on whatever item they choose; and
(b) before moving over to the DT, the items spend 2 days in an isolated environment to allow for any Theronts happening to hitchhike to die (since won't find a host within 24 hours).
Seems like if we rely on the Ich life cycle, this method would keep from having to have a restarting clock for everything each time a new addition comes in. I understand that with fish, this wouldn't work.
Quick reference to Ich cycle:
Trophont - is when attached to the fish - 3 to 7 days attached to the fish
Protomont - drops off fish and crawls on substrate - 2 to 18 hours
Tomont - begins to encyst on substrate - probably quick
Tomites - while a cyst, it splits into daughter parasites - 3 to 28 days inside cyst, however possibly 72 days max
Theronts - new parasites hatched from the cyst - 24 hours to find host or die
