There is no real minimum as long as a given cycle is less than 72 hours and total of all cycles is at least 12 days.
Cryptocaryon Irritans - tank transfer method
- Thread starter snorvich
- Start date
There is no real minimum as long as a given cycle is less than 72 hours and total of all cycles is at least 12 days.
Neptune 555
New member
I am doing TT with four fish.. I have a yellow tang / blue tang / mandarin / blue spotted goby. I am on day 9 and my blue tang has a white spot on his left fin. He has had this since day 1? I am wondering why it has not fallen off? I have read the life cycle and understand that ich can feed on the fish for 7 days... so why has this not fallen off? I am also treating prazi pro in the event this is somthing else? The fish looks good.. and has been eating like a pig except for today.. I started prazi pro yesterday.
**Also just one question if the ich falls off and can start to look in the ground and then divide and find a new host... I am just wondering in general why all the fish don't keep getting re-infected? and maybe is that what happened to the blue tang this is not the same spot but a re-infection? NONE Of the other fish are showing signs or ever did show signs... just the blue tang
Neptune
**Also just one question if the ich falls off and can start to look in the ground and then divide and find a new host... I am just wondering in general why all the fish don't keep getting re-infected? and maybe is that what happened to the blue tang this is not the same spot but a re-infection? NONE Of the other fish are showing signs or ever did show signs... just the blue tang
Neptune
A white spot on the fin is likely lymphocystis. Assuming that you are transferring fish per the TT protocol (no longer than 72 hours per cycle, total of 12 days), they cannot get reinfected since you are eliminating the infectious part of the life cycle.
reefkeeper2
Premium Member
I recently purchased some fish from a vendor that treats and quarantines all his fish before sale. When I received them I immediately noticed something wrong in their appearance (pale color and filmy skin) but chalked it up to the stress of the shipment. Within a few hours I could see the spots of ick. By morning of the next day one of the fish was covered with it. It expired that night.
The vendor is trying to tell me that the fish got the ick from my system. I have never seen ick on a single fish in my tank ever. I havn't added any new fish in well over a year. I suppose it is possible that the parasite is present and my fish are immune and just don't show signs of infection (not once in 9 years) but could there be enough parasite present to infect and kill a fish in just a day? The total tank volume is 550gal in an established reef. There was a meeting of my reef club on saturday and a whole group of people (including Gary Parr the photographer) saw the fish. No one could believe the condition of the fish and that it wasn't infected on arrival. How long from initial exposure to when the cycts are large enough to be seen on the fish?
The vendor is trying to tell me that the fish got the ick from my system. I have never seen ick on a single fish in my tank ever. I havn't added any new fish in well over a year. I suppose it is possible that the parasite is present and my fish are immune and just don't show signs of infection (not once in 9 years) but could there be enough parasite present to infect and kill a fish in just a day? The total tank volume is 550gal in an established reef. There was a meeting of my reef club on saturday and a whole group of people (including Gary Parr the photographer) saw the fish. No one could believe the condition of the fish and that it wasn't infected on arrival. How long from initial exposure to when the cycts are large enough to be seen on the fish?
There is no vendor that I am aware of that truly quarantines and treats their fish. I know a couple that say they do, but they do not publish their protocol so I cannot judge its effectiveness. The fish you got were clearly infected.
If you do not quarantine, assume they are infected.
Spar
New member
And to further what Steve stated, the term "quarantine" has a very broad meaning. If you isolate new fish for 2 days without meds, that is quarantining. If you do TTM, that is also quarantining. Both are good things to do, but the difference is that one method removes ich and the other just checks for general health.
Hence Steves reference to not seeing what extent the vendors actually take in their QT procedures.
But even then, how can you trust them completely when it is your livestock at stake? They will just say it was already in your system and there is no way to prove them wrong.
Hence Steves reference to not seeing what extent the vendors actually take in their QT procedures.
But even then, how can you trust them completely when it is your livestock at stake? They will just say it was already in your system and there is no way to prove them wrong.
fearyaks
New member
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to the reefcentral denizens for their advice, pointing out snorvich and sk8r (I think that's his handle.. he has the kitten avatar). I was really in a bind last night and I believe I have things sorted now.
Background - Had a 29 gallon biocube working as my QT (thoughts were to convert it into a regular tank after my main tank was stocked).
Anyway, I had a lined dartfish in QT and mysteriously, Live Aquaria sent me a small female Bellus Angelfish (about an inch and some change). I called and they said it was a mistake but they didn't have much they could do about it (I wasn't charged). Anyway, I added it to the QT and about 4 days later (last night) it started showing signs of a bad ich... to top things off I had an order coming in that was too late to stop (Pink streaked wrasse and Royal Gramma). Not the best situation to find yourself in after 9PM.
So, to make a long story short, I ran out to the evil chain pet store that everyone seems to hate this AM and picked up two ten gallon tank sets ($40 each, contain starter heater, hood, airstone)... and even some HOB stuff that I won't use. Ran down to the hardware store and got some PVC fittings.
By noon, all four fish were in 10 gallon 'A' tank and (seemingly) doing fine. I'm not sure if the Bellus will make it (no signs of swim bladder issues, eating well) but I feel better that at least it has a chance. I will add some ammonia reducer tomorrow or at the start of day three.
Thanks again!
Background - Had a 29 gallon biocube working as my QT (thoughts were to convert it into a regular tank after my main tank was stocked).
Anyway, I had a lined dartfish in QT and mysteriously, Live Aquaria sent me a small female Bellus Angelfish (about an inch and some change). I called and they said it was a mistake but they didn't have much they could do about it (I wasn't charged). Anyway, I added it to the QT and about 4 days later (last night) it started showing signs of a bad ich... to top things off I had an order coming in that was too late to stop (Pink streaked wrasse and Royal Gramma). Not the best situation to find yourself in after 9PM.
So, to make a long story short, I ran out to the evil chain pet store that everyone seems to hate this AM and picked up two ten gallon tank sets ($40 each, contain starter heater, hood, airstone)... and even some HOB stuff that I won't use. Ran down to the hardware store and got some PVC fittings.
By noon, all four fish were in 10 gallon 'A' tank and (seemingly) doing fine. I'm not sure if the Bellus will make it (no signs of swim bladder issues, eating well) but I feel better that at least it has a chance. I will add some ammonia reducer tomorrow or at the start of day three.
Thanks again!
Always a pleasure! (by the way Sk8r is a she) Tank transfer is just so easy and effective, it makes life a whole lot easier!!
Started TTM on newly acquired fish yesterday. Per the advice here, I matched the first tank's SG to the LFS (1.020) My DT is 1.025. What is recommended to match the DT salinity by the end of TTM? Should I gradually raise it in tank during the three days of one of the TTM's steps, increase it (i.e. 0.001) between one TTM transfer to the next (i.e. have tank 2 at 1.021) or keep it at 1.020 during TTM and do drip acclimation when its time to transfer to the DT?
Simply raise it a little at a time during the process. Since you really should have an observational period after TT, that would be an easy time to raise SG.
Thanks, I'll raise it slowly during TTM. Unfortunately my observation tank was exposed to ich about six months ago, and although the resident fish (clown, green chromis, banghai cardinal) haven't shown any ich symptoms in this period, I am aware ich may still be present. Therefore, I don't want to risk adding the new fish currently undergoing TTM into this tank, based on advice in this forum. After my new fish have gone through TTM, I'll do TTM on these other fish, and let the observation tank lay fallow for the recommended time. I've just delayed doing this, as the clown will have to live in the DT's sump until the observation tank's fallow period is up, and then the clown can go back into the observation tank.
Based on discussion here, I plan of keeping invertebrates and macro algae during the fallow period to keep the observation tank 'interesting' while its fishless (its in my living room).
The important issues are:
+ no more than 72 hours for a given transfer cycle but less is fine as longs as:
+ total of at least 12 days
Yes, you can reuse equipment as long as it is cleaned and totally dry.
Spar
New member
extra transfers won't hurt, but really aren't necessary. all the parasites jump off the fish by day 7-8, so really the 4th transfer is technically unnecessary in itself (i.e. is the 'extra' transfer).
you will want to monitor the fish subsequent to the TTM completion as well. At minimum an additional 2-3 weeks. primarily to ensure the fish doesnt have something worse than ich like velvet or brook. or that the TTM may have failed... happened to me once luckily i caught it.
you will want to monitor the fish subsequent to the TTM completion as well. At minimum an additional 2-3 weeks. primarily to ensure the fish doesnt have something worse than ich like velvet or brook. or that the TTM may have failed... happened to me once luckily i caught it.
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