Cryptocaryon Irritans - tank transfer method

[appellativo]

Snorvich,
I am impressed that you are still contributing to this topic for such a long time. Kudos to you for helping grow this hobby and save some fish.

So I had a few fish in a QT for a couple of weeks with no signs of ich, but the notorious white spots showed up after they went into the DT. I'm pretty sure my DT is contaminated (as opposed to the fish) since I still have a couple more fish in the QT that have not gotten any parasites.

I've tried the hypo and copper methods before, but they always seem to fail. Hypo was too difficult in maintaining the proper salinity and it took forever. Copper just seemed to make things worse for the fish. So I'm glad that I stumbled across the TT method to try since it seems right up my alley.

I read up to page 11 on this thread, and kind of skipped some stuff but here's my plan:

Use two 5 gal buckets, pvc, air pumps, heater and perform the TT method for 12 days, transferring the fish in the morning on every fourth day. Then using a bleach solution (1 part per 20 was mentioned) to sterilize the equipment. Dry everything and repeat.

After the transfer period is over I put the fish into a longer term QT tank to watch for any other outbreak as well as give time for the ich to die out in my DT. So with the 12 days from transferring, I guess they would be living in the QT for a little over six weeks.

I need some advice on how to properly set up the QT for the post TT process. I was going to use a 20 gal tank, with a small skimmer. If I set up this QT now, it will not be cycled by the time the fish are ready to join in. My normal though would be to add some rocks/water/sand from the DT to start up the system, but I think that would counter productive to the TT system.

Should I use a HOB to add additional filtration to the system? How should I proceed?

I had the same problem as you. When I first started the TT method, I set up a fresh DT (in your case it will be a longer term QT but the method is the same: ammonia cycling).

I got a hold of some pure ammonia from a scientific chemical company. It was 35% strength and I had to do some math to dilute it down to a lower 10% percentage. Anyways, the point is, you have to get your hands on some pure ammonia (if you shake it, it should not foam or suds, and it should not have any color).

Set up your temp qt with a few powerheads and some surfaces for the bacteria to inhabit. Either fluval stone filter pieces (can't think of the name) or a couple inches of crushed coral will do. Mix saltwater and wait 24 hours for ph to stabilize. I am going to put a link you can look at for how to do the ammonia cycling method, below.

I was not successful like the guy says in finding the ammonia at the supermarket though. And he says it can take from two to four weeks. For me, not getting it done in the two week time frame was NOT an option, so I also used starter cultures of saltwater bacteria, namely, Start Smart Complete by TLC Products and Bio Spira (purple bottle, by Tetra). I think I used each at least twice, if not three times, at various times during the ammonia supplementation process. I just kept at it and when twelve days was over, the cycle was complete. I was VERY RELIEVED that all my obsessiveness and research and diligence paid off.

All fish have been in that same clean DT for a year with no ich outbreaks. no new fish have been put in there without having done tank transfer...of course coral has but only from tanks with no ich and I have not added any fish in a long time, or coral for that matter. I just let what I have in there grow. It is possible that a cyst could have gotten in on a coral frag on the rock but it didnt. Got some aptasia though, but I'd much rather have that

http://www.csupomona.edu/~jskoga/Aquariums/Ammonia.html

feel free to google multiple pages on cycling with ammonia. remember you cant have anything living, except bacteria, while you are cycling with ammonia, till its all done!

 

[kentwo]

I had the same problem as you. When I first started the TT method, I set up a fresh DT (in your case it will be a longer term QT but the method is the same: ammonia cycling).

I got a hold of some pure ammonia from a scientific chemical company. It was 35% strength and I had to do some math to dilute it down to a lower 10% percentage. Anyways, the point is, you have to get your hands on some pure ammonia (if you shake it, it should not foam or suds, and it should not have any color).

Set up your temp qt with a few powerheads and some surfaces for the bacteria to inhabit. Either fluval stone filter pieces (can't think of the name) or a couple inches of crushed coral will do. Mix saltwater and wait 24 hours for ph to stabilize. I am going to put a link you can look at for how to do the ammonia cycling method, below.

I was not successful like the guy says in finding the ammonia at the supermarket though. And he says it can take from two to four weeks. For me, not getting it done in the two week time frame was NOT an option, so I also used starter cultures of saltwater bacteria, namely, Start Smart Complete by TLC Products and Bio Spira (purple bottle, by Tetra). I think I used each at least twice, if not three times, at various times during the ammonia supplementation process. I just kept at it and when twelve days was over, the cycle was complete. I was VERY RELIEVED that all my obsessiveness and research and diligence paid off.

All fish have been in that same clean DT for a year with no ich outbreaks. no new fish have been put in there without having done tank transfer...of course coral has but only from tanks with no ich and I have not added any fish in a long time, or coral for that matter. I just let what I have in there grow. It is possible that a cyst could have gotten in on a coral frag on the rock but it didnt. Got some aptasia though, but I'd much rather have that

http://www.csupomona.edu/~jskoga/Aquariums/Ammonia.html

feel free to google multiple pages on cycling with ammonia. remember you cant have anything living, except bacteria, while you are cycling with ammonia, till its all done!

Thanks. I think that is my main concern. The TT method seems pretty straight forward, but since my DT is the one infected, I am struggling with a way to quickly set up a long term QT with has cycled and will be ready at the end of the 12 day TT process. I was going to try some Fluval Biological Enhancer since that is something that is readily available locally. I didn't think of the pure ammonia idea, there are a couple local chemical companies that I may be able to pick some up from. Would I be able to get a tank close to being ready if I just use the bottle bacteria and some shrimp/squid for 12 days? Or would those not produce enough ammonia?

 

[appellativo]

Absolutely no, you will NOT be able to do a complete cycle in that time with shrimp and bacteria. Ask me how I know!!! And in the past, I have lost my fair share of fish in non-cycled quarantine tanks, battling water quality with copious amounts of water changes and amquel et. all. Please trust me on this, for what you are wanting to do, don't fool around: get the ammonia!

 

[appellativo]

make sure you get the seachem ammo badge, that's how you know when you can redose with ammonia. You have to waste no time in this process to get it done in the twelve day timeframe.

 

[Cujo13]

Hello, have a new Kole Tang in QT and doing the tank transfer method. This morning was his second transfer. Today I noticed that he has a small white dot on the end of his pectoral fin. The question is, now that I believe his has ich should I add a couple more transfers on the end, more or less starting over?

 

[Spar]

Hello, have a new Kole Tang in QT and doing the tank transfer method. This morning was his second transfer. Today I noticed that he has a small white dot on the end of his pectoral fin. The question is, now that I believe his has ich should I add a couple more transfers on the end, more or less starting over?

Generally with ich you will see a lot of spots not just one. It is highly possible that what you are seeing is Lympho instead. A picture may help if you can manage a decent one.

 

[Cujo13]

Sure, thanks.

 

[Cujo13]

Sure, thanks.

This has the best focus on the spot. In looking through the pictures I noticed one very small spot on the dorsal fin also but barely visible.

 

[Spar]

Loos like Lympho to me. Will wait for a few others to chime in. Ich looks much smaller.

 

[Cujo13]

Loos like Lympho to me. Will wait for a few others to chime in. Ich looks much smaller.

Thanks Spar...will hang on.

 

[snorvich]

Loos like Lympho to me. Will wait for a few others to chime in. Ich looks much smaller.

Agreed.

 

[Cujo13]

Thank you Spar and Steve for your expertise. Very much appreciated!

 

[Spar]

Great shot on the picture btw! Those are hard tangs to wait for a still shot. Good looking fish too!

 

[Cujo13]

Great shot on the picture btw! Those are hard tangs to wait for a still shot. Good looking fish too!

Thanks, I got him from Divers Den and I think he is gorgeous. Will be ordering from them again.

 

[Nina51]

don't you just love that guy!? i got a kole tang from liveaquaria recently. i put him through tt and he did develop a very mild case of lympho. steve (snorvich) suggested soaking his food in selcon and/or vita-chem. started doing that and the lympho disappeared in no time. he is in my dt now and is quite the show off!

having dealt with lympho first hand, i agree that it looks like what your guy has. you may see more spots develop before it gets better but it's much different looking than ich.

 

[snorvich]

Great shot on the picture btw! Those are hard tangs to wait for a still shot. Good looking fish too!

Yes, I agree! I never could do aquarium photography.

 

[Cujo13]

don't you just love that guy!? i got a kole tang from liveaquaria recently. i put him through tt and he did develop a very mild case of lympho. steve (snorvich) suggested soaking his food in selcon and/or vita-chem. started doing that and the lympho disappeared in no time. he is in my dt now and is quite the show off!

having dealt with lympho first hand, i agree that it looks like what your guy has. you may see more spots develop before it gets better but it's much different looking than ich.

Thanks Nina51, I have some vita chem on order and should be here Wednesday. Actually I learned about it from your thread...so thanks twice.

 

[Cujo13]

Yes, I agree! I never could do aquarium photography.

Thanks Steve.

 

[Nina51]

Thanks Nina51, I have some vita chem on order and should be here Wednesday. Actually I learned about it from your thread...so thanks twice.

:thumbsup:

and i agree, great picture. i think i took 100 pics before i got 1 decent one of mine. wiggle wiggle wiggle!

 

[appellativo]

If it's ich, just keep with the TT method. It is normal to see white spots and cloudy fins; each piece on the fish will feed for 3-7 days (make sure you have the temp at 78-80) and then fall off. So after twelve days, they will all have fallen off. Make sense? Towards the twelfth day, you may see cloudy fins from damage, but there shouldn't be any obvious white spots/chunks still on them. If so, you've made a mistake somewhere, not drying the tanks (remember you have TWO SETUPS YOU ARE DRYING ONE WHILE USING THE OTHER!!!) in between, or have transferred too much water (and thus cysts) to the next tank.