Cryptocaryon Irritans - tank transfer method

[Cujo13]

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.

Yes 2 different systems. I use a shallow tubberware container
And once I catch the fish place the lid on in case he jumps and slowly drain almost all the water back in the now old tank. To the fresh tank and they slide right in. Maybe an ounce of water is transferred. Works pretty slick. Once they are transferred the old system, heater, PVC and tank are thoroughly wiped down with freshwater and dried completely. The time frame to reset up is at least 48 hours of dry time. The air stone and air tubing are new each time...to cheap to chance it. My concern is the air stone will not dry enough. At 50 cents a piece a no brainer. But even with that there is always a small chance of transferring those nasty little white pests. I will keep a close eye on the Tang and keep pushing forward. The family is too attached already...but I would anyways. Thanks a ton for all your guys help! My re-entry into this hobby has been rewarding again and I am gaining a huge amount of knowledge due to everyones helpful attitudes.

Thank you.

I may bump they temp a couple degrees when I do these TTM's.

 

[appellativo]

you're welcome. Instead of airstones, I used powerheads, but disassembled them and let them air dry in the sun (or at least outside, where in texas, its sure to get real dry real quick!!). Just dont leave your glass mercury thermometers in the sun....Doh! (ask me how I know!)

 

[Spar]

Yes 2 different systems. I use a shallow tubberware container
And once I catch the fish place the lid on in case he jumps and slowly drain almost all the water back in the now old tank. To the fresh tank and they slide right in. Maybe an ounce of water is transferred. Works pretty slick. Once they are transferred the old system, heater, PVC and tank are thoroughly wiped down with freshwater and dried completely. The time frame to reset up is at least 48 hours of dry time. The air stone and air tubing are new each time...to cheap to chance it. My concern is the air stone will not dry enough. At 50 cents a piece a no brainer. But even with that there is always a small chance of transferring those nasty little white pests. I will keep a close eye on the Tang and keep pushing forward. The family is too attached already...but I would anyways. Thanks a ton for all your guys help! My re-entry into this hobby has been rewarding again and I am gaining a huge amount of knowledge due to everyones helpful attitudes.

Thank you.

I may bump they temp a couple degrees when I do these TTM's.

are you changing the lid each time as well? drying for 24+ hours, etc.

temperature won't expedite the process, so really is best for the fish to keep the TTM around the same temp as your DT, just to easy their eventual transfer over.

my only concern with letting them "slide down" the side of the container into the new tank is that they would be rubbing up against tomites/cysts on their way down. given being microscopic, i doubt they could erupt one that is 'near complete', but i would be nervous about that personally. really best to use a plastic strainer, your hand (with glove), or net (as last resort). IMO anyway.

 

[snorvich]

Raising temperature is irrelevant.

 

[Cujo13]

are you changing the lid each time as well? drying for 24+ hours, etc.

temperature won't expedite the process, so really is best for the fish to keep the TTM around the same temp as your DT, just to easy their eventual transfer over.

my only concern with letting them "slide down" the side of the container into the new tank is that they would be rubbing up against tomites/cysts on their way down. given being microscopic, i doubt they could erupt one that is 'near complete', but i would be nervous about that personally. really best to use a plastic strainer, your hand (with glove), or net (as last resort). IMO anyway.

Yes the lids are done also. I forgot to mention those. I use glass to keep the aerosol contained. Good point about the container...those are also done. I can see a transfer possibility if I dislodged one while catching the fish. Hmmmm, might change that. Still learning.

 

[Cujo13]

you're welcome. Instead of airstones, I used powerheads, but disassembled them and let them air dry in the sun (or at least outside, where in texas, its sure to get real dry real quick!!). Just dont leave your glass mercury thermometers in the sun....Doh! (ask me how I know!)

I won't ask.

 

[HumbleFish]

I have a fish in my frag tank I suspect might have ich, so I'm gonna run him thru TT.

Can I use the "source water" from the frag tank for the first transfer? I will use WC water from my DT for all future transfers. TIA

 

[Spar]

I have a fish in my frag tank I suspect might have ich, so I'm gonna run him thru TT.

Can I use the "source water" from the frag tank for the first transfer? I will use WC water from my DT for all future transfers. TIA

The only risk by doing that is mitigated by the 12 day process anyway, so no reason you couldn't. I.e. if you were to transfer over a Theront (hadn't attached to the fish yet), then you are adding an extra day to the time period waiting for Trophont's to jump off and form cysts.

 

[HumbleFish]

The only risk by doing that is mitigated by the 12 day process anyway, so no reason you couldn't. I.e. if you were to transfer over a Theront (hadn't attached to the fish yet), then you are adding an extra day to the time period waiting for Trophont's to jump off and form cysts.

Thanks. I'm also hoping to offset the cost of salt for TT by using DT WC water.

 

[snorvich]

Thanks. I'm also hoping to offset the cost of salt for TT by using DT WC water.

Only if you are 120% sure the display tank is parasite free

 

[HumbleFish]

Only if you are 120% sure the display tank is parasite free

Well, I'm never more than 99.9% BUT being he's going into my DT anyway after TT...

 

[adamwheel]

What about the life cycle of ich makes >72 hours in one tank a mistake?

My current DIY 178 gal sat fallow for 90 days several months ago and now all fish in the display have gone through a full TT regimen. I'm not sure I have 100% peace of mind but pretty close.

As always, thanks,

Adam

 

[Spar]

What about the life cycle of ich makes >72 hours in one tank a mistake?

Within the 5-stage Ich life cycle is a stage called Tomite where the parasite creates a cyst somewhere in the tank on a hard surface (but not on the fish itself... at least for the 99.9% rule anyway). This Tomite takes at least 72 hours (I think I recall reading 84 hours was the actual minimum) to hatch, releasing 100's of new parasites. So if you transfer the fish every 72 hours to parasite-free water and equipment, then no new parasites will emerge. If you wait too much longer than 72 hours, then the fish will have new parasites/Trophont's already feeding on them, meaning the TTM process will have to start all over again.

It takes between 1 and 9 days from the commencement of TTM for all Trophont's/feeding parasites to jump off the fish and create the Tomite. Hence the 12 day protocol to ensure all are off the fish and left behind.

 

[firemountain]

I am in the process of buying my first pair of clowns in my new setup. As of now I just have inverts. Great info on the TT method, gonna follow along along.....esp. since I just got done reading all 29 pages of this post!!

 

[jim.ranger]

Is the schedule below correct or is that 1 more transfer than is needed? This will be my first time using the Tank Transfer Method so want to be sure.


Day 1 Fish in Tank 1
Day 4 Move fish to Tank 2 @ 7:00 am ish
Day 7 Move fish to Tank 1 @ 7:00 am ish
Day 10 Move Fish to Tank 2 @ 7:00 am ish
Day 13 Move Fish to Tank 1 @ 7:00 am ish
Day 16 Move to QT Tank.

I have two 18 gallon roughneck totes, 2 heaters, a bunch of airstones , 2 thermometers, ammonia detoxifier and a few ammonia badges. Am I missing anything? Do I need any lighting other than room lights?

 

[Spar]

You have an extra transfer in there but never hurts to do one more, just isn't really necessary.

Only equipment I see missing is hiding places for the fish. Simply some PVC attachments will do.

Good plan!

 

[jim.ranger]

Ok one more question before my fish arrive tomorrow. Do you go right to the initial tank being used for the TT or do you have them in the QT tank when they first arrive then move them over? I have the two 18 gall roughnecks for the TT and a 30 gallon QT tank. To me it would make sense to go straight to the first roughneck so I don't have to strip down and clean the QT but figure I should check with the experts!

 

[Deinonych]

You can go straight to the initial tank if you prefer. My personal preference is to get the fish eating and acclimated to the QT first. I purchase all of my livestock online, so they tend to be more stressed when I acquire them than if I purchased them at the LFS.

 

[snorvich]

You can do either. Best bet however is to match the SG of which ever receiving tank you use to the transport water SG.

 

[LinkinReef]

Just started the transfer method this morning. Took the fish out of the DT after all of them caught some pretty nasty ich. I lost 3 of them and have 3 left. Currently using 2x 20g tanks for this with a pump and heater on each. After 4-5 transfers, do I release them into the DT again or how long to I have to wait until any signs of ich in the DT are completely gone?