Cryptocaryon Irritans - tank transfer method

[gt5500]

I know this sounds quite cynical, but I don't view anyone as "reliable" personally, especially LFS's; and most people that state they have no Ich in their system just don't know that they do for varying reasons.

I know different people have different opinions on this, but my personal stance is the assumption that everything I purchase has Ich on it in some varying life cycle stage. i.e. I trust no one but myself. I wouldn't even trust a fish coming from Snorvich/Steve, the one person I would be near 100% sure had no Ich within 20 miles of his home :fun2:

If you are serious about having an ich-free environment for life, you will need to remove the Clown and treat/QT and run your DT fallow for the 10 weeks. But if you are willing to wait until 'the time comes' and then treat/QT/fallow, it isn't end of the world given such a small tank. IMO anyway. My personal vote would be for you to just get it right now/early.

I hear what you are saying and believe me if I didn't believe there was a chance that the clown may have Ich I wouldn't be asking the question.
Thanks for the advice guys, I will have a good hard think about what to do, right now it kills me to say this but I think I will put the clown in qt and run the tank fallow, really don't want to though as I'm really enjoying my new hobby, but I am of the opinion the fish are more important then my enjoyment. I'd really hate to get the tank to a level I was happy with and then for everything to be wiped out.
Maybe I'll try and get the qt in a position where I can see it rather than hidden away might lessen the blow a bit besides my cleaner shrimp cracks me up most of the time anyway.

 

[TitanCi]

Im about to do my second transfer tomorrow and so far. All fish are doing well. Eating well, happy in a bin.

I wish I did this sooner instead of futzing around with bad CP. Just a question: the last transfer is into the hospital tank right?

 

[Spar]

Im about to do my second transfer tomorrow and so far. All fish are doing well. Eating well, happy in a bin.

I wish I did this sooner instead of futzing around with bad CP. Just a question: the last transfer is into the hospital tank right?

Correct. There for at least 2-3 more weeks. Or longer if you running DT fallow.

 

[gt5500]

This may be a question for a new thread but after I take the clown out of the DT I will TTM it and then put it into QT for the fallow period, could I then get another fish TTM it and put it in the same QT or is this too risky?

 

[snorvich]

This may be a question for a new thread but after I take the clown out of the DT I will TTM it and then put it into QT for the fallow period, could I then get another fish TTM it and put it in the same QT or is this too risky?

The risk is that you run into a different parasite, e.g. velvet, that has not had a chance to exhibit visual symptoms. Total of TTM and observation needs to be at least 4 weeks before you can feel reasonably certain that a parasite problem has not been masked from the source of the fish.

 

[TitanCi]

Cryptocaryon Irritans - tank transfer method

I am a firm BELIEVER in TTM. MAN, I should have done this to begin with. *** was I thinking not doing this???

My remaining 3 tangs, (the yellow didn't make it nor did the 6 line wrasse) and blenny are all swimming around with such vigor and strength, eating quickly and seemingly more alert since being out of the CP water, which wasn't pure btw, and best of all, have not exhibited flashing or spots, although it still may be too early to tell. I have one transfer left, being done tomorrow night before the last transfer into the QT! So happy. So easy!!!!

I have a question though: I had to transfer my Naso tang a few hours before the other fish as it looked like he wasn't doing too well, so he was transferred at night, while the other fish were transferred yesterday AM. Does that mean I should prepare all fish to be transferred tomorrow night instead of Sunday AM?

I will still complete the four required transfers but it falls a few hours short (6-7 hrs) of being a full 12 days. I hope that makes sense.

Snorvich is right with this method. Thank god!!!!

 

[Spar]

probably safer to just start the transfers on the night prior now. you don't want to allow the 72 hours mark to be extended by too long... 78 hours is my personal max tolerance. keeping in mind that there are other life cycle stages that have to take place prior to the Tomont/cyst stage.

you will be fine ending on the end of the 11th day rather than the morning of the 12th. that last transfer really isn't even necessary (still should do it regardless) anyway as all the parasites would have jumped off by the time you do the 3rd transfer.

 

[jbvdhp]

probably safer to just start the transfers on the night prior now. you don't want to allow the 72 hours mark to be extended by too long... 78 hours is my personal max tolerance. keeping in mind that there are other life cycle stages that have to take place prior to the Tomont/cyst stage.

you will be fine ending on the end of the 11th day rather than the morning of the 12th. that last transfer really isn't even necessary (still should do it regardless) anyway as all the parasites would have jumped off by the time you do the 3rd transfer.

Thanks Spar! Your guys' knowledge is appreciated (jbvdhp = TitanCi, btw). I'm going to TTM all fish from now on for crypt.

 

[Deinonych]

I'm going to TTM all fish from now on for crypt.

:thumbsup:

 

[TitanCi]

Question guys: someone wants to sell me an adult chevron tang where it was living in a supposed sterile tank, with a 7" black tang and 5" Achilles. If YOU bought the Chevron and he swears he QTs his fish and none of the tangs show symptoms would YOU:

A) still perform TTM anyway
B) put the adult colored chevron into a QT for observation and only tx if needed (would ich appear during this time?)
C) believe him because he swears if his tank had ich, the Achilles would have displayed it.

 

[Deinonych]

The only person I trust to QT correctly is myself.

 

[Spar]

The only person I trust to QT correctly is myself.

^^^ this

 

[zeebies]

The only person I trust to QT correctly is myself.

^^^^^ This again.

 

[snorvich]

The only person I trust to QT correctly is myself.

Likewise.

 

[tmz]

Any new specimen from anywhere is a threat. I'd follow my qt protocol.

Originally Posted by jbvdhp
I'm going to TTM all fish from now on for crypt.

:beer: :celeb1::fish2:

 

[TitanCi]

Duly noted and will follow my own advice!!!!

Last transfer tonight before going into qt!!!

 

[gt5500]

Genuinely interested to know how is it possible for ich to be present in a tank and not show itself? I understand that an outbreak is required for the visible spots but surely even a few parasites on a fish would show themselves through flashing, fast breathing etc. I am just trying to understand this parasite better and I often hear the word immunity thrown around with little explanation what is meant by it.

 

[Spar]

Genuinely interested to know how is it possible for ich to be present in a tank and not show itself? I understand that an outbreak is required for the visible spots but surely even a few parasites on a fish would show themselves through flashing, fast breathing etc. I am just trying to understand this parasite better and I often hear the word immunity thrown around with little explanation what is meant by it.

there is no such thing as true immunity; really people are just referring to tolerance coming from being healthy, low stress and a strong immune system. when a fish is stressed and/or low immunity, their body is more susceptible for a parasite to break through their skin.

the gills however are generally always susceptible, given softer tissue. the parasites are microscopic, so just a few aren't going to impact them to the point of breathing hard, etc. and if they are just in the gills and not on the body, less likely to need to flash at all.

think about if you just had one tick on you, how that would impact you... but if you had hundreds, different story.

 

[gt5500]

there is no such thing as true immunity; really people are just referring to tolerance coming from being healthy, low stress and a strong immune system. when a fish is stressed and/or low immunity, their body is more susceptible for a parasite to break through their skin.

the gills however are generally always susceptible, given softer tissue. the parasites are microscopic, so just a few aren't going to impact them to the point of breathing hard, etc. and if they are just in the gills and not on the body, less likely to need to flash at all.

think about if you just had one tick on you, how that would impact you... but if you had hundreds, different story.

Yes of course that all makes perfect sense, however what still confuses me is why don't these few parasites in the gills drop off multiply and come back with a vengeance? I understood that the cycle of the parasite is to infect fall off multiply and then come back in force but it would seem in some cases some how the numbers do not get out of control.

 

[Spar]

they do do that (multiply). but the parasites still have to find a host, which for a microscopic creature that isn't an easy exact science. but if you bottle up too many fish in a small tank, it is much easier for them to find 'a' fish and take advantage of the fact that the fish are already stressed out (likely). If the water to fish ratio is high, then few are going to find a new host. Likely why in the ocean most fish have a parasite of some kind but not often overwhelmed... kind of luck of the draw in that much space.

And a strong/healthy fish is going to be able to fight off even in the gills to a greater extent than a non-healthy fish. Plus is a smaller area to be lucky enough to get to (as a parasite).

I'm sure there is a most exact answer that someone like Snorvich can add. But in general it just comes down to (a) health of the fish able to ward off major infestations and (b) bad luck where the parasite finds the fish.

But what you are explaining is why some people don't notice Ich for months and months after it is introduced. The infestations gradually gets worse and worse as time goes on. Exponential attacks.