How long to go Fallow?

[CrayolaViolence]

I went twelve weeks and a few days. Fish were QTd and clear when they entered the tank. Within 2 weeks they had ich.

I honesty don't think there is an answer.

Correction: I was thinking 12 weeks, but it was actually 3 almost 3.5 months. A loooong time. Way more than people said I needed. Still wound up with sick fish after QT

 

[danrobberg]

Ok that's even worse to hear.

 

[danrobberg]

During your qt did you treat with copper?

 

[microlady]

I went 72 days the first time and 90 the second. Fallow periods work well for knocking down the virulence of the parasite, but in my experience it doesn't eliminate them. I am really sick to my stomach when I think about all that I've went through the past year. All of my fish went through TTM a few times. I don't touch copper.

Two of my dwarf Angels show a few spots and my tang scratches sometimes. So far it doesn't seem too bad. Only time will tell.

Good luck.

 

[ThRoewer]

I killed it of in my 42 gallon tank by leaving the immune fish in the tank and only treating the very sick regal angels. No new fish I added to that tank ever showed a spot, and this tank is not only heavily stocked but has also a bit bullying going on.
I have the suspicion that at least some ich strains might have long term cysts in hibernation which wake up when they "smell" a fish near by.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Fitz19d]

I went 72 days the first time and 90 the second. Fallow periods work well for knocking down the virulence of the parasite, but in my experience it doesn't eliminate them. I am really sick to my stomach when I think about all that I've went through the past year. All of my fish went through TTM a few times. I don't touch copper.

Two of my dwarf Angels show a few spots and my tang scratches sometimes. So far it doesn't seem too bad. Only time will tell.

Good luck.

I would suspect your TTM may have failed if anything. Fudged the hours a little too long or too close to the edge. Had the QT tanks right next to each other so infected water splashed into the other. Equipment that had a few drops etc used in both etc

 

[Dmorty217]

Fallow periods are unreliable, simple as that. There are reports of Ich coming back in reef tanks after being fallow for 90+days.

 

[microlady]

I would suspect your TTM may have failed if anything. Fudged the hours a little too long or too close to the edge. Had the QT tanks right next to each other so infected water splashed into the other. Equipment that had a few drops etc used in both etc

Not a chance. I'm meticulous.

 

[Dmorty217]

Not a chance. I'm meticulous.

Everyone is always quick to try and point out what you did to cause the fallow period to fail... no one ever thinks, huh maybe Ich strain(s) can live longer than 72 days without a host

 

[microlady]

Everyone is always quick to try and point out what you did to cause the fallow period to fail... no one ever thinks, huh maybe Ich strain(s) can live longer than 72 days without a host

Yes, I agree. I am not perfect, but having been a microbiologist for many years means I'm serious about biosecurity. TTM is pretty foolproof and someone would have to be pretty negligent to screw it up.

No spots are on the angels today, but I swear there were some a couple of days ago. Maybe it's not ich and they have those creepy monogean skin flukes that ThRoewer is always mentioning. Whatever it is slipped through formalin baths, TTM, Prazi, and two long fallow periods. All fish are eating and doing well, but I'd bet that ich is still lurking and it always will be in that tank. No more tangs or angels for me just in case. Thank goodness I'm pretty certain that losses to velvet or Brook are behind me due to a sound quarantine protocol.

 

[ThRoewer]

Everyone is always quick to try and point out what you did to cause the fallow period to fail... no one ever thinks, huh maybe Ich strain(s) can live longer than 72 days without a host

I've pointed that out again and again.
The 72 days go back to one single observation in one single study.
Based on such flimsy data (just one data point actually) it's quite a stretch to take this as the absolute max.

 

[ThRoewer]

Yes, I agree. I am not perfect, but having been a microbiologist for many years means I'm serious about biosecurity. TTM is pretty foolproof and someone would have to be pretty negligent to screw it up.

No spots are on the angels today, but I swear there were some a couple of days ago. Maybe it's not ich and they have those creepy monogean skin flukes that ThRoewer is always mentioning. Whatever it is slipped through formalin baths, TTM, Prazi, and two long fallow periods. All fish are eating and doing well, but I'd bet that ich is still lurking and it always will be in that tank. No more tangs or angels for me just in case. Thank goodness I'm pretty certain that losses to velvet or Brook are behind me due to a sound quarantine protocol.

When in doubt, put an infected fish under the microscope. Monogenean are fairly easy to distinguish from Cryptocaryon under the microscope.

Here is a good article on Monogeneans: http://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/2013/09/Monogenean-Parasites-of-Fish.pdf

Image Source: http://chucksaddiction.thefishestate.net/disease.html

 

[danrobberg]

This thread has really bummed me out. I thought 90 days gave me 100 percent no chance of ich in the system.

 

[Dmorty217]

This thread has really bummed me out. I thought 90 days gave me 100 percent no chance of ich in the system.

I added a frag that sat 9 months fallow and I got Ich in my DT... Most say the CP must of failed, I say no way. ThRoewer, you do say that but your in the minority

 

[danrobberg]

Now I'm wonder g what the point was for spending 200 dollars on a qt set up

 

[ThRoewer]

Now I'm wonder g what the point was for spending 200 dollars on a qt set up

Because there are far more dangerous parasites and pathogens than Cryptocaryon: Amyloodinium ocellatum, Brooklynella hostilis, Uronema marinum, the thousands of Monogenean ("Flukes") species, Mycobacteria, Vibrio, Iridoviruses, internal fungi like Ichthyosporidium hoferi,... just to name a few...

Cryptocaryon is really not that of a big deal - and if it is you may be doing something wrong.

 

[danrobberg]

Well whatever I had wiped out my whole tank except a goby and mandarin. Could have been velvet. Anyone know the fallow period for velvet?

 

[Dmorty217]

Well whatever I had wiped out my whole tank except a font and mandarin. Could have been velvet. Anyone know the fallow period for velvet?

6 weeks

 

[microlady]

Because there are far more dangerous parasites and pathogens than Cryptocaryon: Amyloodinium ocellatum, Brooklynella hostilis, Uronema marinum, the thousands of Monogenean ("Flukes") species, Mycobacteria, Vibrio, Iridoviruses, internal fungi like Ichthyosporidium hoferi,... just to name a few...

Cryptocaryon is really not that of a big deal - and if it is you may be doing something wrong.

I agree 100%. Quarantine tanks are a must in this hobby. But I'm just so darn mad that crypto might have outsmarted me again. I don't see any spots today but I pray the tank isn't a ticking time bomb. I'm doing everything possible to keep water quality immaculate, and feeding a wide variety of Selcon soaked foods along with Nori.

 

[microlady]

Luckily I don't think I have those skin monogeneans. They look awful! I'm a bit nervous to put a live fish under the microscope and I don't see how that would work with our compound Nikon ones at work, but I could do a skin and gill scrape.