How many baths and dips?

[Chihuahua6]

After suffering multiple losses from ich and some to a mystery I am comlpletely paranoid now when I buy new fish. I recently purchased two black Clarkii Clownfish with orange faces and bellies, truly beautiful fish. Here is what I have done so far to treat them for anything I can think of:

Day 2-4: added Quick Cure to tank water at recommended dosage.
Day 4: freshwater dip for 4 minutes, Formalin bath (Quick Cure 10X tank strength) for 25 minutes
Day 1-11: Tank transfer every two days now on day eleven.
Day 10: Prazipro in tank water

They look great, eat well, breathe normally, no spots. One of them rubbed her gill area yesterday a few times. I will continue tank transfer method for a while. I need to anyway to keep ammonia at zero so I prefer this over using copper.

My question is should I repeat the freshwater dip or formalin bath?

 

[MrTuskfish]

FW dips do nothing for ich; the parasites are too deep in the fish and the fish protects the fish from the osmotic shock of the FW. . Formalin dips can provide some temporary relief for velvet; but I doubt their value for ich, for the same reasons as the FW baths/dips. I haven't personally used formalin for ich in years. But I do trust a few folks that do use formalin baths; I just don't understand how a med can kill a feeding ich trophont without seriously damaging the fish. Formalin (formaldehyde) is not a gentle med.

I think a full round of tank-transfer; as detailed in Snorvich's sticky above, is fool-proof and as close to 100% effective as anything ich-wise. OR:If you plan ahead and have well-seeded & established filter media; ammonia should not be a concern in a copper treated QT/HT. I think chloroquine is worth looking at too; I've started using it on a "loaner" fish and this is my 1st experience with the stuff.

I know I'm all over the place with this post; but there are a few options and all have pros and cons. I keep about 1000 gals of DT tanks and haven't seen ich since I started prophylacticly treating with Cupramine copper about 15 years ago.

 

[Chihuahua6]

Thanks for the response. I did the fw dip for Velvet and the formalin for Brooklynella. Those are the treatments I am questioning how many times to repeat. The tank transfer I will continue to do to eradicate ich regardless.

That's what I meant by being paranoid and treating for everything ; )

 

[zeebies]

Just want to clarify. I use TT method also, and if you start on day 1, transfers happen on days 4,7,10,13 which would be every three days, not two. Didn't know if that was a typo or not.

 

[Chihuahua6]

Just want to clarify. I use TT method also, and if you start on day 1, transfers happen on days 4,7,10,13 which would be every three days, not two. Didn't know if that was a typo or not.

Yes I know but I decided to do it every other day to keep ammonia at zero. I will still continue for 12 days minimum. It just means more transfers, not less time.

 

[Chihuahua6]

Can anyone answer my question regarding how many dips and baths? This is to prevent Brooklynella and Velvet incase the fish have been exposed to it prior to purchase. I did one freshwater dip and one formalin bath so far. The fish are transferred into a clean tank every two days.