specific on TT method

[Neptune 555]

Ok I am doing TT method on my new fish who have been in QT for 2+weeks. (if I ever see ich in my display again I am going to go crazy!)

If I am tearing down and setting up my QT tank how do I stop ammonia spikes? My filter media will be brand new as to ensure that I don't bring any ich with the fish? What do I do with the live rock? and i have to assume the liverock in the tank with the fish now is ich infested? Or can I rinse it? Ich does not live in the rocks? It lives in the sand?

I have provided a bowl filled with sand before to my blue spot jawfish...BUT he does not go in? I ended up adding a heap of live sand to my QT tank to get him eating. I can't waste that much sand with each move? and I cant lose my blue spot jawfish... b/c I love him.

Neptune

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Are you referring to the LR in the QT or the main? LR in the main will need to stay in the main. Anything you bring over from the main can bring ich. Ich does not live on the rocks and rinsing will not eradicate ich. I would recommend you read the stickies on ich.

 

[triggreef]

By your post it is not very clear what your attempting to do.

If you had ich in your main display it needs to go fish-less (fallow) for 12 weeks to ensure that any ich in that system is dead and gone.

While doing that, you can move your fish into a QT to begin treating them. Or if your really planning tank transfer method, begin a QT that will house your fish until they can return to your display tank. Get that cycling with something like dr tims so that by the time your done with tank transfer you will be able to house them there until the end of your 12 weeks.

For tank transfer, your feeding lightly and swapping the fish into a complete new set up each time. This means new un-used sand not from your display, as well as a new tup o ware for the sand each time. This means no rocks from your display. You need only a heater, airstone, sand in your case, and your fish. Actually you need 2 sets of the aforementioned equipment so that one set can be bleached rinsed and dried for the 3 days in between each transfer.

Ich can latch onto ANY hard surface and sit there for up to 12 weeks before re infecting your fish. Including rocks, sand, macro algae, coral plugs, snail shells, clam shells, crabs, etc. Keep that in mind at all times.

 

[triggreef]

After re reading my post I just want to clarify that you will still need to monitor the tank that will house the fish after TTM and Pre going into the display tank as far as ammonia is concern. Even if you get it cycling early adding a lot of fish to it will most likely give you an ammonia spike.

 

[Neptune 555]

Triggreef, yes that is my question.. how do I handle the ammonia spikes? my DT tank has been fallow 12+ weeks. My QT has live sand and live rock b/c the fish in it are BSJ and a mandarin plus 2 clowns. This is a ton of water and media to discard for TT. My QT is 20 gallons... and I think I am going to keep this a QT tank... For my hospital tank I was planning on using 5 gallon buckets? Will the fish survive in a 5 gallon bucket for this process? i am going to dose prazi in the QT tank... THEN I was going to do TT to ensure no ich. AT the end of TT they go into my DT that is ich free.

Neptune

 

[Spar]

I might be confused as well. Is the QT w/ LR and Sand different from the QT you will be doing TT in? Or are you using different LR sourcing from your Ich-less DT each time? Just want to make sure you aren't putting LR or sand from an earlier tank transfer into a subsequent transfer. Also, keep in mind you will need to separately QT for 12 weeks any rock that was used in that period (as Ich will have encysted on the rock)... which I think answers your question that yes, Ich can and will live on rocks during the cyst stage.

As for ammonia, water changes and AmQuel or Prime (any ammonia detox product) will save you there. Just keep testing regularly.

 

[triggreef]

I thought I was fairly clear, but maybe not. If your doing tank transfer, anything in your first system that cannot be cleaned with bleach (rock, sand) is now garbage. Same with second, third, fourth.... all that will be garbage. Unless you have A: another fishless system you can keep it in for another 12 weeks, or B: let it sit dry for 12 weeks, which I read someone claim that did not work.

I guess maybe I'm just not understanding about the sand.

As far as ammonia you will have a problem in 5g buckets. I would suggest using some cheap 20g tanks so that you can view the fish& observe any problems. If that's not an option, 32g trash barrels work. Down side is you can't really see the fish, might not realize if one stops eating or acts lethargic.

Also, make sure you mix new water a full day in advance before using for fish. Newly mixed salt burns gills& can be worse than ammonia!

 

[triggreef]

Also +1 for amquil but make sure you do not mix that with any meds!