Tank transfer method and adding a fish

[Revmedia]

I have two black and white occelaris in my QT right now, and they came down with what I thought was Brooklynella. I have them for about 4 days before they showed any symptoms. One got sick and died overnight (within about 12 hours). White splotchy stuff. I got some formalin (Rid Ich) and treated the second one with a bath for about 35 minutes.

Tonight, the LFS replaced the one that died. He seemed to think it wasn't Brooklynella, but Ich.

I was planning to do the tank transfer on these guys even before they showed symptoms, so I figure between the formalin and TT, they should be OK.

However, I started the TT method yesterday so, the first transfer should occur on Sunday if I've got this all correct.

My question is, what to do with my replacement clown? If I put him in with the other, am I safe in just transferring him on Sunday with his mate?

Since the whole point of the TT is to do it when the cysts drop, will putting a new fish in set me back, or worse cause two cycles? Or, as I suspect, since it's not in the free swimming stage, will the new fish just get infected (if at all) when the new cycle starts?

I'd rather not put the new fish in at all, but I have no where else to put him, and they both came from the same tank originally, so, it is what it is.

Please let me know what the best course of action is.

Thanks!

 

[MrTuskfish]

"White splotchy" stuff sounds like brooklynella, not ich The quick death of a fish is typical of brook, not ich. A pic would really help, TT will cure ich, but won't do anything for brook. Can the LFS hold the new fish for you?

 

[Revmedia]

I treated for Brook with the formalin, and it seems to have helped. The white splotchy stuff has gone and now the surviving clown does indeed have some salt like spots. Could it be that he had brook and ich? I plan to do a formalin dip again on Sunday morning before transferring them for the first time.

The LFS that I got these guys from is 2 hours away, and I've already brought the new clown home.

I'm not sure I 100% understand the fine details of why the TT method works. If I simply add another week onto the TT time, should they be OK?

Ich cysts are only contagious in the free swimming stage correct? Or is it just that we're transferring the fish around enough that Ich in different cycles of life is eventually taken care of anyway?