Tank Transfer Method - Tank Size

[LX20000]

I am setting up a 40 Gallon Innovation Marine tank.... when I go to add my first fish, it seems I should use the TTM.

Since I have a small tank, I will only be buying vary small fish... juvy clowns, small goby, etc.

Would two 5 gallon tanks be OK for this ? Or do they have to be 10's or more?

OK not to run power filter... just have some hiding places in the tanks, heater. Airstone?? I don't need any bio filter working.

This seems like 12 really stressful days for a fish.... but I guess no more so than the fish store...

Do I have to do TTM for crabs, other inverts and coral ???

 

[scooter31707]

I think a 5 gallon will be enough if you are only doing 1 fish at a time. maybe a 10 gallon if you plan on doing 2 or more fish at once. You probably could do 2 juvi clowns and a goby at the same time in the 10 gallon. For as equip, all you will need is the 2 tanks, 2 heaters, airstones, some air tubing, pvc pipe for hiding, and one air pump. Some hobbyists like to use a ammonia alert badge, but IMO the ammonia does not get close to deadly within the 3 days. I have always dosed Prime on the 2nd day. If the fish are somewhat healthy and eating well, TTM will be a breeze for them.

 

[scooter31707]

Almost forgot your last question. No, for as I know TTM does not work on inverts and/or corals. For them, I have a separate 10 gallon QT that I use and they stay in there for at least 72 days.

 

[Tanthaitrung]

In my experience a 5 gallon bucket is ok for 2 or 3 small fishes

 

[LX20000]

Almost forgot your last question. No, for as I know TTM does not work on inverts and/or corals. For them, I have a separate 10 gallon QT that I use and they stay in there for at least 72 days.

Holy cow !! 72 days ?? What is the thinking behind that? That seems like a really specific number of days. What is the source for that number?

I am wondering if you meant 72 hours....

 

[farfromsea]

Tank Transfer Method - Tank Size

Holy cow !! 72 days ?? What is the thinking behind that? That seems like a really specific number of days. What is the source for that number?



I am wondering if you meant 72 hours....

Lifecycle of the parasite...because of the fact that the parasite will be at different stages of life at the time of noticeable infection you need 72 days to make sure all are finally dead

Ugh sorry I misread the post! Not sure why scooter does QT for 72 days he will have to tell you. I thought we were talking about keeping a tank fallow after an active ich infection.

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[Breadman03]

Lifecycle of the parasite...because of the fact that the parasite will be at different stages of life at the time of noticeable infection you need 72 days to make sure all are finally dead

Ugh sorry I misread the post! Not sure why scooter does QT for 72 days he will have to tell you. I thought we were talking about keeping a tank fallow after an active ich infection.

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Same reason. The parasite can live for 72 days without a host (fish exclusively) to feed on. Waiting 72 days ensures that all parasites have died off.

 

[farfromsea]

Tank Transfer Method - Tank Size

Same reason. The parasite can live for 72 days without a host (fish exclusively) to feed on. Waiting 72 days ensures that all parasites have died off.

But doesn't doing an appropriately length of TTM ensure there is no parasite to die off? So wouldn't 72 days of QT *after* TTM be a little redundant?

lol so apparently I need to stop posting online and just go chill or sleep because I can't read. Obviously the convo is what to do with coral & inverts. So zI thought inverts and coral are not hosts of ich (hence why people remove fish from a reef tank since they can't treat). Is this a misunderstanding on my part.

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[Breadman03]

But doesn't doing an appropriately length of TTM ensure there is no parasite to die off? So wouldn't 72 days of QT *after* TTM be a little redundant?

lol so apparently I need to stop posting online and just go chill or sleep because I can't read. Obviously the convo is what to do with coral & inverts. So zI thought inverts and coral are not hosts of ich (hence why people remove fish from a reef tank since they can't treat). Is this a misunderstanding on my part.

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The fish are what the parasite feeds on. TTM exploits their life cycle so that we remove the fish from a dirty environment before any parasites that have fallen off can proceed through the rest of their life cycle and reattach to the fish. It focuses on the fastest time the parasites can reattach and the longest they stay attached to the fish.

The fallow period exploits the maximum time that the parasite can survive without a fish. Ich may encyst on invert shells, so it's ideal to QT them for 72 days to ensure you don't bring ich into your tank.

 

[LX20000]

Oy Vey... I had no idea. Even a *%$$( hermit crab has to be quarantined for 2.5 months. I feel like crying.

 

[scooter31707]

In my experience a 5 gallon bucket is ok for 2 or 3 small fishes

I use to use the buckets until I had a 2 inch Hawkfish and something else got a hold of him and I really could not see it in the buckets. I almost lost him b/c I was 6 days behind of trying to cure whatever it was which ended up being velvet. With that lesson learned I use aquariums now so I can get a clear view of the fish when needed. I think if you have a very healthy fish and eating well, the bucket might work.

 

[LX20000]

OK.. so the key difference here is that if it is on a fish, it is active and will drop off, hence TTM helps. If it is sitting on a coral base, as an encrusted egg (or whatever that stage is called), then it will just sit for up to 72 days before it croaks.

 

[LX20000]

But even this confused me.... lets say some ich dropped off a fish and ended up on a coral base. Now, normally, this would become the free swimming form in, what, a couple days?? So if it is sitting on a coral base, why does it just sit there for 72 days. Doesn't it want to hatch, become a free swimmer, and find a fish? Do the free swimmers die if they don't find a fish?

 

[farfromsea]

I found this site to be a good read on the lifecycle of ich

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/m/#publication?id=FA164


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[Breadman03]

But even this confused me.... lets say some ich dropped off a fish and ended up on a coral base. Now, normally, this would become the free swimming form in, what, a couple days?? So if it is sitting on a coral base, why does it just sit there for 72 days. Doesn't it want to hatch, become a free swimmer, and find a fish? Do the free swimmers die if they don't find a fish?

Basically, the stage on the fish, when it is referred to as a trophont, has a short and predictable timeline. TTM exploits this to remove fish from the water before reinfection can occur. Clearing fish of ich is fast.

After the parasite has dropped off the fish and is encysted on the substrate, it is referred to as a tomont. This is the stage where it may stay for a few days, or up to 72 days. Since we don't have a way to know whether or not all of the torments have left the substrate, we keep it fishes until we know that all of the parasites have died off.

And yes, the free swimmers, or theronts, die off within 24 hours if they don't find a host.

 

[ajm83]

Oy Vey... I had no idea. Even a *%$$( hermit crab has to be quarantined for 2.5 months. I feel like crying.

Crabs are one thing. My concern is having to maintain a SPS compatible environment alongside the main tank for 72+ days every time i want to add a frag!
That means doubling the workload for testing alk, etc and using decent lighting.



Whitespot :uzi: