Transfer method is not working for me - why?

[jjencek]

After a major ich outbreak in my DT. I decided to get rid off it for good. I took all my fish out of the DT and planed to keep it out for at least 72 days.

While I was waiting I did the transfer method treatment. I switched tanks every 3 days for 15 days. Everything looked good until about day 38 (after me travelling for a few days) the water was murky and my blue tang had ich again.

I figured I accidently transferred the ich in the first 15 days. So I started again and was much more careful. Everything looked good after another 15 days (5 switches). On day 53 just before a water change due to water being murky (ammonia was fine), the blue tang has an ich again.

Is it possible that the ich is not leaving the fish and is dormant inside?

 

[Dmorty217]

How close is your DT to the observation tank you got ich in again after day 53?

 

[jjencek]

How close is your DT to the observation tank you got ich in again after day 53?

It is one foot away and 3 feet down.

 

[HumbleFish]

It is one foot away and 3 feet down.

Aerosol transmission: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0044848606001785

The study was done on velvet, but it's logical to conclude that it applies to ich as well. Your QT/observation tank should always be at least 10 feet away from your DT.

The other possibility is your fish have velvet, which TTM will suppress but not completely eliminate.

 

[jjencek]

The study was done on velvet, but it's logical to conclude that it applies to ich as well. Your QT/observation tank should always be at least 10 feet away from your DT.

The other possibility is your fish have velvet, which TTM will suppress but not completely eliminate.[/QUOTE]

Ok, I will start over by moving it to a different room. I also will switch to hyposalinity while I am at it. I still have time while waiting fallow to finish.

 

[HumbleFish]

Ok, I will start over by moving it to a different room. I also will switch to hyposalinity while I am at it. I still have time while waiting fallow to finish.

I recommend treating with copper or Chloroquine, as those treat both ich & velvet.

 

[jjencek]

I recommend treating with copper or Chloroquine, as those treat both ich & velvet.

I was told I cannot use those with a Blue Tang - they don't do well.

 

[HumbleFish]

I was told I cannot use those with a Blue Tang - they don't do well.

They tolerate copper well, but not Chloroquine.

 

[luislimon]

I used chloroquine on a powder blue tang and a purple. They went into hunger strike...

I got them to eat "œsome" frozen Missis shrimp. Sufficient to survive the ordeal.
When I put them in the display tank I added live seaweed to get them back into eating mode.

They have been in my DT for years now and are pigs.

 

[jjencek]

Here is some update ...

I switched the fish to hyposalinity (and in a different room from the DT) Blue tang's front 1/3 was covered with the parasite. He was scratching a lot. After 12 hours (overnight) in the hypo, there was no sign of the parasite. Wow that was fast.

I am starting to second guess my original diagnosis of ich. I never considered velvet when it originally showed up because I did not treat it for two week and no fish died. I was told velvet would had killed them by then.

So let's just treat this fish like any other "new comer". While I have them in the hypo and so far pretty comfortable, what else would you do before introducing any fish to your DT?

 

[HumbleFish]

Here is some update ...

I switched the fish to hyposalinity (and in a different room from the DT) Blue tang's front 1/3 was covered with the parasite. He was scratching a lot. After 12 hours (overnight) in the hypo, there was no sign of the parasite. Wow that was fast.

I am starting to second guess my original diagnosis of ich. I never considered velvet when it originally showed up because I did not treat it for two week and no fish died. I was told velvet would had killed them by then.

So let's just treat this fish like any other "new comer". While I have them in the hypo and so far pretty comfortable, what else would you do before introducing any fish to your DT?

Hypo treats ich and flukes, but not velvet. Just suppresses symptoms. So, I would advise a long observation period post hypo to watch for velvet. And have a bottle of copper on hand just in case it strikes.

 

[Spar]

Hitchhiking on a couple points here:
(1) If one doesn't already exist, we really should have a sticky that specifies common reef fish and what they are or aren't tolerant to - namely Copper or CP, among other common parasite/disease treatments

(2) is aerosol transfer an issue when running CP or copper while keeping the DT fallow? seems anything that transfers over from the fallow DT to the QT would die upon contact with the QT water, and anything that transfers over to the DT would die during the fallow period... perhaps the later part here would require an additional week or two of fallow period though.


Edit: did just realize there is one regarding copper specifically http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2635979
Edit 2: perhaps a sticky that says which is preferred for different types of fish between CP and Copper -- i.e. even though most tangs can tolerate both, perhaps copper is preferred for them