TTM and other treatments

[emcmilla]

I have a solar fairy wrasse that has been in QT for the past 2.5 weeks. I decided I was going to try the TTM (after much consideration, as you would see from my previous posts lol).

I have a couple questions about it:
1. Can I treat the fish with prazipro while doing the TTM?
2. Also, I would like to verify that on the 14th, the fish would be ready to go in DT (so long as no other issues arise)?

I am also curious to hear from others who have used this method and whether they have any further recommendations? For instance, was there something you observed while doing this method that was important for someone to know who is trying the method for the first time? (eg. I know the transfer needs to be done in the morning, so, do you transfer with the lights on or off?)

Thanks for your help in advance!

 

[avandss]

1- you can use prazi during Tt, it is recommended to use it during transfer 2&4
2- does not have to be in the morning, just remember not to pass the 72h mark
3- Look at your transfer schedule to make sure you are home for all the transfers, remember every transfer is earlier than the previous one

It's super easy, good luck

 

[julie180]

I just went through ttm. I agree, every transfer was easier on me because I got more confident.
My observations and lessons learned:
A 500 gph pump in 40 gallons of water is a VERY bad idea. I lost a wrasse before I changed it out for a much smaller one.
Ammonia badges are a life saver. Have Prime or equivalent on hand.
It's much easier to catch sleeping fish. Using a strainer is easier on the fish, no fins stuck in the net.
Keep your fish well fed.

Best of luck, its not nearly as bad as you think it will be.

 

[jbvdhp]

TTM and other treatments

I think some would say on the 14th day it should go into qt for observation, to make sure you got rid of the ich and to make sure you don't have anything ELSE going on.

What if you drop into your DT and all of a sudden, fish God forbid, another parasite shows? Then you would have to repeat the process over (eg getting them out, into qt, tx, fallow, etc)

As much as I want to plop them in, I can't as my tank has to be fallow for just a few more weeks.

There are some that I've read that timed TTM to coincide with the last day of being fallow, but Ymmv...

 

[snorvich]

I think some would say on the 14th day it should go into qt for observation, to make sure you got rid of the ich and to make sure you don't have anything ELSE going on.

Those who have experienced one of the bad "other" parasites would indicate that another 4 weeks of observation is well spent.

 

[jbvdhp]

Those who have experienced one of the bad "other" parasites would indicate that another 4 weeks of observation is well spent.

Agreed.

If not, then the efforts of TTM would have been for nothing (well for ich), but leaving them in additional qt would allow one to tx for other DZ, just as you state.

 

[snorvich]

Agreed.

If not, then the efforts of TTM would have been for nothing (well for ich), but leaving them in additional qt would allow one to tx for other DZ, just as you state.

Well . . . the TTM time plus the additional time in QT has the value of exposing fish coming from a low level of copper to clean water. Low level of copper will mask many other parasites.

 

[jbvdhp]

Well . . . the TTM time plus the additional time in QT has the value of exposing fish coming from a low level of copper to clean water. Low level of copper will mask many other parasites.

Ahhhh... Makes sense!

 

[gone fishin]

Other than looking for illness the extra time helps a fish get use to the food you feed, recover from being moved so much in the past month or so and in general just comfortable. just my 2 cents

 

[emcmilla]

Thanks for the support everyone. So, since my wrasse has been in QT for a day shy of 3 weeks already, in this case, would you add him to the DT on day 14? I understand that if you start the TTM right after bringing home a fish you would want to put him in QT after the TTM, but since nothing has showed on my wrasse (other than ich) in the last three weeks, would it be okay for him to go in the DT right after.

Out of curiosity, has anyone gone through TTM, only to end up having ich in the DT? (I am just trying to get a feel for the success rate)

Thanks

 

[emcmilla]

3- Look at your transfer schedule to make sure you are home for all the transfers, remember every transfer is earlier than the previous one

What do you mean by "each transfer is earlier than the previous one"?

Thanks.

 

[gone fishin]

Since I moved and reset up my tank 4 years ago I have used the TTM. I have never seen ich in my DT nor any symptoms.

 

[snorvich]

Thanks for the support everyone. So, since my wrasse has been in QT for a day shy of 3 weeks already, in this case, would you add him to the DT on day 14? I understand that if you start the TTM right after bringing home a fish you would want to put him in QT after the TTM, but since nothing has showed on my wrasse (other than ich) in the last three weeks, would it be okay for him to go in the DT right after.

Ich is not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is one of the "other" parasites which can wipe out your display tank. I always suggest a minimum of 5 weeks of quarantine.

Out of curiosity, has anyone gone through TTM, only to end up having ich in the DT? (I am just trying to get a feel for the success rate)

never a problem here

Thanks

 

[rc4kinu]

What do you mean by "each transfer is earlier than the previous one"?

Thanks.

Generally means that if your last transfer was at 6AM, you must do the following one before 6AM. So by the third and fourth transfer drops to around 5:30 in the morning, give or take. It comes up fast and compensate time to capturing fish also getting ready for work in the morning etc.

 

[snorvich]

Generally means that if your last transfer was at 6AM, you must do the following one before 6AM. So by the third and fourth transfer drops to around 5:30 in the morning, give or take. It comes up fast and compensate time to capturing fish also getting ready for work in the morning etc.

No cycle should be longer than 72 hours. Shorter is fine. Total should be 12 days or longer.

 

[ThRoewer]

Those who have experienced one of the bad "other" parasites would indicate that another 4 weeks of observation is well spent.

Those other bad parasites (velvet, brook & co) I would always treat prophylactic before even thinking about putting a new fish through the stress of TTM against a possible cryptocaryon infection.
Ich is more a nuisance than a threat - it's easy to identify and cure. And it moves slow so you always have time to react.
The bad ones on the other hand can literally kill your fish over night and by the time you realize what is going on you have often not enough time left to react properly.

 

[snorvich]

Those other bad parasites (velvet, brook & co) I would always treat prophylactic before even thinking about putting a new fish through the stress of TTM against a possible cryptocaryon infection.
Ich is more a nuisance than a threat - it's easy to identify and cure. And it moves slow so you always have time to react.
The bad ones on the other hand can literally kill your fish over night and by the time you realize what is going on you have often not enough time left to react properly.

First of all, there is little stress in TTM if done properly and eliminating ich for the folks that do that followed by proper observation is doable. The advice I am giving is tempered by what is feasible for the majority of folks who read this board and I doubt that proper prophylactic treatment up front is going to be done. Even the saleability of tank transfer followed by proper observation to eliminate the bad parasites is only marginally sale-able.

 

[emcmilla]

Thanks for the input everyone. I am not too sure what's up with my wrasse. I started the transfer Saturday morning. It almost seems like he has scales falling off and a bump on his head. Any ideas? I haven't been able to get a picture of him. I did start treatment with prazi-pro.

 

[Deinonych]

First of all, there is little stress in TTM if done properly and eliminating ich for the folks that do that followed by proper observation is doable. The advice I am giving is tempered by what is feasible for the majority of folks who read this board and I doubt that proper prophylactic treatment up front is going to be done. Even the saleability of tank transfer followed by proper observation to eliminate the bad parasites is only marginally sale-able.

+1 on TTM not being stressful. Fish decline when exposed to chronic stress. There will be some acute stress when capturing and transferring the fish, but they return to normal behavior within an hour or so.

I personally would not proactively treat for brook or velvet as the medications involved (formalin, copper) can be pretty harsh on fish. The only proactive treatment I use in QT is prazi.

 

[JohnoL]

No cycle should be longer than 72 hours. Shorter is fine. Total should be 12 days or longer.

So it DOESN'T have to be before 6AM?

I could do it the night before (say @63hrs) and it'd still be ok - just as long as it's <72hrs