TTM for fish but what for corals?

[Stevenlatham01]

Been reading the sticky posts regarding getting rid of ich using the TTM but can't see what is the best method of getting rid of ich off anything else we put in our tanks, e.g. Corals, snails, etc.

Do you need to quarantine them for a period of time? My problem with this is lighting for the corals. Can you give the corals a bath in some kind of solution?

I will be getting a blue regal tang so really need to make sure that ich can't get into my tank.

 

[nereefpat]

Theoretically, anything wet could bring in ich, but most of us don't worry about corals.

If you wanted to be 100%, you would have to have anything sit in a fishless tank for as long as 72 days.

 

[Stevenlatham01]

Is there no medication that can be given to disinfect it? What about clean up crew, anything you can do for them?

 

[thomas.torode]

TTM would be fairly easy for corals but I wouldn't say necessary. I think just using a coral dip is good enough IMO

 

[Stevenlatham01]

What kind of coral dip would you suggest?

 

[lagatbezan]

Ttm only works for fish and doesn't work for inverts such as corals and cleanup crews. To be 100% sure it would need to be in a qt with no fish for a min 72 days like mentioned above.
In my opinion anything wet should be quarantined.

 

[nereefpat]

What kind of coral dip would you suggest?

Anything that kills ich (hyposalinity or copper) also kills other inverts. There isn't a reef-safe ich treatment

 

[Stevenlatham01]

So the same goes for clean up crew, 72 days in a QT tank?

 

[nereefpat]

Theoretically, yes, but I think most reefers take the risk.

 

[JustinM]

Anything wet should be QT'd for a minimum of 76 days unfortunately. This is assuming a worst case scenario.

 

[LuizW13]

TTM would be fairly easy for corals but I wouldn't say necessary. I think just using a coral dip is good enough IMO

I QT and dip corals. Unfortunately, my candy cane and i suspect my micromussa may have vermitid snails.

I dipped them before going into the DT, and last week i removed the candy cane and dipped it again, but i think i may need to do a few dipping sessions.

 

[nereefpat]

I QT and dip corals. Unfortunately, my candy cane and i suspect my micromussa may have vermitid snails.

I dipped them before going into the DT, and last week i removed the candy cane and dipped it again, but i think i may need to do a few dipping sessions.

Yes, dipping and QTing corals for pests is valid. OP was asking about ich, specifically, however.

 

[Stevenlatham01]

So what dips do you do for other pests for corals? Does the same dip work for inverts too?

On another note, I was looking at getting 2 plastic tubs for the TTM to keep costs down. Do you need food grade plastic? That's what I have been looking at but I'm having trouble in finding something suitable. Anyone have any links to what you use or suggestions? I need it big enough for a small blue regal tang. Would 50 litres be big enough for that? I will be getting 2 pvc elbow pipes for each plastic tub for it to hide in.

 

[nereefpat]

You dip corals to rid them of specific coral pests. Bayer dip for red bugs on Acropora, for example.

Rubbermaid totes are cheap and work well for ttm, in my experience. A 50L set should be fine for ttm on a juvenile regal tang, but your display better be very large (200 gallons or so for an adult).

 

[Stevenlatham01]

Thanks, been looking at Rubbermaid totes. Some are food safe and some aren't. Do you need food safe?

 

[MondoBongo]

So what dips do you do for other pests for corals? Does the same dip work for inverts too?

On another note, I was looking at getting 2 plastic tubs for the TTM to keep costs down. Do you need food grade plastic? That's what I have been looking at but I'm having trouble in finding something suitable. Anyone have any links to what you use or suggestions? I need it big enough for a small blue regal tang. Would 50 litres be big enough for that? I will be getting 2 pvc elbow pipes for each plastic tub for it to hide in.

dipping inverts would kill them. most of the things that we dip for are invertebrates, so by definition the dips are toxic to them.

i use bayer insecticide and an iodine based dip. i also try to carefully inspect incoming corals, and remove things like rock or frag plugs, leaving only living coral as this should be less prone to harboring nasties. if i have any doubts i set up a quick coral QT and let them reside in a fallow tank for up to 72 days.

TTM won't work on things that aren't fish. TTM exploits the lifecycle of the ich parasite. if a fish comes in with ich, it would be in the phase where there are trophonts attached to the fish itself, maybe the skin, gills, etc. these trophonts will drop off the fish and become theronts, settling to the substrate within 28 hours. this is where you would transfer the fish, leaving the now encysted tomonts in the old tank, and thus not allowing them to hatch and find a new host.

things that are not fish could potentially become the place where the tomonts encysted. rock, frag plugs, etc... so transferring tanks won't help because ich can remain in the tomont stage for up to 72 days.

rubbermaid totes are super handy, although i prefer glass/acrylic tanks. usually about the 20 gallong long configuration. makes it easier to see fish, since a big part of TTM is observation. that's really more a personal preference though, the totes would work just fine.

 

[Louis Z]

you could do ttm not for the idea that they are fish but you would transfer less of the water that the corals were in to begin with. I think of it as a way to wash off what is easily removed . Each transfer can leave some potential fish parasite behind . But I still wouldn't stick in DT right away . They should still go in Qt for observation of coral pests from bugs ,inverts or algae . Why not a 3 month Qt . Patience is key to helping prevent contamination of DT . It's just how much risk you are willling to take . I have a lot of patience and not a lot of money to spend so I see it as : do the new additions have the right to be in my DT with my established corals and fish.

 

[Louis Z]

The one thing about using totes is you can not observe the fish closely to determine if they have parasites . That observation time is critical in diagnosing and treating an illness right away . Marine velvet and Brooklynella can kill in less than a week . If you do not observe it in a timely manner they usually die . That means daily careful inspection which can not be done top down.