TTM Problems

[Mules1]

Today was going to be an exciting day as TT was done and the fish were going to the qt for a little more observation then into the display. To my dismay when I woke I found my pair of anthias dead (assume from ammonia as I may have overfed on the last day - stupid I know) and both my tangs (powder blue and hippo) have visible ich. The deaths I can explain but What went wrong with the TT?

 

[HumbleFish]

Sorry for your losses. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you're doing everything the right way... and then something like this happens.

Moving forward with the tangs, there are two possibilities:

1- You didn't do TTM exactly right (can you please describe in detail how you did it, so we can critique and try to determine if something was missed)

2- Your tangs actually have marine velvet or some other disease that looks like ich (can you please post pics of their condition ASAP)

 

[Mules1]

My TTM

Each cycle was done at 7am

Transfer fish into 5 gallon pail of fresh saltwater taken from display with a heater and a powerhead (aimed at surface)

Take used bucket and place all equipment inside and soak for 24 hours in bleach solution followed by severe rinsing and hang to let dry.

schedule:
day 1 transfer
day 2
day 3
day 4 - 7 am repeat

I will try to take some pics but definitely looks like small raised white bumps on the skin.

 

[Mules1]

O.K.
Now I think I'm going crazy.

Went to take pics and no signs of anything on either. Maybe I was just seeing things because of the deaths?? Inspected up close with a flashlight and magnifying glass about 2" away from a still fish???????

How fast could they disappear?????

 

[lagatbezan]

Are you taking water from your dt and using it as new water for the ttm? if your tank is infected then that it the source of your issue.
I would also check to see if there was ammonia or not, this way this way you know if it was ammonia or something else that killed the fish.
you should get a ammonia badge if you dont have one. its a great.

 

[Mules1]

Possible but not likely that DT has ich. All fish treated and no additions in the past 4 years. Can't test the water as I dumped it.

 

[Mules1]

Update. Only a few hours later - tangs that I thought I saw ich on (two spots on hippo and one on pbt) have no visible signs. Swimming great and I just fed and they ate it quickly. I'm confused.

 

[wooden_reefer]

TT is not useful if a reef DT with fish has already broken out with ich. This is because you have to allow the DT to fallow for 12 weeks.

Once one has gone thru combating ich in a reef tank with fish, in general the skill so developed would make TT unattractive.

Apparantly TT is not always successful for various reasons.

An aquarist should be prepared to combat an ich outbreak in DT irrespective of the method used to eradicate, I tend to think realistically.

I always have active nitrification bacteria, very much more than just enough, as standby if ich broke out in DT. Never needed, but always a good and cheap insurance policy.

 

[Mules1]

I believe that there is no ich in the DT, no additions for 4 years and never any sign (obvious not absolute but I believe to be none). As an aside - denitrifying bacteria combats ich?

 

[wooden_reefer]

I believe that there is no ich in the DT, no additions for 4 years and never any sign (obvious not absolute but I believe to be none). As an aside - denitrifying bacteria combats ich?

I hope there isn't, but prudent is to have enough nitrification bacteria as standby. Did you see some sign of ich? It may return.

How do denitrification bacteria combat ich?

 

[Mules1]

Never any signs of ich in DT (4 yrs) - I'm thinking I imagined it.

 

[Mules1]

I hope there isn't, but prudent is to have enough nitrification bacteria as standby. Did you see some sign of ich? It may return.

How do denitrification bacteria combat ich?

I meant "nitrification bacteria as standby"

 

[Mules1]

Sorry to get off topic...

How fast can the spots (that I assumed were spots) disappear?
Should I do TT again or just observe?

 

[wooden_reefer]

I meant "nitrification bacteria as standby"

Do you have a reef DT tank?

How do you plan to support all your fish while the DT fallows for 12 weeks if ich were to break out in DT?

I generally keep a lot of nitrification bacteria standing by to support my fish if ich were to break out, for at least six months after the last addition to DT. I never had but otherwise ich outbreak in DT is quite painful.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Did you only do the two transfers? or did you go the required 12 days with no more than 72 hrs per tank? I read it as you were not finished with ttm?

 

[Mules1]

4 transfers. No more than 72 hrs per.

 

[snorvich]

4 transfers. No more than 72 hrs per.

You should be fine for ich assuming the water from your display tank was clean and that each transfer vehicle was cleaned and air dry for at least 24 hours. But TT only eliminates ich.

 

[Mules1]

What else has white spots similar to ich?

 

[HumbleFish]

What else has white spots similar to ich?

Velvet. Also, Lymphocystis can start out as small white growths that grow larger and can spread. But neither of those would show symptoms and then disappear after just several hours. Do you have any sand in QT?

 

[Mules1]

No sand in QT. Just a few pvc pieces.