TTM Question

[KingTriton1]

Will a properly preformed TTM create a permanent ich free display tank so that the fish will not develop ich in the future? It's been my assumption that if ich is not transferred into the display to begin with then it will never develop. Assuming all fish go through the TTM prior. Thanks

 

[Deinonych]

In a word...yes.

 

[micielo719]

:reading:Subscribed

 

[zeebies]

Ich can hitch a ride on things besides fish. Think frag plugs, rock, inverts, coral, macro, etc. You can do TTM with all your fish but unless you put "everything else" through a 72 day fallow period, there is still a risk of Ich getting through.

I have a 10 gallon fishless reef always up and running. Everything but fish is put through a nice 72 day stay. Only then is it added to the DT.

To me, the combo of TTM for fish and 72 day fallow for everything else is the best way to get close to 100% Ich-free for good.

 

[KingTriton1]

My rock is well over 72 days without fish. I always remove frag plugs before entering DT. All sps are bought from frag only tanks without fish or atleast I assume. No macro here. Inverts..... Hmmm wish I had a response to this one lol

Thanks guys

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Ich can hitch a ride on things besides fish. Think frag plugs, rock, inverts, coral, macro, etc. You can do TTM with all your fish but unless you put "everything else" through a 72 day fallow period, there is still a risk of Ich getting through.

I have a 10 gallon fishless reef always up and running. Everything but fish is put through a nice 72 day stay. Only then is it added to the DT.

To me, the combo of TTM for fish and 72 day fallow for everything else is the best way to get close to 100% Ich-free for good.

Ditto. All corals and inverts stay in a cycled QT for 72 days.

 

[micielo719]

Ich can hitch a ride on things besides fish. Think frag plugs, rock, inverts, coral, macro, etc. You can do TTM with all your fish but unless you put "everything else" through a 72 day fallow period, there is still a risk of Ich getting through.



To me, the combo of TTM for fish and 72 day fallow for everything else is the best way to get**** close to 100% Ich-free ****for good.

So you're saying close to but possibly can still get ich..

 

[Deinonych]

So you're saying close to but possibly can still get ich..

There are few absolutes in this hobby other than:

1. You will spend money
2. Fish will die

You can mitigate #2 through a proper quarantine protocol that significantly reduces the risk of parasite infection. While there is always the off chance that a parasite can slip through, you can reduce the risk to the point where one can state with near 100% confidence that the parasite is eliminated.

 

[snorvich]

There are few absolutes in this hobby other than:

1. You will spend money
2. Fish will die

You can mitigate #2 through a proper quarantine protocol that significantly reduces the risk of parasite infection. While there is always the off chance that a parasite can slip through, you can reduce the risk to the point where one can state with near 100% confidence that the parasite is eliminated.

I agree. I would also say that nothing good happens quickly in this hobby.

 

[micielo719]

Ok so then a quick question.. And I don't mean to hijack the thread... I put a fish in QT without TTM for 60 days and it shows no sign of ich at all. Swimming, eating all good. When I transfer the fish into the DT what are the chances that it gets ich?

 

[snorvich]

Ok so then a quick question.. And I don't mean to hijack the thread... I put a fish in QT without TTM for 60 days and it shows no sign of ich at all. Swimming, eating all good. When I transfer the fish into the DT what are the chances that it gets ich?

Visual diagnosis is not reliable. TTM eliminates ich, visual signs may not be present if the ich is in the gills.

 

[Deinonych]

Ok so then a quick question.. And I don't mean to hijack the thread... I put a fish in QT without TTM for 60 days and it shows no sign of ich at all. Swimming, eating all good. When I transfer the fish into the DT what are the chances that it gets ich?

Hard to say specifically what the chances are. Bear in mind that the back end of Cryptocaryon's life cycle is highly variable, so it's difficult to determine if the parasite is present without either visible signs (unreliable) or scientific assay (impractical). It is for this reason why many on this forum recommend TTM for crypto, as it targets the predictable front end of the life cycle.

Personal example: I had a wrasse in QT early last year and decided to do observation-only QT. I had him in QT for 10 weeks. A few weeks after moving him to the display, he started flashing (he was the only fish in the display at the time). Was it crypto? Hard to say, but I couldn't eliminate that as a possibility since I had not treated for it. TTM is relatively straightforward and takes only 12 days to execute, so why not do it for the peace of mind alone?

 

[micielo719]

I completely understand. I guess it's because I purchased a clown and after 2nd round of TTM died. Trying to put fish in exact salinity (which I did) and keep at exact temp (which I did) is, in my eyes so stressful for a fish. I do and agree with TTM it's just complete stress. So I was thinking this time do a drip acclimation and put directly into QT which I did with the new fish. He is eating no problem and swimming all around. I am taking this all very slowly and I am in no rush.

 

[snorvich]

If done correctly, I do not agree that TTM is stressful for fish. Depending on source (mail order), drip acclimation can be stressful for fish because of ammonia poisoning. And, of course, raising SG (many ship at 1.016/7) is much more difficult for fish than lowering SG.

 

[micielo719]

Gotcha. This fish was acquired at my LFS and there salinity is 1.021-1.022 I keep my QT at 1.023 so hopefully it wasn't too stressful

 

[Giovanni]

Ich can hitch a ride on things besides fish. Think frag plugs, rock, inverts, coral, macro, etc. You can do TTM with all your fish but unless you put "everything else" through a 72 day fallow period, there is still a risk of Ich getting through.

I have a 10 gallon fishless reef always up and running. Everything but fish is put through a nice 72 day stay. Only then is it added to the DT.

To me, the combo of TTM for fish and 72 day fallow for everything else is the best way to get close to 100% Ich-free for good.

Lets say you put in a new frag called frag #1. on day 30 you put in Frag #2. Do you start the count for Frag #1 over so it comes out on its day 102 which is Frag #2's day 72?

 

[zeebies]

Yup. If you add anything before 72 days is up, the clock starts over. I just get things in batches every 2 1/2 months or so. It's pretty easy to keep track of things this way.

And it prevents impulse buys - unless, of course, you want to set up 2 invert QT's. I'm not there yet...

Nothing is 100% in reefing but I still believe we can get close with the right protocols done correctly and consistently.

 

[Nina51]

All sps are boeught from frag only tanks without fish or atleast I assume.

i assumed the same thing. here's what happened to me...i bought a couple of feather dusters and snails from the "invert" tank. it wasn't until i got home and acclimated them that a light bulb came on in my head and i thought "wait...there was a tiny clown fish in that tank!". i had put these things right into my dt and i sweated bullets for 2 or 3 months wondering if they had brought any nasties in that the clown could have had. lucky for me, they did not but i will never buy from this lfs again. many of their fish have ich so i got lucky!!

 

[Giovanni]

I know there are a lot of misconceptions out there and I asked just to make it clear for those who might be lurking and not understand. We have all been there. I have been there several times and do not wish any fish disease on anyone.