Is my plan to eradicate ich going to work?

[ReefNerd]

Hi Guys

I have an mixed reeftank, 5 fish and medium stock of hard and soft coral. 2 clowns, 1 small yellow tang, 1 small blue tang and 1 royal grammar. Unfortunately the tank has Ich

The blue tang especially has maybe 20-30+ spots, the yellow tang maybe 10, the royal grammer 2-3 and the clowns have no visible spots, but will need to go through the process anyway in-case its hiding in their gills.
I want to eradicate it, here is the plan

Phase 1 - Eradicate ich from the fish

• catch all 5 fish (im dreading how hard this will be, especially the royal grammer)
• Initiate a 12 day TTM (tank transfer method) cycle
• Planned 4 total changes – 3+3+3+3 = 12
  
• Place the 5 fish in a ~10G plastic container with a heater and airpump+airstone.
• After 3 days but before 72 hours, transfer them into an identical setup i will have ready
• Sterilize and dry the original setup for 48 hours. Prepare for the next transfer (mix and heat fresh salt water) just prior to 72 hour window
• Repeat for the 3rd swap and again for the 4th swap
• Airstones for the airpump will be replaced with every swap
  
• During this phase, maintain low ammonia in the 3 day holding tanks using Seachem Prime

Phase 2 - Transfer to longterm holding tank + 72 day fallow of display

• At the end of day 12, transfer fish to a larger quarantine tank consisting of a ~26G plastic storage tub.
• This tub will have an Aqua One 500 Clearview Hang On Filter and a heater and the airpump+fresh airstone I had been using from phase 1
  
• This tank will have been cycling for the duration of phase 1 with Seachem Stability plus ideally longer if i can get it setup and cycling before I start phase 1. If ammonia starts spiking with the addition of the fish will treat with Seachem Prime until the bacteria catch up to the demand.
• The display tank will have been fallow for 12 days at this point, meaning the larger 26G tub will need to house the fish for the next 60 days.

My biggest concern is that 26G is pushing it for the 5 fish for 60 days, hence I plan to monitor ammonia very closely and keep Prime at hand to lower ammonia if i see it in tests.

Have I overlooked anything?

 

[HotRocks]

Hi Guys

I have an mixed reeftank, 5 fish and medium stock of hard and soft coral. 2 clowns, 1 small yellow tang, 1 small blue tang and 1 royal grammar. Unfortunately the tank has Ich

The blue tang especially has maybe 20-30+ spots, the yellow tang maybe 10, the royal grammer 2-3 and the clowns have no visible spots, but will need to go through the process anyway in-case its hiding in their gills.
I want to eradicate it, here is the plan

Phase 1 - Eradicate ich from the fish

• catch all 5 fish (im dreading how hard this will be, especially the royal grammer)
• Initiate a 12 day TTM (tank transfer method) cycle
• Planned 4 total changes – 3+3+3+3 = 12
  
• Place the 5 fish in a ~10G plastic container with a heater and airpump+airstone.
• After 3 days but before 72 hours, transfer them into an identical setup i will have ready
• Sterilize and dry the original setup for 48 hours. Prepare for the next transfer (mix and heat fresh salt water) just prior to 72 hour window
• Repeat for the 3rd swap and again for the 4th swap
• Airstones for the airpump will be replaced with every swap
  
• During this phase, maintain low ammonia in the 3 day holding tanks using Seachem Prime

Phase 2 - Transfer to longterm holding tank + 72 day fallow of display

• At the end of day 12, transfer fish to a larger quarantine tank consisting of a ~26G plastic storage tub.
• This tub will have an Aqua One 500 Clearview Hang On Filter and a heater and the airpump+fresh airstone I had been using from phase 1
  
• This tank will have been cycling for the duration of phase 1 with Seachem Stability plus ideally longer if i can get it setup and cycling before I start phase 1. If ammonia starts spiking with the addition of the fish will treat with Seachem Prime until the bacteria catch up to the demand.
• The display tank will have been fallow for 12 days at this point, meaning the larger 26G tub will need to house the fish for the next 60 days.

My biggest concern is that 26G is pushing it for the 5 fish for 60 days, hence I plan to monitor ammonia very closely and keep Prime at hand to lower ammonia if i see it in tests.

Have I overlooked anything?

One thing you may consider is using Biospiria or Dr Tims one and only for bacteria to seed your larger holding bin once transfers are complete.

There have been some reports of issues being able to establish a biofilter with stability.

Other than that it sounds like it should work.

 

[ReefNerd]

I’ve got Seachem Stability already. Which I understand is a similar product... aka bacteria in a bottle.

I don’t really want to buy dr Tim’s as it’s super expensive in Australia. I will setup the large quarantine ASAP to get it cycling for as long as possible.

 

[ihavecrabs]

76 days to be safe!

Looks like a great overall plan. Only exception would be two tangs in a 10 gallon being moved every three days may take a toll on them stress wise.

Good luck!

 

[miyags]

10gal container is absolutely to small,try a plastic trash can. They are about 30 gallons.I don't understand why you would sterilize your set up,If your going 76 days fallow?.There are already proven methods, Written by Humblefish and Melypr 1985 on this forum to follow. Transfer Method dose not work on all parasites.

 

[Bill_Moorman]

10gal container is absolutely to small,try a plastic trash can. They are about 30 gallons.I don't understand why you would sterilize your set up,If your going 76 days fallow?.There are already proven methods, Written by Humblefish and Melypr 1985 on this forum to follow. Transfer Method dose not work on all parasites.

TTM does work for ich.

He needs to sterilize his setup between transfers to prevent reinfection of the free swimming stage of the crypto life cycle in the new tanks.

 

[ReefNerd]

76 days to be safe!

Looks like a great overall plan. Only exception would be two tangs in a 10 gallon being moved every three days may take a toll on them stress wise.

Good luck!

Yeah, I have the same concerns regarding number of fish and the 10 gallon tanks, unfortunately my limitation is more on the RODI water production and storage front.... I dont have the practical capacity to easily produce and store 30 gallons of water every 3 days for 12 days.... in addition to preparing filling and preparing the larger more permanent quarantine tank.

What i might instead is phase 1 twice, initially with the 2 clowns and the smallest tang, then again with the other tang and the royal gramma... that way there will be less load in the 10g 3 day holding tanks. It will delay the fallow period of the DT by 12 days, but thats ok i guess.

 

[ReefNerd]

10gal container is absolutely to small,try a plastic trash can. They are about 30 gallons.I don't understand why you would sterilize your set up,If your going 76 days fallow?.There are already proven methods, Written by Humblefish and Melypr 1985 on this forum to follow. Transfer Method dose not work on all parasites.

I think you may have misunderstood, I am sterilizing the 10g quaraintine setups (I have 2 of these) after each use prior to reuse while going through the TTM. I am not tearing down or sterilizing my display tank. It is just going fallow from the moment I get the last fish out.

The TTM will proove whether my Ich diagnosis is correct, obviously if they are not cured following the 12 day TTM I will have to re-assess and likely be treating the larger 30G quarantine tank with Copper or some other mediation

 

[4FordFamily]

I’ve got Seachem Stability already. Which I understand is a similar product... aka bacteria in a bottle.

I don’t really want to buy dr Tim’s as it’s super expensive in Australia. I will setup the large quarantine ASAP to get it cycling for as long as possible.

I can tell you from much experience that it does not work. Stability is garbage, throw it away. Sorry, I know you don’t want to hear that. It will do little if anything to help with the nitrogen cycle quickly.

 

[DLHDesign]

I haven't seen it specifically mentioned, but be sure that all your QT tanks (TTM and long-term) are at least 10ft (ideally more) away from your DT. Aerosol transmission is a thing and it would be a shame to go through all the effort and still end up with a contaminated DT...

 

[ReefNerd]

I can tell you from much experience that it does not work. Stability is garbage, throw it away. Sorry, I know you don’t want to hear that. It will do little if anything to help with the nitrogen cycle quickly.

Dang, I guess you get what you pay for... I used Dr Tims when I originally setup my DT, it worked well, but costs ~$40+ here in Aus. Stability is like $10