Tank Transfer Questions

[Hugh Mann]

I only have one small eel, 14" or so that needs the process. I took the eel out of a velvet infested tank roughly 8 weeks ago and has been living with some rock, sand and a light in a ~25 gallon bin. The eel seems to be perfectly healthy, but I am concerned the velvet hasn't completely died off from that bin, so before adding it back to the display, I want to perform the tank transfer method. I've read Humblefish's write up on the precedure and it seems simple enough, however I do have some questions.

The process calls for
Day 1 - fish in tank
Day 2 - 1st transfer at 36 hours
Day 4 - 2nd transfer at 36 hours
Day 5 - 3rd transfer at 36 hours
Day 7 - 4th transfer at 36 hours
Day 10 - 5th transfer at 71 hours
Day 13 - 6th transfer at 71 hours
To deal with Velvet AND ich. I am only concerned about velvet, so to save time, salt, and stress on the eel, can I get away with only the four 36 hour transfers?

Also concerned with ammonia, I don't know how fast it will build up in say 10 gallons of water, but I suppose daily testing and dosing Prime can solve that.

Stress on the eel from being moved around so much. Is there any way around this, or to help minimize it?

Is filtration really necessary over 36 hours, or would a simple airstone suffice? Using a new stone with every transfer of course. My 'lfs' is a 6-8 hour round trip, so I would prefer to use supplies I have on hand.

 

[Hendrix]

What type of eel

 

[Hugh Mann]

What type of eel

Greyfaced Moray Eel, also known as White Eyed Moray.

 

[Hendrix]

I never really seen a moray suffer from any disease other than bacterial infections. They have so much mucus that makes them seem very unlikely to get ick, velvet, etc...

I assume you are worried about the eel bringing the disease somewhere vs actually getting it? What's in the display?

Not familiar with yours but many Moray's are very hardy were actually used to cycle tanks in the past dark days of cycling with fish!

As to the number of times, more is better. The more transfers you do, the better off you are! I worry about a lot of things but not Moray's (getting or giving diseases). Let others weigh in..

Buy supplies online vs long trip.

 

[Hugh Mann]

That is what I have been told, especially by The Lion King, moray are tough as nails and disease resistant.

A brief story of my situation.
Eel was in my DT.

Velvet infected the DT, and due to my situation at the time I was forced to treat copper in the DT, so I removed all the rock and sand, put some of it separate, some in a big plastic bin, that I also put the eel in due to copper sensitivity.

Just prior to transferring the eel, it was showing the signs of velvet, hanging out in high flow, light sensitivity.

My DT has since been treated, and I am in the process of removing the copper, it's current inhabitant is a single Marine Betta.

My concern, even though it has been almost 9 weeks since the eel was moved by itself, that velvet may still be present in the water, having its reproduction slowed by the thick mucus but not halted entirely, and plopping it back into the DT will reinfect it.