Humblefish
Dr. Fish
- Location
- Wandering Nomad
Important - Tank Transfer Method is most effective when water temperature and salinity are kept within this range:
Temp: 24C-28C / 76F-82F
Salinity: 27ppt-35ppt / 1.020 SG - 1.026 SG
Tank Transfer Method (updated 2-9-2023)
What It Treats: Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) only.
How To Treat: Tank transfer (TTM) is a non-chemical treatment option for clearing fish of Marine Ich. To properly execute TTM you need two tanks (or buckets), with dedicated equipment for each (not to be shared between the two.) I personally use two 10 gallon tanks to do TTM; each with its own heater, thermometer, air stone, airline tubing and PVC elbows for hiding places. This is how TTM is implemented:
Day 1 – Fish is placed in initial QT (transfer tank).
Day 4 – 72 hours later transfer the fish to a new tank. The time of day you do the transfer is unimportant, but never exceed 72 hours from the last transfer. The temperature and salinity of the new tank should match the old tank, so you can just catch & release the fish (no acclimation). Transfer as little water as possible with the fish.
Day 7 – Repeat.
Day 10 – Repeat.
Day 13 – Repeat and done (fish should now be ich free).
After transferring, immediately sanitize the “old tank” and all equipment using bleach or vinegar. Rinse well. Allow everything to air dry thoroughly before next use. (I blow a fan over tank + equipment.) The air drying is the sterilization process when using vinegar, or detoxification process when using bleach.
Simply put, this process works because you are literally outrunning the parasite’s known life cycle. If a fish is infected with ich, trophonts will drop off the fish at some point during TTM. The encysted stage (tomont) doesn’t have enough time to release theronts (i.e. free swimmers) before the fish exits the tank. Ammonia may or may not be a concern with TTM depending upon bioload. You always have the option of using an ammonia reducer, such as Amquel or Prime, in conjunction with TTM since there is no risk of negative interaction because no medications are in the water.
Once concern about TTM is netting the fish every 3 days. This can be somewhat alleviated by using a plastic colander in lieu of a net to catch the fish (square ones work better than round ones):
Pros: Chemical free solution to Marine Ich, highly effective when performed properly.
Cons/Side Effects: Cost (when using all new saltwater), time/effort expended, probably somewhat stressful on the fish being caught every 3 days. This version of TTM does not treat other diseases such as Marine Velvet Disease, Brooklynella, Flukes, etc.
TTM FAQ:
Temp: 24C-28C / 76F-82F
Salinity: 27ppt-35ppt / 1.020 SG - 1.026 SG
Tank Transfer Method (updated 2-9-2023)
What It Treats: Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) only.
How To Treat: Tank transfer (TTM) is a non-chemical treatment option for clearing fish of Marine Ich. To properly execute TTM you need two tanks (or buckets), with dedicated equipment for each (not to be shared between the two.) I personally use two 10 gallon tanks to do TTM; each with its own heater, thermometer, air stone, airline tubing and PVC elbows for hiding places. This is how TTM is implemented:
Day 1 – Fish is placed in initial QT (transfer tank).
Day 4 – 72 hours later transfer the fish to a new tank. The time of day you do the transfer is unimportant, but never exceed 72 hours from the last transfer. The temperature and salinity of the new tank should match the old tank, so you can just catch & release the fish (no acclimation). Transfer as little water as possible with the fish.
Day 7 – Repeat.
Day 10 – Repeat.
Day 13 – Repeat and done (fish should now be ich free).
After transferring, immediately sanitize the “old tank” and all equipment using bleach or vinegar. Rinse well. Allow everything to air dry thoroughly before next use. (I blow a fan over tank + equipment.) The air drying is the sterilization process when using vinegar, or detoxification process when using bleach.
Simply put, this process works because you are literally outrunning the parasite’s known life cycle. If a fish is infected with ich, trophonts will drop off the fish at some point during TTM. The encysted stage (tomont) doesn’t have enough time to release theronts (i.e. free swimmers) before the fish exits the tank. Ammonia may or may not be a concern with TTM depending upon bioload. You always have the option of using an ammonia reducer, such as Amquel or Prime, in conjunction with TTM since there is no risk of negative interaction because no medications are in the water.
Once concern about TTM is netting the fish every 3 days. This can be somewhat alleviated by using a plastic colander in lieu of a net to catch the fish (square ones work better than round ones):
Cons/Side Effects: Cost (when using all new saltwater), time/effort expended, probably somewhat stressful on the fish being caught every 3 days. This version of TTM does not treat other diseases such as Marine Velvet Disease, Brooklynella, Flukes, etc.
TTM FAQ:
- Always observe these "rules" whenever performing TTM:
A) Transfers need to occur every 72 hours OR less, NOT more
B) The total number of days to pass should be 12 OR more, NOT less
C) A minimum of four transfers is required, with more required if doing transfers more frequent than every 72 hours
- There are two other versions of TTM:
A) Velvet TTM
B) Hybrid TTM
- Can chemicals/medications be used with TTM?
Yes! Hybrid TTM utilizes H2O2 to eliminate velvet and other parasites. You can also deworm with praziquantel or fenbendazole while running a fish thru TTM. (Space the two prazi or fenben treatments 6 days apart.) Finally, antibiotics can be administered if a fish has a bacterial infection.
Last edited:
I think my copper may not have been high enough when I did the Midas Blenny.
