Originally posted by the Gman
AFA using the main tank water, wouldn't that keep introducing the parasites that are swimming at the moment into the QT and ultimately back on the fish? The way I see it is that the Formalin kills the adults attached to the fish and may miss some juveniles, otherwise 1 treatment would do. Putting him back into clean QT water would prevent re-infestation.
Black ich is not the same as white spot or the ich that we commonly know, thus you can't think of it in the same manner. Black ich has a life cycle of approx 10 days. While fish can be infected via free-swimming parasite contact with fish, most infection occurs fish to fish. If you follow the 3-5 day procedure, every other day, you will beat out that 10 day life cycle even if parasite in the water can infect the fish. In any case, my recommendation to use display water was because you don't have an established QT. Maintaining fish, especially several fish, in an uncycled QT could end up to be very stressful for fish. Thus, you have to weigh the 2 issues [quality aged cycled water that may have parasites with uncycled water that has no parasites]. In any case, you have already gone with the new water, so go with it. Just do not let the QT cycle.
Originally posted by the Gman
The remedy to clean the main tank is for 35 days in the absence of fish, that to me means there are still viable parasites in the water on say day 25, so why would you want to keep using any main tank water to reintroduce them back on the fish when the Formalin treatment is only 5 days long? (3 dips - 1 day apart).
The life cycle of black ich is around 10days, not a month. Thus in 15 days, for safe measure, your tank is clear. Again, the primary means of transmission is fish to fish, unlike white ich.
Originally posted by the Gman
I read the faq on the Formalin bath, I only gave him a relief bath 4 days ago as a helper treatment. As of today they are in the QT and I gave them all the bath as I transferred them there. I will follow the schedule on all 4 fish now that the QT is setup. I had the water at the same temp and the salinity was the same using a floating meter. .
One thing I did do though was to use the same container and Formalin batch for each fish, one right after the other. I didn't make up a new batch for each fish. Do you think that matters? I was going to make a new batch for each bath day though.
Better to use fresh bathe water for each fish.
Originally posted by the Gman
At any rate, if the refractometer gets here after the Formalin baths are over and the scratching and spots went away maybe I won't hypo. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. .
If you want to begin hypo you can with a glass hydrometer, then adjust the water, if necessary, once you get the refract. Begin counting hypo days when you are sure that your salinity is at 14ppt / 1.009sg.
Originally posted by the Gman
The question about tank shape was based on the fact that a 6' tank would give each fish more "territory" to roam in and more space to distance themselves from other fish. Myself, I am more into fish than reefs. I want a larger home for when my Imperator grows up. He's just a little tike now in a 29 gallon (ick free, thank heavens!)
Then you've made the right choice! Sounds like you are on the right track with what you are doing. You may want to do formalin dips on all fish.
