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Unread 06/02/2015, 10:24 AM   #3
snorvich
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Outlander
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72-hours rule: You can do transfers sooner than 72 hours, but you should not go over 72 hours; if you inadvertently go over the 72 hours when performing a transfer by more than even an hour, then you must start over again with TTM from Day 1 to be absolutely sure the treatment was effective.

12-days rule: The minimum treatment period for TTM is 12 days. This equates to 4 transfers total, every 72 hours. You can do more than 4 transfers within the 12 days as long as (1) the last transfer is performed after 12 days OR longer and (2) you first-and-foremost follow the 72-hours rule above. If you miss a transfer at any point in the process, you must start over at Day 1 to be sure the treatment is effective. Examples of day-combinations that work just fine:
•o 4 total changes – 3+3+3+3 = 12
•o 5 total changes - 2+3+2+3+2 = 12
•o 6 total changes - 2+2+2+2+2+2 = 12
•o Daily (24-hour period) changes are discouraged as it may not allow for sufficient time to disinfect the tank and equipment between transfers

•o Cleaned/Dried Equipment rule: You must clean and dry all equipment between transfers
•o Drying: Research has confirmed that simply allowing the equipment to dry AND stay remain completely dry for just 24 hours will kill any remaining Ich life-cycle stages. This means that you must allow time first for (a) all little remaining spots of water to evaporate and then (b) the equipment to then stay that way for 24 hours; this means you really should allow for no less than 48 hours total of drying to ensure this happens


•o Consider putting a small fan over the drying tank and equipment to speed up the drying process.
•o It is NOT a requirement (per research) to also clean with bleach or other disinfectants, unless you are paranoid (not a bad thing to be when dealing with Ich though). Drying is enough.
•o Cleaning/disinfecting: Simply rinsing with tap water and letting dry is all that is necessary; however, as stated above you may also prefer to take additional precautions to ensure Ich cysts are all dead in between transfers, and many people prefer to take this additional step. A bleach solution is the most commonly recommended disinfectant for assisting in killing Ich cysts. You can use as little as a 10% bleach-to-water solution to be successful.


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~Steve~
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