Tank Transfer Method is the medication-free ich treatment for marine fish. Why it works: ich life cycle has 4 stages - trophont (on fish, 5-7 days), protomont (drops off, 6-12 hours), tomont (cyst on substrate, 3-72 hours), theront (free-swimming, 6-24 hours). Transferring fish to clean water every 72h breaks the cycle - tomonts left behind, theronts cannot find host. Protocol: 1) Set up 2 identical bare-bottom QT tanks (Tank A + Tank B), each with established sponge filter, heater, hide. 2) Day 1: Acclimate fish to Tank A. 3) Day 4 (72h later): Net fish + transfer to Tank B. Sterilize Tank A with 10% bleach, rinse 3x, set up again. 4) Day 7: Transfer to fresh Tank A (sterile). 5) Day 10: Transfer to fresh Tank B. 6) Day 12: TTM complete - fish ich-free + ready for display. Pros: no medication, no stress from copper, scaleless-fish-safe, no impact on bacterial filter (sponges live with fish). Cons: requires 2 sterile tanks + meticulous sterilization between transfers. Effective for: ich (Cryptocaryon). Not effective for: velvet (faster life cycle), flukes, brooklynella - need separate treatments.
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