jstremple

What's inaccurate?? I'm talking about white spot here. Cryptocaryon irritans is a ciliated protozoan that has to spend time on a fish a some point. If your skilled enough, you can take a small scraping of an infected fish, creating a wet mount slide that can be viewed under a microscope or if the cysts on the fish are mature enough, you'll see them with the naked eye. The different chemical treatments available tend to key on the free swimming stage, so you've got to wait for that to happen. Increasing water temperate will speed their life cycle up. After you treat the fish by what ever means you choose (copper, hypo salinity, whatever) for a full treatment period, and can't detect them AFTER several weeks after treatment they are likely gone. That's all I'm saying here. What's inaccurate about that? Are you one of those that think Crypto. is always present all the time and you can't ever get rid of it? I've been keeping marine fish since 1974. I've never seen an outbreak of this parasite unless some macro algae, live rock, invertebrates or fish were added without quarantine; generally you'll see the cyst stage on a fish within 2 to 3 weeks AFTER you've added the non quarantined animals, rock or macro algae.

It's not false information. Sorry you've missed my point. I'm talking about if the parasite is in your system, over time you will see cysts on fish AT SOME POINT, the parasite needs the fish as some point. I know they are not always visible. You've got the three stages and only one is visible. I'm saying, if you go 3 or 4 weeks and not see a cyst on a fish (especially a Regal Tang) then its not in your system.

Yes, I strongly agree with quarantining everything from all vendors. So as to not take responsibility that a vendor's tank are clear sources of white spot, some will actually tell you that white spot is always present and that your fish will only show it when they are somehow stressed. So, if your tank has a brake out, they will say it must be something you did to stress out the fish. Don't believe them if white spot present your fish WILL show some signs. If your fish don't show white spot, IT IS NOT THERE! An awesome way to QT your fish is to simply place them in hypo saline (SG 1.010 to 1.012) water for 2-3 weeks, no copper required. If your using 1.010 and the fish your QTing are not doing well just bring them up to 1.012 to 1.013 and hold them there for the QT period. Some species are very sensitive to copper like flame angles. You can just add them directly to the low saline water; no problem. Use a refractometer to get an accurate measure of your water. Once your QT period is over, your need to bring them back up to normal salinity over a period of about 4 days. Just bring them up about 0.003 per day. As far as the inverts go, just keep them in their own tank free of fish for 2 or 3 weeks. White spot's life cycle can't handle a tank with "no fish", its got to have fish for its life cycle.