QT tank options

I recently read ReefdUp's discussion from last year on quarantine tanks and I have a few questions comments. I'm hoping that after this thread I can determine which way I want to go with this.

These questions are why I have never set up a qt tank. If you don't do the two tank method it is pretty much pointless if you plan to purchase more fish during your treatment of others. Every time you add a new fish you start the qt process over for the ones that are already in there. You can't add live rock as it will kill the bacteria and cause a ammonia spike. I don't see the point of adding a sump you can't have a refuge or live sand/live rock. Fish can go along time in hypo and be just fine but nothing else will live in there like inverts etc. I am not sure about the medication but I can't imagine you would want to treat those that are not infected.

Personally, I have 3 x 10g tanks for fish QT. If you go with the tank transfer method for treatment, most fish will be just fine in a 10g tank, alone, for 12 days. If you go with hyposalinity or multiple fish, then I'd go with a larger tank.

More than anything, I recommend a freshwater dip for all new fish. A simple 5-15 minute dip in freshwater with methylene blue will remove quite a variety of pests and treat for various shipping issues.

The next thing is a several day bath in PraziPro, which is reef safe in most cases. Easy enough.

Hypo is what I used to use, but it takes forever, you can't use all meds with it, and some fish don't tolerate it well (although it is still better IMO than copper.)

I wouldn't add a sump since you need to be able to easily bleach the system. I only add sand for the fish that burrow and rock for shy fish. Otherwise, they just hide detritus that can lead to ammonia spikes. Hypo won't allow you to establish a good biofilter, so regular cleaning and an ammonia remover (Amquel) is essential.

With treatment, you can't add fish...otherwise you have to start over. I treat all fish with a freshwater dip, methylene blue, Furan-2, tank transfers, and PraziPro. Last I read, 75-80% of all fish in the hobby have internal parasites, and PraziPro is the treatment for most. The only thing I dislike using is Furan2 since it's an antibiotic, and overuse can decrease the effectiveness.

Running at true hypo (1.011 if I remember correctly off the top of my head) can hurt fish if kept there for an extended time. Many people run fish only tanks at 1.018 with no problems, but I see no point in that except saving on salt. Either run higher or lower.

Hope that helps get you pointed in the right direction.

I'd like to point out one more thing...there's a difference between quarantining and treating fish. QTing is just keeping the fish isolated and observing them for illness. Treating is exactly that...treating for problems.

Anything is better than just throwing a new fish into your tank. I'll be happy hearing anything more than that.

Looks well-thought, but I would make these changes:

Do the freshwater and methylene blue dip for only 5 minutes. 0.4ml methylene blue per gallon of water.

Drop the specific gravity by 0.005 per day...this is safe to do going down...BUT NOT GOING UP. You can only go up by 0.002 per day.

A specific gravity of 1.015 is not low enough to kill ich. I need to look up the exact level in my notes...sorry...on my phone.

Hyposalinity won't treat velvet. If you want to treat velvet, we need a more-revised plan.

I would get some Furan-2 to have on hand in case they start showing signs of infection.

I would get an ammonia alert badge for the tank.

I don't know what all fish you plan to have in the tank, but you have to hold the specific gravity low for 6 weeks. 50% water changes weekly may not be sufficient to keep the ammonia low enough since there is no biofiltration. I usually had to do 20% changes daily. Why do you seem reluctant to use an ammonia detoxifier? It's pretty much the same stuff we all used to make tap water safe in our newbie days.

Use PraziPro only at regular salinity.

Instead of using rocks, I use PVC for the fish to hide in. It's easier to clean and won't store chemicals.

I'm glad to see you're considering all this. Your fish will thank you.

If you want to keep the salinity the same as your display without copper or two tanks, I think your only other real option is chloroquine diphoshate. I have some, but I've never used it. It's supposed to be pretty good and easy, but it is pricey and hard to come by. Formalin doesn't work the best, and it's even harder to keep at the right concentration than copper.

Don't feel bad...I lost some amazing fish all at once years ago. I swore I wouldn't have that happen to me again. Of course, I've still lost a few during QT (almost all were killed by Vibrio), but at least I haven't killed my display.

LakeCityReefs wrote: I know my fish have ich. I'm not sure if that's all they have. The reason I am so determined to do this is because I have killed hundreds of dollars worth of fish in the last 6 months. Funny how things go, as a newbie I am able to keep sps right from the start and am even able to bring poor looking sps back to life, but I'm a fish killer :( I want to start purchasing more expensive fish as soon as I can figure out how to keep them alive for longer than 4 months.

Aloha Eric,
There is Ich in my system too, but I have not lost any fish to the parasite or any disease in a long time. Yours is certainly a frustrating situation. I don't remember hearing about this before. Removing the fish to a Hospital Tank for 6+ weeks and using QT thereafter are very useful options, but I am a believer in looking at all possible options before taking action.

Though this may take some investigation to pinpoint, the solution could be something quite easy.

There are dozens of experienced hobbyists in the WMAS. If you would like to get feedback on the possibilities, why not consider editing the Topic Heading and OP or maybe post in a new Topic to reflect your interest in looking at all the possible causes and solutions? Remember to post a pic of the tank along with your husbandry activities and the basic parameters.
That way everyone can chime in to try and help.

Mark


Edited by Mark Peterson - May 30 2014 at 8:18am