Quarentine - Best Practices?

TellyFish · 02/13/2009, 06:40 PM

I like to think I have reasonable success in keeping marine life. I still have the first fish I ever bought, and my Potters Angel is going on 3 years in my tank. However, since I began a mandatory quarantine policy I have lost several specimens. In fact, out of five fish over the past year, only one has made it 4 weeks and into my tank! That's an 80% fail rate. Obviously I am doing something wrong.

Just a 10 gallon tank (all fish were either goby/blenny/chromis and never more than 2 at a time)
heater 79deg
air stone
1 piece of live rock taken from my existing tank
PVC piping for extra shelter
HOB filter which came with the tank for extra flow

I always use water from my display tank
All the obvious things are checked for after a couple days (ammonia,nitrite, nitrate,)
Water changed with new tank water 25%/week

I need to follow someone's recipe for success. I am thinking it must be ammonia, but I have not been able to test any. I am currently testing with the bargain API tests for ammonia. Also, this last time I just had a blenny in the 10 gallon. He still just up and died one morning. Something I am doing in this 10 gallon tank is killing fish... and attractive ones too.

So lets hear about your quarantine setup and procedure!

TellyFish · 02/13/2009, 06:51 PM

Oh yeah, just some notes on the most recent tragedy:

Really awesome orange spot blenny just died this morning after 3 weeks in QT tank. He was eating mysis by the mouthful. I did notice he was a bit too interested in swimming back-and-forth with his head pressed against the glass from day 1, but otherwise seemed healthy and vigorous. Suddenly seemed sluggish last night and would not leave corner bottom of tank. This morning--dead. He was 1 week away! Tested for ammonia and seemed good. Nothing else out-of-wack as far as I can tell. Obviously something is however, out-of-wack...

My dismal success in QT makes me think everyone would have a better chance skipping the QT. My 3 yr old Potters in the only reason I do not.

ctenophors rule · 02/13/2009, 07:01 PM

when they are dead, are they upside down? could be free current, probably not.

have you ever treated your quarantine tank with a chemical?

if so when the fish was gone did you throw out the rock, sand ,filter media, etc and rise out tank realy well, if not replace it??? (you would only need to replace it in extremes)

do you perform water changes? that is often an essential in smaller qt tanks.

try adding some alga like chaeto to help filter water.

4 weeks seems like a long qt time, often people sware by it, but in my experience 2 weeks is fine.( dont yell at me, i am not being impatient, i just think that if the fish is healthy after two weeks, he will be better of in the larger tank which is less subject to param changes)_

the params are constant? no wierd swing we should know about?

is it cycled?

you can use water from your tank before you do as you do a water change so it is always cycled, then add 5 pounds of sand, and a chunk of realy porous live rock or two wiith lots of algae growth.

good luck, sprry about your lack of success.

but remember every failure is just you suceding in figuring out what doesn't work, and ever time it happens you are just reinforcing your hypothesis.

02/13/2009, 06:40 PM	#1
TellyFish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago 60607 Posts: 1,130	Quarentine - Best Practices? I like to think I have reasonable success in keeping marine life. I still have the first fish I ever bought, and my Potters Angel is going on 3 years in my tank. However, since I began a mandatory quarantine policy I have lost several specimens. In fact, out of five fish over the past year, only one has made it 4 weeks and into my tank! That's an 80% fail rate. Obviously I am doing something wrong. Just a 10 gallon tank (all fish were either goby/blenny/chromis and never more than 2 at a time) heater 79deg air stone 1 piece of live rock taken from my existing tank PVC piping for extra shelter HOB filter which came with the tank for extra flow I always use water from my display tank All the obvious things are checked for after a couple days (ammonia,nitrite, nitrate,) Water changed with new tank water 25%/week I need to follow someone's recipe for success. I am thinking it must be ammonia, but I have not been able to test any. I am currently testing with the bargain API tests for ammonia. Also, this last time I just had a blenny in the 10 gallon. He still just up and died one morning. Something I am doing in this 10 gallon tank is killing fish... and attractive ones too. So lets hear about your quarantine setup and procedure! __________________ ...and life spirals into astonishing diversity. Current Tank Info: Hawaiian inspired 109g Miracles Rimless - 100g Prop Tank - 300g total system volume

02/13/2009, 06:51 PM	#2
TellyFish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago 60607 Posts: 1,130	Oh yeah, just some notes on the most recent tragedy: Really awesome orange spot blenny just died this morning after 3 weeks in QT tank. He was eating mysis by the mouthful. I did notice he was a bit too interested in swimming back-and-forth with his head pressed against the glass from day 1, but otherwise seemed healthy and vigorous. Suddenly seemed sluggish last night and would not leave corner bottom of tank. This morning--dead. He was 1 week away! Tested for ammonia and seemed good. Nothing else out-of-wack as far as I can tell. Obviously something is however, out-of-wack... My dismal success in QT makes me think everyone would have a better chance skipping the QT. My 3 yr old Potters in the only reason I do not. __________________ ...and life spirals into astonishing diversity. Current Tank Info: Hawaiian inspired 109g Miracles Rimless - 100g Prop Tank - 300g total system volume

02/13/2009, 07:01 PM	#3
ctenophors rule Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: port saint lucy Posts: 1,017	when they are dead, are they upside down? could be free current, probably not. have you ever treated your quarantine tank with a chemical? if so when the fish was gone did you throw out the rock, sand ,filter media, etc and rise out tank realy well, if not replace it??? (you would only need to replace it in extremes) do you perform water changes? that is often an essential in smaller qt tanks. try adding some alga like chaeto to help filter water. 4 weeks seems like a long qt time, often people sware by it, but in my experience 2 weeks is fine.( dont yell at me, i am not being impatient, i just think that if the fish is healthy after two weeks, he will be better of in the larger tank which is less subject to param changes)_ the params are constant? no wierd swing we should know about? is it cycled? you can use water from your tank before you do as you do a water change so it is always cycled, then add 5 pounds of sand, and a chunk of realy porous live rock or two wiith lots of algae growth. good luck, sprry about your lack of success. but remember every failure is just you suceding in figuring out what doesn't work, and ever time it happens you are just reinforcing your hypothesis. __________________ just my oppinion....then again... who the hell am I! Current Tank Info: my fishbowls are round 8)