New tangs qt help!

[faisal629]

so my DT is cycled! my QT filter has been running on my 5gal for over 7 weeks and cycled, I got a great deal on a yellow tang and a blue tang, I acclimated them to my 40 gal QT tank and put them in, I just checked the ammonia level and its .25 ppm and same with the nitrite and nitrate, could it be my bio load is big for the filter and will take time to even out? I quickly added a bag of puregin and a sponge from my cycled DT hoping it will help?
ATM 5 gallon or saltwater is mixing for water change tonight if not for sure tomorrow!
does everything seem ok? any tips! quick reply could save 2 lives!

[Sk8r]

GEt it down. Fast. Get some Amquel or Prime and knock the ammonia down. Qt'ing more than one at a time is risky. DO a water change soon, soon as that water is clear as crystal.
ALso watch your oxygenation.

[faisal629]

just did the water change, i do not have any of those products but will buy them tomorrow, anything else i should do?

I see a lot of waste on the filter, everything was cleaned throughly and i fed them exactly 3 tiny pellets. the only thing i can think of is its the tangs waste? maybe that caused the spike?

[faisal629]

btw thanks for the quick response
does prime lower ammonia? it does not say on the bottle, I used IO conditioner and that contains a slime coat i believe, I will buy api ammo lock tomorrow and dose.
another question is that I was going to dose prazipro today, should i hold on that or dose it?

[BigCountry74]

I would put them in the DT. You might lose 1 of them in that QT tank.

[levischilz]

its managable with continued water changes. Keep making those 5-10g water changes do them consistantly, also dose some bio support product might help. water changes water changes...

[MrTuskfish]

Prime is an excellent ammonia/nitrite neutralizer; nitrate isn't an issue to fish in a QT. When using it, your ammonia test will probably still show ammonia; even after its been neutralized. A stick-on ammonia badge, and the behavior of the fish, will tell if it has eliminated. Plan continued WCs. You have the right idea withe the seeded sponge, but a 5 gal tank can't possibly produce enough bacteria to support a 40 gal bio-filter with two tangs. How big is your DT? Is there any cycled sponge, etc., in your DT that could be used in your filter? Re: Prazi-Pro. Yes, it can wait, you have enough going on.

In response to the post above: I would never, under any circumstances, add fish to my DT that weren't properly quarantined.

[BigCountry74]

I would not either. But they are going to die in that QT, we are talking tangs here. It's his call I guess. OP what do you have stocked in your DT?

[faisal629]

Originally Posted by MrTuskfish

Prime is an excellent ammonia/nitrite neutralizer; nitrate isn't an issue to fish in a QT. When using it, your ammonia test will probably still show ammonia; even after its been neutralized. A stick-on ammonia badge, and the behavior of the fish, will tell if it has eliminated. Plan continued WCs. You have the right idea withe the seeded sponge, but a 5 gal tank can't possibly produce enough bacteria to support a 40 gal bio-filter with two tangs. How big is your DT? Is there any cycled sponge, etc., in your DT that could be used in your filter? Re: Prazi-Pro. Yes, it can wait, you have enough going on.

In response to the post above: I would never, under any circumstances, add fish to my DT that weren't properly quarantined.

My DT has been running for 2 months and finished cycling 2 weeks ago (ammonia went as high as 7-8ppm nitrite 8-9 ppm) its 112 gallon tank with 55 gallon sump, total 150 gallons ow water, I will buy prime today on my way back from school, i set another 5 gal saltwater thats currently mixing and will do the water change when i get back, i just did the water test and nothing went up but is the same. i will wait on the prazipro. there was one sponge in the DT which I already added to the QT..right when i get back (in 6-7 hours) i will do a 5 gallon WC and then do another 5 gal later tonight. can i dose prime and api ammo lock together? either way i will dose as soon as i get back. thanks for the reply!

[BigCountry74]

Yeah man if nothing is stocked in your DT, put those tangs in there for sure. Sounds like its a coin flip either way being both tanks are pretty new. I would roll the dice on the larger of the 2 tanks being tangs and all.

[Dustin1300]

Continue with the water changes and I'd consider having a bigger mixing station for unexpected water changes if Ammonia/Nitrite spike.

Depending on the size of the tangs, I'd not fret too much about having two very small tangs in a 40 breeder. I would add an additional indicator for ammonia so you ensure it's at safe levels for your already stressed/new fish. Ammonia Alert Indicator

I'd also recommend reading Randy's article on Ammonia and understanding the difference between free ammonia and ammonium:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-02/rhf/index.php

[faisal629]

ok will reed them, i really dont want to put them into the DT yet.
is everyone referring to prime as to seachem prime or a different product?

[BigCountry74]

I am still trying to understand why you have a QT tank when nothing is in your DT? Or am I reading something wrong? You brought media from your DT and are using it in the QT, so params should be about the same. Maybe I am trying to keep this too simple? hehe

[Dustin1300]

Originally Posted by BigCountry74

I am still trying to understand why you have a QT tank when nothing is in your DT? Or am I reading something wrong?

I'm not sure why you even question this? A QT is for treatment of fish and I use hypo and Prazipro and would not do either in the main system...I think you might be understanding something wrong with QT processes.

[BigCountry74]

He is not treating anything though? He said he was simply acclimating them. The DT is empty. Just reads like he is making things a tad bit stressful/complicated for himself trying to setup and run 2 of the same tank.

[MrTuskfish]

Originally Posted by BigCountry74

I am still trying to understand why you have a QT tank when nothing is in your DT? Or am I reading something wrong? You brought media from your DT and are using it in the QT, so params should be about the same. Maybe I can trying to keep this too simple? hehe

If a new fish skips a QT and goes directly to the DT, then develops ich (velvet, brook, etc.), the fish have to go to a QT/HT and the new DT left fishless for 10-12 weeks. Getting fish out of an established tank is a pita; often requiring draing most of the DT. Ich (on rare occasions) can even last longer than 12 weeks. A parasite infected tank is a real nightmare. A decent QT is also a much better place to observe new fish, treat as needed, and acclimate. Yes, DT and QT params should be identical. If you're sure your DT is parasite free; water from the DT at WC time is great for the QT. The disease section of our forum has new posts, almost daily, from folks who regret not using a good QT regimen on all new fish. Like many QT nazis (I won't add credibility to that word by capitalizing it); I learned the hard way. never again. BTW, contrary to what many folks think; a well set-up QT is a very stress-free and comfortable place for new fish and they acclimate very quickly there.
To the OP: I agree with a post above, a 40 should be fine for the tangs as a QT...if you keep ammonia under control. Their need for lots of space is a long-term thing, IMO. Make sure the sponge (as well as the QT itself) from the DT has some flow; either in a HOB filter, in near a PH, sitting on an airstone, etc. Aerobic bacteria needs plenty of oxygen to thrive.

[faisal629]

The qt is for treatment and hypo

[faisal629]

Both tags are awaiting prazipro treatment for 5-7 days then hypo for 2 weeks and a week to bring salinity to dt level then transport, basically a 4 week process give or take a few days, this ammonia and nitrite problem was unexpected and hopefully when corrected will not happen with any future qt

[faisal629]

The sponge and puregin are both in a hob filter, and there is also a small power head for water circulation in the qt

[faisal629]

OK IM HOME! I got prime!
I dosed the tank with prime, i did 1.5 the normal dose, it says you can dose up to 4x as much but i did not want to push it, I also did a 5 gal water change and will do another 5 gal tonight, I did notice one thing, when i saw the tangs before i bought them they were extremely vibrant but after bringing them home and putting them in the qt their color "dulled" like the yellow and blue looked pale, but right now they look much better, I guess the sponge from my DT and puregin are helping, I want to do a water test but is there any use? I mane after you use prime dont you get false positive? thanks to you all for the great help and support!

[SKurj]

yes, probably want to wait 12-24hrs to retest for ammonia after adding prime.

[kaipo13]

Originally Posted by Dustin1300

I'm not sure why you even question this? A QT is for treatment of fish and I use hypo and Prazipro and would not do either in the main system...I think you might be understanding something wrong with QT processes.

How do you do hypo and prazi in QT? Which one do you do first? Or do you do both at the same time? What is your regular procedure for this?

[faisal629]

well im going to be doing prazipro for the first week then hypo for the next 2-3 weeks, then a week to bring the salinity up.

[MrTuskfish]

Originally Posted by kaipo13

How do you do hypo and prazi in QT? Which one do you do first? Or do you do both at the same time? What is your regular procedure for this?

I'd start your own thread with this question; you'll get a lot more help. Its gets confusing, especially for us geezer-types, when dealing with more than one situation at a time.

[MrTuskfish]

Originally Posted by faisal629

OK IM HOME! I got prime!
I dosed the tank with prime, i did 1.5 the normal dose, it says you can dose up to 4x as much but i did not want to push it, I also did a 5 gal water change and will do another 5 gal tonight, I did notice one thing, when i saw the tangs before i bought them they were extremely vibrant but after bringing them home and putting them in the qt their color "dulled" like the yellow and blue looked pale, but right now they look much better, I guess the sponge from my DT and puregin are helping, I want to do a water test but is there any use? I mane after you use prime dont you get false positive? thanks to you all for the great help and support!

A little stick-on ammonia badge will read the harmful ammonia in Prime treated water. You really can use a lot of this stuff and its vital to get the ammonia down. Just a heads up: if you decide to treat with copper, be sure to remove the Prime with carbon first. the two make a deadly combination. This has happened to a few folks lately.