stocking order, number, and quarantine advice

salajander · 02/24/2014, 02:38 PM

Hi all,

I've got a 55g tank with some live rock and a small 10g sump currently cycling.

I also have a 10g tank with a HOB, heater, PVC elbows, and airstone I'm going to use as a QT.

Our initial stock list is:
3 x Spotted Cardinalfish
1 x Clown Goby
1 x Tail Spot Blenny

(snorvich in the "check purchases here" thread suggested the blenny goes last.)

So my question is how do I get that stock through quarantine and into my DT?

Can I do all three cardinalfish at once? Seems like they may be a bit cramped, though it'd only (hopefully) be ~4 weeks.
Should I do the Goby first, then 1 or 2 of the Cardinalfish, then the other Cardinal, then the blenny?

I appreciate any suggestions anyone has on how they'd handle this.

(Getting a bigger QT is a non-starter; I'm already pushing the limits on what I can fit in our apartment)

MondoBongo · 02/24/2014, 02:42 PM

how large are the cardinals you're planning on getting?

i've seen some juvenile ones that are very small and would have no problem being 3 deep in a 10 gallon tank for a QT period.

is your QT fully cycled? are you planning on treating anything prophylatically?

you're going to want to space out the fish additions regardless. so i would probably do some, or maybe all, of the cardinals, get them through the 8 - 10 weeks and in to the main tank. then do the others one at a time. that will give your main tank time to adjust to the new bio load.

as always, monitor your ammonia and nitrite closely in both tanks. you don't want either of them creeping up on you.

salajander · 02/24/2014, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MondoBongo

how large are the cardinals you're planning on getting?

i've seen some juvenile ones that are very small and would have no problem being 3 deep in a 10 gallon tank for a QT period.

We're probably going to get our fish from liveaquaria. They list the cardinals as: Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 3/4" to 1-1/4"

Quote:

is your QT fully cycled? are you planning on treating anything prophylatically?

Much like everything else in this hobby, there are all sorts of mixed signals on what to do about QTs and cycling. I have a filter sponge and some ceramic rings sitting in the DT's sump that I'm going to move to the QT, so the QT will probably be at least partially cycled.

I haven't entirely decided on prophylactic treatment; I may go with a round of prazipro. Seems like people vary from no treatment unless they see something to full prazipro and the copper and hyposalinity. Like I said, there are pretty much no solid answers in this hobby, it seems...

Quote:

you're going to want to space out the fish additions regardless. so i would probably do some, or maybe all, of the cardinals, get them through the 8 - 10 weeks and in to the main tank. then do the others one at a time. that will give your main tank time to adjust to the new bio load.

as always, monitor your ammonia and nitrite closely in both tanks. you don't want either of them creeping up on you.

Yep, the fish will be spaced out - get one fish or set of fish through the QT and into the DT, then reset the QT and get the next.

(8-10 weeks?! Suggested QT times I've seen have varied from 2 to 4 to 9; I think this is the first ten week time I've come across. Not sure my wife would get on board with that.)

I'll of course monitor the QT very closely.

MondoBongo · 02/24/2014, 02:59 PM

i personally do 8 - 10 weeks in QT with no prophylactic treatment. if i needed to medicate it would be done in a dedicated hospital tank.

the 8 - 10 week time frame exploits the life cycle of the ich parasite, Cryptocarion irritans. it also gives the new arrivals time to settle in, fatten up, and get used to you.

i'll just throw out the disclaimer that this is just what i do. your mileage may vary, and everyone has their own procedure for this.

to help get the wife on board, i recommend buying her a nice Coach purse. it worked wonders for me.

mkoop · 02/24/2014, 03:39 PM

I also utilize an 6-8 week QT process, the last thing I want is an outbreak crashing entire 180g tank. Though at this point its more about me being overly cautious. I'd say minimum 4, max 8 with the average practice being about 6 weeks for most people.

I'd QT the cardinals, then the clown, then the tailspot.

salajander · 02/24/2014, 04:01 PM

Thanks for the input so far.

Looking again at the liveaquaria stock, they only have medium available, which are 1-1/4" to 2-1/4" long.

So that'd be 3 3/4" to 6 3/4" of fish if I were to do all three at once.

salajander · 02/24/2014, 04:02 PM

And related to watching nitrite: Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium

PunkHazard · 02/24/2014, 04:22 PM

If the filtering is good on the 10 gal I would say 3 Cardinals then I would do the clown and blenny together. Since you're ordering them online.

02/24/2014, 02:38 PM	#1
salajander Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 343	stocking order, number, and quarantine advice Hi all, I've got a 55g tank with some live rock and a small 10g sump currently cycling. I also have a 10g tank with a HOB, heater, PVC elbows, and airstone I'm going to use as a QT. Our initial stock list is: 3 x Spotted Cardinalfish 1 x Clown Goby 1 x Tail Spot Blenny (snorvich in the "check purchases here" thread suggested the blenny goes last.) So my question is how do I get that stock through quarantine and into my DT? Can I do all three cardinalfish at once? Seems like they may be a bit cramped, though it'd only (hopefully) be ~4 weeks. Should I do the Goby first, then 1 or 2 of the Cardinalfish, then the other Cardinal, then the blenny? I appreciate any suggestions anyone has on how they'd handle this. (Getting a bigger QT is a non-starter; I'm already pushing the limits on what I can fit in our apartment)

02/24/2014, 02:42 PM	#2
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	how large are the cardinals you're planning on getting? i've seen some juvenile ones that are very small and would have no problem being 3 deep in a 10 gallon tank for a QT period. is your QT fully cycled? are you planning on treating anything prophylatically? you're going to want to space out the fish additions regardless. so i would probably do some, or maybe all, of the cardinals, get them through the 8 - 10 weeks and in to the main tank. then do the others one at a time. that will give your main tank time to adjust to the new bio load. as always, monitor your ammonia and nitrite closely in both tanks. you don't want either of them creeping up on you. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

02/24/2014, 02:59 PM	#4
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	i personally do 8 - 10 weeks in QT with no prophylactic treatment. if i needed to medicate it would be done in a dedicated hospital tank. the 8 - 10 week time frame exploits the life cycle of the ich parasite, Cryptocarion irritans. it also gives the new arrivals time to settle in, fatten up, and get used to you. i'll just throw out the disclaimer that this is just what i do. your mileage may vary, and everyone has their own procedure for this. to help get the wife on board, i recommend buying her a nice Coach purse. it worked wonders for me. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

02/24/2014, 03:39 PM	#5
mkoop Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Madison WI Posts: 387	I also utilize an 6-8 week QT process, the last thing I want is an outbreak crashing entire 180g tank. Though at this point its more about me being overly cautious. I'd say minimum 4, max 8 with the average practice being about 6 weeks for most people. I'd QT the cardinals, then the clown, then the tailspot.

02/24/2014, 04:01 PM	#6
salajander Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 343	Thanks for the input so far. Looking again at the liveaquaria stock, they only have medium available, which are 1-1/4" to 2-1/4" long. So that'd be 3 3/4" to 6 3/4" of fish if I were to do all three at once.

02/24/2014, 04:02 PM	#7
salajander Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 343	And related to watching nitrite: Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium

02/24/2014, 04:22 PM	#8
PunkHazard Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 4	If the filtering is good on the 10 gal I would say 3 Cardinals then I would do the clown and blenny together. Since you're ordering them online.