Quarantine question

fernalfer · 05/13/2016, 05:45 PM

Ok so my 120 has cycled. Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0. Even when dosed ammonia to 2ppm, nitrites and ammonia are brought to 0 in under 12 hrs. Nitrates are 40ppm and will be doing a 50% water change. Tank is empty and just ghost feeding every other day to keep bacteria happy.

Now i purchased my first fish, a Lemon Peel Mimic Tang that the LFS is holding for me until sunday while my QT tank is getting ready.

1. Should i use tank water to fill the QT since i'm doing a water change and instead of wasting the water i could fill the QT with it?

2. I have a sponge that i put in Main Tank from day 1 of the start of my cycle, Do you think that has built up enough bacteria to seed the QT tank? Been in Sump for 3 weeks.

3. I will observe the fish for the first week. Should i treat with Cupramine just incase? Or only treat if signs of Ick occur? (Not doing TTM just yet. Not equipped for it)

4. How long should he remain in QT>?

ca1ore · 05/13/2016, 09:38 PM

Naturally, opinions vary .... Personally I always use display water to fill my QT (think of it as a water change). If the sponge was there from day 1 and the tank has cycled then so has the sponge. Prophylactically treating for ich is debatable; I do it because I have a sizable fish population and want to take no risks. Two months Chez moi.

thegrun · 05/13/2016, 09:49 PM

1. Yes, use water from your DT to fill and make water changes in your QT.
2. Yes the sponge should be seeded by now.
3. I'm a firm believer in using the Tank Transfer Method with all new fish. It is much easier on the fish than copper or hypo salinity. I also treat with Prazipro during the TTM. After the TTM I move the fish to my QT for an additional 4 weeks (assuming there were no signs of disease).
4. If you just go straight QT without TTM I would leave the fish in the QT at least 9 weeks.

Tisbe · 05/13/2016, 11:54 PM

1 & 2 Yes
3. Treatment for ich is stressful for the fish. TTM is preferred. but if you can't do that then only treat if you see ich. Daily observation will let you know if your fish has ich. Then treat.
4. Minimum 6 weeks from last time you saw ich on any fish in the QT tank.

fernalfer · 05/14/2016, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tisbe

1 & 2 Yes
3. Treatment for ich is stressful for the fish. TTM is preferred. but if you can't do that then only treat if you see ich. Daily observation will let you know if your fish has ich. Then treat.
4. Minimum 6 weeks from last time you saw ich on any fish in the QT tank.

Ok if i just observe for Ick at first when should i treat with prazipro? Right away or wait a few days to start treatment.

scuzy · 05/14/2016, 01:44 PM

I always ttm regardless. Formalin bath before ttm and sometimes formalin bath in between if I know the store has signs of diseases. I will prazi during 2nd ttm and 4th ttm.

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Tisbe · 05/14/2016, 09:18 PM

I am not sure about the prazipro. I have never used it. Hopefully others here can give you advise on that product.

kmbyrnes · 05/15/2016, 06:28 AM

Congrats on doing QT from the start. The more fish you have, the more important it becomes to keep disease out of your display.
After an ich disaster, I now use TTM for every new fish.

1. I use new water for the TTM tanks because it's easier.
2. I always have a fully cycled 40b QT tank but I also keep sponges in my sump. Your sponge will be fully cycled and a great boost for your QT tank.
3. I also do PraziPro on the 2nd and 4th Transfers before QT. I found copper and hypo too difficult to monitor properly.
4. All fish get 4 weeks in QT post TTM, assuming they are healthy. If not they get treated separately.

Brieninsac · 05/15/2016, 10:12 AM

You're probably going to get a lot of different opinions. Personally I would fill your QT halfway with tank water and fill the rest with new water. I would then add Bio-spira and give it a week.

It seems to me Tangs are more prone to disease then other fish. So I would plan on quarantining him for 8-weeks. Also, add Seachem Stress Guard to your QT. But I wouldn't treat him unless he exhibits symptoms of disease.

sde1500 · 05/15/2016, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernalfer

Ok if i just observe for Ick at first when should i treat with prazipro? Right away or wait a few days to start treatment.

Just to make sure, prazipro isn't for ich. I do it on the 2nd and 4th ttm tank. It seems to suppress appetites so I want to make sure the fish are eating well before that.

I've had mixed success with QT, lost a few more fish than I'd have liked, most recent round I used DT water to start. Nothing concrete but it was the first time I didn't have a loss on the first night. I know most bacteria lives on the rocks but I'm assuming DT water just has more "stuff" than brand new water that makes it a bit less harsh on a stressed fish. Totally anecdotal, but what isn't in this hobby?

05/13/2016, 05:45 PM	#1
fernalfer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 553	Quarantine question Ok so my 120 has cycled. Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0. Even when dosed ammonia to 2ppm, nitrites and ammonia are brought to 0 in under 12 hrs. Nitrates are 40ppm and will be doing a 50% water change. Tank is empty and just ghost feeding every other day to keep bacteria happy. Now i purchased my first fish, a Lemon Peel Mimic Tang that the LFS is holding for me until sunday while my QT tank is getting ready. 1. Should i use tank water to fill the QT since i'm doing a water change and instead of wasting the water i could fill the QT with it? 2. I have a sponge that i put in Main Tank from day 1 of the start of my cycle, Do you think that has built up enough bacteria to seed the QT tank? Been in Sump for 3 weeks. 3. I will observe the fish for the first week. Should i treat with Cupramine just incase? Or only treat if signs of Ick occur? (Not doing TTM just yet. Not equipped for it) 4. How long should he remain in QT>?

05/13/2016, 09:38 PM	#2
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Naturally, opinions vary .... Personally I always use display water to fill my QT (think of it as a water change). If the sponge was there from day 1 and the tank has cycled then so has the sponge. Prophylactically treating for ich is debatable; I do it because I have a sizable fish population and want to take no risks. Two months Chez moi. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

05/15/2016, 06:28 AM	#8
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	Congrats on doing QT from the start. The more fish you have, the more important it becomes to keep disease out of your display. After an ich disaster, I now use TTM for every new fish. 1. I use new water for the TTM tanks because it's easier. 2. I always have a fully cycled 40b QT tank but I also keep sponges in my sump. Your sponge will be fully cycled and a great boost for your QT tank. 3. I also do PraziPro on the 2nd and 4th Transfers before QT. I found copper and hypo too difficult to monitor properly. 4. All fish get 4 weeks in QT post TTM, assuming they are healthy. If not they get treated separately. __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

05/15/2016, 10:12 AM	#9
Brieninsac Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 782	Quarantine question You're probably going to get a lot of different opinions. Personally I would fill your QT halfway with tank water and fill the rest with new water. I would then add Bio-spira and give it a week. It seems to me Tangs are more prone to disease then other fish. So I would plan on quarantining him for 8-weeks. Also, add Seachem Stress Guard to your QT. But I wouldn't treat him unless he exhibits symptoms of disease. __________________ Red Sea Reefer 350 (73gal/18gal sump) / Kessil a360WE Lights

05/13/2016, 09:49 PM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	1. Yes, use water from your DT to fill and make water changes in your QT. 2. Yes the sponge should be seeded by now. 3. I'm a firm believer in using the Tank Transfer Method with all new fish. It is much easier on the fish than copper or hypo salinity. I also treat with Prazipro during the TTM. After the TTM I move the fish to my QT for an additional 4 weeks (assuming there were no signs of disease). 4. If you just go straight QT without TTM I would leave the fish in the QT at least 9 weeks.

05/13/2016, 11:54 PM	#4
Tisbe Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Coeur D Alene, Idaho Posts: 170	1 & 2 Yes 3. Treatment for ich is stressful for the fish. TTM is preferred. but if you can't do that then only treat if you see ich. Daily observation will let you know if your fish has ich. Then treat. 4. Minimum 6 weeks from last time you saw ich on any fish in the QT tank.

05/14/2016, 01:44 PM	#6
scuzy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 6,499	I always ttm regardless. Formalin bath before ttm and sometimes formalin bath in between if I know the store has signs of diseases. I will prazi during 2nd ttm and 4th ttm. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

05/14/2016, 09:18 PM	#7
Tisbe Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Coeur D Alene, Idaho Posts: 170	I am not sure about the prazipro. I have never used it. Hopefully others here can give you advise on that product.