Quarantine Practices

[Craigdillman]

Hey all just almost done battling a nasty ich out break in my tank. The whole 9 yards netting all the fish QT, hypo... all the good stuff.... Only 5 fish made it out of the ich/treatment ordeal out of 15. and now after 8 isn weeks they are ready to go back into the main

Ich fooled me once and now I'm on the fool me twice shame on me part


So onto the Question

Im Planning on setting up a more permeant Qt tank to restock the main tank. I got a 30 gallon or 55gallon that ill be setting up and cycling and got a few months to figure out everything (Thailand for holidays for all of march Booyeah)

What do you guys do for QT?
Do you prophylactically do hypo or copper ? Or watch and see ?I'm not one to bomb copper/hypo on healthy fish if not needed
How long do you Qt new fish before adding ?
How many fish would be ok at a time say in the 30g?


Thanks
Craig Dillman

[asylumdown]

I have a tank transfer set up in my basement. I've lost fish to hypo, and lost fish to copper, but I've never lost a fish to the tank transfer. I do it prophylactically with every fish that comes in, and I dose Prazipro for two of the 3 days transfers.

[Craigdillman]

Ok I think that's what I'm going to look at setting up when I get back, seems to be the least harsh on the fish and I'm with you I lost a few fish in hypo that I don't think was needed and that i don't think the ich got weather it was the hypo it self or maybe ammonia spikes

[hillegom]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

I have a tank transfer set up in my basement. I've lost fish to hypo, and lost fish to copper, but I've never lost a fish to the tank transfer. I do it prophylactically with every fish that comes in, and I dose Prazipro for two of the 3 days transfers.

+ 1
I have been down that route as well, so tank transfer is all I do now

http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/3daytransfer.html

[Craigdillman]

So you think if i picked up another 30 gallon or 20 gallon that would work?

Or is 30 gallon over kill and i could just get 2 20 gallons ?

or get a 20 gallon and only fill the 30 gallon with 20 gallons of water?



Also how many fish would you do at one time with this method? 3-4 at a time i assume?

[hillegom]

If the fish are small, I have used two 5 gal pails. (20 liters)
Again, it depends on the size of fish. You would not put a 4" tang into a 5 gal pail.
On the last day in the "tank" I feed a lot, and before bedtime, I put a black plastic bag over the tank. Then in the morning when its still dark in the tank I transfer.

[Craigdillman]

Ah ok, well i think i will set up a couple tanks either 2 20gallons or 2 29 gallons

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by hillegom

+ 1
I have been down that route as well, so tank transfer is all I do now

http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/3daytransfer.html

Hmmm, you've caught my interest with this. I have used the hypo method with good success. But the downside is that it takes a long time, usually about 2 - 3 months the way I do it. And you always need a mature QT running and ready.

The TT method seems a lot faster. And I have a lot of those old 5g salt pails available. Instead of using new fresh SW mix, any problems with just using some stored DT water from a water change? As I said, I have a lot of those salt buckets, so can easily do that. What about filtration, or is 3 days not enough time to worry about that? As the final step before the DT, I can transfer them to my QT to observe them a bit longer.

[Craigdillman]

Yea I'll be getting a pair of 20 gallons for the tt method when I get back from my trip and sell the current 55 qt

[hillegom]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Hmmm, you've caught my interest with this. I have used the hypo method with good success. But the downside is that it takes a long time, usually about 2 - 3 months the way I do it. And you always need a mature QT running and ready.

The TT method seems a lot faster. And I have a lot of those old 5g salt pails available. Instead of using new fresh SW mix, any problems with just using some stored DT water from a water change? As I said, I have a lot of those salt buckets, so can easily do that. What about filtration, or is 3 days not enough time to worry about that? As the final step before the DT, I can transfer them to my QT to observe them a bit longer.

I use water from the display, the first time, the fish have to be acclimated.
For me, I see a win win because I am also changing the DT water.
I feed minimal for two days then a lot the last night. Before going to bed I put a black plastic bag over the pail (I have aeration in the pail) and remove it just before I transfer
I don't put them into QT after, just into DT. I don't use filtration. The first two pails the fish are in, usually gets prazipro treatments.