NOOB wants help organizing QT mess

[turbo]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

Screw it, I'm going to write a no-BS guide to SW for newbies..

Give me a few days

haha yeah there's tonnes of info on the net already. most of it has been composed by highly informed scientists, wordsmiths, and overall very experienced aquapeople. (unlike myself in all counts) The onus is on me, as the browser of all this info, to sift thru the BS and find the truth, and use other people's experience in the hobby to facilitate my own attempts.

there's a big difference in making mistakes because you're new and inexperienced and making mistakes due to a lack of respect and understanding.

i spend a few hours a week (more like a few hours a day sometimes) reading info on the net. not just about saltwater aquariums, but many other topics as well. so i'll be more than happy to read your no-BS guide to SW for newbs, i'm just saying... they're out there already. that's not to say your particular contribution to the library won't be beneficial.

if everything could be solved by just reading guides then there wouldn't be any more specific questions. Nobody would be able to post anything unless it were actual new information or scientific research

I just spent all day reading. I'm tired of reading! Now I have questions. Usually for every answer you get from browsing the forums there's five more questions you want to ask.

What I need at this time is tailored advice to my particular situation.

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by turbo

haha yeah there's tonnes of info on the net already. most of it has been composed by highly informed scientists, wordsmiths, and overall very experienced aquapeople.

Except so much of it is self-fellating and overtly narcissistic diatribe instead of straight forward "1, 2, 3, this is how you do a friggin reef tank" advice. It's also disjointed to the new hobbyist to jump from one article to another with no way of creating some sort of... umm, unifying theory.

[turbo]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

unifying theory.

lol. impossible feat.

I understand what your goal is. I'm also eager to read it.

So anyways, I seek to employ the "Berlin Method" in this system's filtration.

overflow --> refugium with deep sand bed --> sump with protein skimmer --> display tank

with regards to acclimation and quarantine, I did some good reading today from this Leebca guy (his posts are hard to avoid), and his language is long winded and pretentious ("no less than"....), but I personally believe that his described method of a freshwater bath prior to QT observation sounds like a no-brainer when it comes to assessing the condition of a fish, and as a first step towards treatment of diseases and parasites. I read this man's bio he has decades of experience in quarantining and observing sick fish.

I also believe in ich eradication, based on what I've read, using a fallow period in the DT and a hyposalinity period for fish.

Questions like: should I always use hypo? and is my cascade power filter going to work for denitrification? can always just be answered with a Google search...........

[albert_dao]

Honestly, you'd have an easier time just employing copper. Copper is a mack daddy way to get rid of ich. I've quarantined thousands of fish (possibly tens of thousands, no hyperbole) without issue.

There are a lot of guys out there who describe all these "thoughtful" and "holistic" natural pathways to healthy fish. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I've yet to see solid evidence and studies that weren't completely transparent in their methodology. Most of the articles are ideological rather than practical. Anyway, they have a name for alternative therapy that works, it's called medicine, lol.

I've also tried the whole fallow thing. Seems like an awful waste of effort since it's so damn easy to reintroduce the parasite through something as simple as buying a coral frag...

Regarding hypo: do it. Saves salt, fish use less energy expelling salt from their system. Some diseases aren't as virulent. Win/win for all.

I'll address the Berlin thing in my writeup.

[mandyplo]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

I've also tried the whole fallow thing. Seems like an awful waste of effort since it's so damn easy to reintroduce the parasite through something as simple as buying a coral frag...

Regarding hypo: do it. Saves salt, fish use less energy expelling salt from their system. Some diseases aren't as virulent. Win/win for all.

I'll address the Berlin thing in my writeup.

Hi so you would recommend hypo in DT ? I was thinking of doing this (no corals
Or clams atm) but was worried about it hurting the live rock... Will the L.R be okay with hypo? Thanks

[turbo]

Hi Mandy,

I'm going to give you my experience with hypo, since I'm presently administering this treatment to my fish. I am not an expert on anything, but my advice to you is this:

Hyposalinity treatment cures fish of marine ich when administered properly. It will also kill all marine invertebrates. It is my understanding that it will not kill the denitrifying bacteria in our systems. It will not cure anything except ich.

As stated already, there is no point to eradicating marine ich unless you plan to exhibit the required discipline to keep it out of your system. Something "as simple as a coral frag" can and will re-introduce the parasite. You MUST be prepared to quarantine every single thing you buy after you eradicate the parasite.

I can see with my own eyes that all of the invertebrates on my live rock are indeed dying in my quarantine tank. For this reason: most recommend that you seed a sponge filter first before starting up the QT, and not use live rock. Otherwise, all marine life on the rock will die (except for the denitrifying bacteria). This will trigger an ammonia spike as the organic matter decays. Be prepared for this, and combat it with 50% water changes as frequently as you can.

The proper series of steps for using hypo to eradicate marine ich is as follows:

1. Identify the parasite in your system, and identify the need to remove it. Prepare yourself mentally for a long future of quarantining all additions. If you're not prepared to quarantine everything, then don't waste your time with this at all.

2. DO NOT use hypo in your display tank!!! All marine life except your fish will die!! Marine ich needs a FISH to perpetuate its life cycle. If you remove the fish from your display tank, the parasite WILL BE GONE after 8 weeks. Just don't do it.

3. Once all of your fish have been quarantined, begin a hyposalinity regime on your quarantine tanks only. There's lots of reading to do, but make sure you're using a properly calibrated refractometer, and maintain salinity at 11 ppt. This treatment takes 8 weeks and then the fish will be cured of marine ich.

4. Once your fish are cured, and ready to go back to the display tank, your tank will also be cured. Then who has ich?? NOBODY!!!