Quarantine protocol

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Hey Guys:

One thing I have never had room for is a QT system. Can't afford to make the same old mistakes anymore. So... Figured I would put together a QT protocol. What is the system you use for QT? What drugs/chemicals do you use? What filtration?

Right now I have a 5 gallon tank I could use, but that would be horrible for any larger fish. Was thinking of getting a 10 gallon tank with a cover and florescent lights as well as a few pieces of PVC and plastic plants. I would run copper and one of the other anti-fungals. Would keep the tank bare but add a sponge filter. Would this be good enough to keep 2-4 fish going for a month? I would have to do a 2 gallon water change a week at a minimum using water from my main tank and was even thinking of running carbon for a few hours at the same time, removing it and adding fresh copper after 2 hours or so.

Thoughts?

 

[BYU]

I've been using tank transfer method with prazipro for some time now
so far much happier than hyposaline or copper
with 2 10 gallon tanks 2 heaters two air stones and multiple pvc pipes
I'm sure if you google you will find plenty on this subject
Its a lot of work but worth it in the end

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I was thinking prazipro and copper. (Unless it is a fish that doesn't handle copper well)

 

[rich]

I ues prazipro with copper or cp. Don't have room for tank transfer method.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Sounds as if it can be done with two 5 gallon buckets? Interesting method. Doesn't help with velvet though. BUT- If used with low levels of copper?

 

[heuerfan]

I like tank transfer for one or two fish in five gallon buckets or 10 gallon tank.

But with a lot of fish i prefer cupramine and salifert copper test kit in a larger QT tank.

I also always fresh water dip first to make sure there are no flukes, some fish cannot tolerate fresh water dip so becareful.

Good luck!

My 2 cents....

 

[rich]

though wrasses do better with coppersafe and api test kit

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Since I already have two 5 gallon buckets this method is very appealing to me. Just need to get a sponge filter (prefer that to airstone)

 

[heuerfan]

though wrasses do better with coppersafe and api test kit

I've had many wrasses and no problems with cupramine, the key is to get to treatment level slowly....

 

[heuerfan]

Since I already have two 5 gallon buckets this method is very appealing to me. Just need to get a sponge filter (prefer that to airstone)

Don't think you need sponge filter, but if you do you will need two sets of everything.

Good info here,
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1996525

 

[Kworker]

Keep in mind it could only take one individual in the tomont stage of Ich's lifecycle to reinfect your tank. When ich is Tomont (Reproduction stage) it adheres to a hard surface, which could be a new frag...

I've had great success with Tank transfer after going through a follow period for approx. 80 days. No ich was present for a little over a year, my Achilles Tang never had a single spot on him during this period (believe me I would check daily and watch him for hours paranoid) but shortly after the addition of a few frags ich reappeared.

Just putting that out there.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I realize I don't need the sponge filter, but I find it stresses the fish out less than an airstone. Also, the other option if you only have one of everything is to soak everything in bleach between transfers and run the air. Let dry completely.

 

[Kworker]

Don't think you need sponge filter, but if you do you will need two sets of everything.

Good info here,
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1996525

That thread is a great write up on TTM. I read it prior to starting it as well.

Heuerfan is right, I'd forgo the sponge filter for TTM and just get two sets of heaters and powerheads. I'm not sure the room you have or what size your tanks are but keep in mind you don't always need to fill the QT tank up all the way with water.

Example: Due to having a 180 gallon I'd want to QT larger fish (Tangs, angels, etc.) so I liked having a 40B to QT with. For the large tangs I would use 40 gallons but for smaller fish I'd just fill it up half way at 20 gallons. So if you're doing this for a 75gal you could just grab two 20gal high tanks, larger fish use the 20 gallons and for smaller fill it up halfway. It just gives you some play room.

 

[Kworker]

I realize I don't need the sponge filter, but I find it stresses the fish out less than an airstone. Also, the other option if you only have one of everything is to soak everything in bleach between transfers and run the air. Let dry completely.

Use white vinegar instead of bleach. Paper towel and the vinegar to wipe down and clean the tank after emptying as well.

 

[heuerfan]

but shortly after the addition of a few frags ich reappeared.

Just putting that out there.

Agreed, same thing happened to me with cheato

I had setup a refugium in my fish only tank, and after 2 days of adding cheato a few of my fish got ich. Lucky for me its a fish only tank so easy to treat.

Bottom line, if you can QT everything before it goes in the tank if you want to me 100% sure.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Use white vinegar instead of bleach. Paper towel and the vinegar to wipe down and clean the tank after emptying as well.

Vinegar doesn?t become inert when it dries, bleach does... Also, bleach denatures so it kills everything pretty much on contact.

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

[samster]

I always wondered about the tank transfer method, what is the success rate? Since you might bring something over while transferring the fish. I've always hypo' and copper, never attempted a transfer method, but does sound less stressful for the fish.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I have read too much negative info on hypo stressing out fish to do it for too long...

 

[Kworker]

I have read too much negative info on hypo stressing out fish to do it for too long...

For what its worth, I did Hypo with my achilles and a powder blue with good success. I did the drop VERY SLOWLY. Most fish can handle a drop in salinity easily but I liked doing it slowly.

 

[samster]

I have read too much negative info on hypo stressing out fish to do it for too long...

Fish actually looked health in hypo if you can keep the ph stable. I pretty much had 100 percent success rate with hypo, I should give transfer a try, but scared that it's not 100% with the time you need to spent and cross contamination with equipment or water means you'll likely have to restart the process.