Setting Up a QT while my DT is cycling

[Marcellina]

Patience I have! But I feel like everytime I THINK I am doing something right something else comes up and it gets a bit discouraging.

I will see what I am going to treat my little guys with tomorrow. They are rather active still and its only on one of them but I am sure that if one has the other one will show symptoms soon. They are so hungry all the time. I give them food 3 times a day its only a small pinch or freeze dried mysis with one drop of garlic and one drop of selcon. Is that too little?

The white spots are sorta translucent opaque not flat. I WISH they would stay still so I can take a decent picture! LOL Is there something else that it can be? I was reading that there is something called clownfish disease?

Off this topic a bit, the corals in my main tank are not staying put. There are some that I glued down that wont stay glued. The finger leather keeps detaching from the rock I glue him on and a small mushroom is now gone from the little plug my friend glued it on. I dont have any clue where it went.

The frogspawn wont stay wedged and it wont glue in the spot I am trying to glue him in and besides that I think its trying to sting me bc my fingers are sensitive afterwards. Is there a better glue I can use? I was told to use LockTite. I put it on the coral then put it directly in the water onto the rocks and hold it in place for 30-60 seconds and nothing. I hate to keep messing with it and possibly harm it.

 

[masterswimmer]

You can't glue softies or leathers. They all attach to rock, rubble or shells on their own. It only takes a few days to attach (if they're happy with their surroundings). The frogspawn, or any hard calcerous coral can be glued. You can use any cyanoacrylate GEL glue on the market. The LocTite if it is in GEL form can be used. We prefer IC GEL. It's nice and thick and works well underwater.

As you're aware, the mushroom and leather can/will slime very easily. Glue doesn't stick well to this slime coat. That's why they will only attach to rock/rubble themselves. I normally just put a lot of rubble into a small, shallow rubbermaid container. Then I put the mushroom or leather into it. Then I put the rubbermaid into a very low flow area of the tank. Within a week the mushroom or leather normally attaches to a piece (or a couple of pieces) of rubble. Then I can glue the piece of rubble to a rock where I want the frag to remain.

HTH,
Russ

 

[tomtoothdoc]

since your tank is quite small....rubbermaid may be too big. go to any pet store and get a floating breeder (like this http://www.petsolutions.com/3-in-1-Breeding-Trap+I15510933+C1013.aspx ) put some small rocks, pebbles, fragging disc, etc. in there and put the mushrooms in. after a few days they will attach themselves and then you glue that down like masterswimmer suggested.

oh don't put the leather and mushrooms together....they will sting each other. get two breeders or do one species at a time.

 

[masterswimmer]

oh don't put the leather and mushrooms together....they will sting each other. get two breeders or do one species at a time.

True dat. Should have said that

R

 

[KathyC]

There is a link within the Ich info I sent you on Brooklynellosis - which is clown fish disease.
If they have it you will know - it kills very fast.

Did you decide on a treatment?

btw - if you are sensitive to the frogspawn - best to wear latex gloves when handling them. Be sure to get the kind with no powder on them

 

[Marcellina]

Ok I will try the leather in the rubble tip. THe mushroom is no where to be found

I read the brooklynella I dont think its that anymore, it has to be ick. I am going to try the copper treatment to rid them of it.

I've tried using the latex gloves but they fill up with water and I feel handicapped . LOL

Thanks for all your help. I dont know what I would do with out your advice.

 

[KathyC]

I've tried using the latex gloves but they fill up with water and I feel handicapped . LOL

Use a rubber band around your wrist - not too tight! It helps enormously
The dripping off your elbow after you pull your arm out of the tank has no solution..lol

Try a turkey baster to blow the mushroom out from behind/under your rock work..might get lucky!

 

[tomtoothdoc]

Use a rubber band around your wrist - not too tight! It helps enormously
The dripping off your elbow after you pull your arm out of the tank has no solution..lol try the old school wristband/sweatband around your forearm....those that people used to wear playing tennis or aerobics...back in the 80's...lol

Try a turkey baster to blow the mushroom out from behind/under your rock work..might get lucky! just pick up the rocks and go huntin'...you don't have much in there right?

t

 

[Marcellina]

i think my husband might have those old school wristbands lol

I dont have much in there but I piled the rocks to form a tunnel or arc shape, sort of like a bridge so if I start moving ONE they will all collapse. I might try the aquamend to hold them together so no more avalanches in there.

I will try the turkey baster but I know all the lovely crab and snail poop will float all around. lol

 

[tomtoothdoc]

i think my husband might have those old school wristbands lol.....lol

I dont have much in there but I piled the rocks to form a tunnel or arc shape, sort of like a bridge so if I start moving ONE they will all collapse. I might try the aquamend to hold them together so no more avalanches in there. but after you're sure that's the structure you want....once you putty'ed them, it's hard to take apart...can be done but not easy.

I will try the turkey baster but I know all the lovely crab and snail poop will float all around. lol you do want those poop to float all around so the filtration system can pick 'em up otherwise they just sit there and rot... actually before a water change you should hit all rocks with the turkey baster to float all detritus and then change the water that will help rid of the crap plus some will get filtered away also.

t

 

[Marcellina]

True about the rocks... hmmm maybe I will just aqua putty a few together to create a larger rock. Making them all one solid construction is probably not a great idea.

I used the turkey baster and blew all the poop off of everything. Wow that is one crappy looking aquarium. Frogspawn opened up is it eating the poop??? That is just nasty if it is but I would love it if it did. LOL Is the filter that comes with the BioCube good enough or should I look into upgrading?

I bought Cupramin for the Ich situation. It says to remove any chemical filtration. I have a biowheel is that what they are talking about? I also have a mesh bag filled with chaeto should I remove that or is that already no good bc ich cysts might be on it? I have a carbon filter inset as well should that be removed?

I will start treatment tomorrow morning. Been locked out of the house until 10:30pm with my two kids thanks to homedepot not making exact duplicates of my only house key and also not RETURNING my original house key. Needles to say I am exhausted.

 

[KathyC]

True about the rocks... hmmm maybe I will just aqua putty a few together to create a larger rock. Making them all one solid construction is probably not a great idea.

I used the turkey baster and blew all the poop off of everything. Wow that is one crappy looking aquarium. Frogspawn opened up is it eating the poop??? That is just nasty if it is but I would love it if it did. LOL Is the filter that comes with the BioCube good enough or should I look into upgrading?

I bought Cupramin for the Ich situation. It says to remove any chemical filtration. I have a biowheel is that what they are talking about? I also have a mesh bag filled with chaeto should I remove that or is that already no good bc ich cysts might be on it? I have a carbon filter inset as well should that be removed?

I will start treatment tomorrow morning. Been locked out of the house until 10:30pm with my two kids thanks to homedepot not making exact duplicates of my only house key and also not RETURNING my original house key. Needles to say I am exhausted.

Not a good night for you eh? Sorry to read about your getting locked out

Did you also get a copper test kit?
The biowheel & chaeto can stay. Chemical methods would be having carbon in the tank..or basically anything other than adding either top off water or doing water changes (remember as you do these you need to compensate for the cupramine you are removing or diluting!)

They are still in the QT tank - right?

 

[Marcellina]

Nope not a good night at all. but its almost bed time and time to dream and relax...... lol

YES! They are still in the QT, they must think that is their final home poor guys. They dont act sick at all. Good eaters and swim very playful not lethargic but the spots are there on one of them. I didnt get the copper test kit bc the LFG said I didnt need it BUT I looked for it anyway and they were out. Then I wanted to go home and feed the kids and change them then go to another fish store but well you know how that went....

The label on the cupramin says 2 drops per gallon of water and then to test for copper the following time you dose so I can safely do the first dose tomorrow morning before i get the test right?

WIll I be able to reuse the biowheel and keep the chaeto after these treatment or do I need to toss them?


Should I feed them more or less? Is a tiny pinch enough for each feeding? I feed 3times a day. They eat it up quickly.

Not a good night for you eh? Sorry to read about your getting locked out

Did you also get a copper test kit?
The biowheel & chaeto can stay. Chemical methods would be having carbon in the tank..or basically anything other than adding either top off water or doing water changes (remember as you do these you need to compensate for the cupramine you are removing or diluting!)

They are still in the QT tank - right?

 

[KathyC]

Nope not a good night at all. but its almost bed time and time to dream and relax...... lol

YES! They are still in the QT, they must think that is their final home poor guys. They dont act sick at all. Good eaters and swim very playful not lethargic but the spots are there on one of them. I didnt get the copper test kit bc the LFG said I didnt need it BUT I looked for it anyway and they were out. Then I wanted to go home and feed the kids and change them then go to another fish store but well you know how that went....

The label on the cupramin says 2 drops per gallon of water and then to test for copper the following time you dose so I can safely do the first dose tomorrow morning before i get the test right?

WIll I be able to reuse the biowheel and keep the chaeto after these treatment or do I need to toss them?


Should I feed them more or less? Is a tiny pinch enough for each feeding? I feed 3times a day. They eat it up quickly.

Move the chaeto to the other tank..it's going to be fallow anyway for awhile.

The wheel - you can keep it for future use in the QT as the entire tank will have been used with copper - it will make no difference as you aren't using it in your DT (ever..lol)

Are you only feeding flake food? Can you pick up any frozen mysis shrimp (be sure to rinse it before you use it to wash out all the crud it is frozen with)?

..and yes, in the morning is a fine time to start - if you can, I'd do a water change first. How are the parameters holding up so far?

 

[Marcellina]

Oh thats true the whole tank will have been used with copper! Will that harm anything else I will quarantine? Corals?

I feed them a pinch of freeze dried mysis with a drop each of garlic oil and selcon. I put a tiny bit more tonight of food and they gobbled it up. Can I be underfeeding them? Why are they always hungry? Isnt ick supposed to make them not have an appetite?

 

[Marcellina]

The parameters are good, I did a water change yesterday morning. The PH is staying steady as well after I put the pump facing upward and moving the water more like waves.

 

[KathyC]

Sounds good

I was asking about frozen mysis - not the freeze dried type. A well balanced flake food for one of the meals is fine, but adding fresh frozen mysis would also be a good addition. It's available in those little cube packs.

 

[Marcellina]

Ok I will get them some. Another Salt Water reefer told me that he takes a fresh raw shrimp, clam, scallop and puts it in a blender and then feeds his fish and even some corals with it. Is that safe to do?

I still have to medicate the fish. I want to do a water change like you suggested. Since my Main Tank water is good now can I also do a water change in that tank and add then put that water from my main tank into the QT? That way the water parameters are the same in both tanks and I dont have to use the Prime again.

What if I do a 100% water change in the QT so I can vaccum up any of the cysts if they have fallen off? I see tiny little white specks on the floor of the QT is that the cysts?

 

[tomtoothdoc]

Ok I will get them some. Another Salt Water reefer told me that he takes a fresh raw shrimp, clam, scallop and puts it in a blender and then feeds his fish and even some corals with it. Is that safe to do? you don't have that much livestock, i don't know if it's worth making your own food....the prepackage frozen cube is probably too much for the two clowns....don't feed them more than half a cube per feeding...they will keep eating as long as you're feeding----> overfeeding-->more waste produced.

I still have to medicate the fish. I want to do a water change like you suggested. Since my Main Tank water is good now can I also do a water change in that tank and add then put that water from my main tank into the QT? That way the water parameters are the same in both tanks and I dont have to use the Prime again. why do you need to use prime......is it because you don't have access to ro/di for salt water mix? if that's the case, you can buy the ro/di water from the lfs...better yet post in wtb and look for member near you...i don't know if i trust the water quality of a lfs...especially one you were dealing with.

What if I do a 100% water change in the QT so I can vaccum up any of the cysts if they have fallen off? I see tiny little white specks on the floor of the QT is that the cysts? i don't believe you can see the cyst...certainly not laying around on the sandbed. should not do 100% water change...unless you accidently dump some really bad chemicals(like windex....which should not even be in the same room as the tank....i have no ammonia product in my house at all) in there and you see the fish jumping out of the tank.

t

 

[Marcellina]

Hi Tom,

I used the Prime bc my QT is uncyled and the nitrates and ammonia were constantly high even with water changes. I was advised to put the water I removed from my Main Tank when I did the water change in there into the QT. Unfortunately I couldnt do it at the time bc my Main tank wasnt cycled. Now it is.

SO that is why I am asking rather thank make up fresh Saltwater for both tanks can I just make it for the Main tank ? Does that make sense? I thought it would be good so that the fish are getting acclimated sort of to the water of the main tank as well as recycling the Main Tank water.

I dont want to overfeed, so I will stick with the store bought cubes. I just mention that bc that is what someone else advised me I could do. I also thought it strange that they eat so much and rush for the food when research tells me ick makes them lose their appetite.

Also my QT is barebottom no sandbed just a couple of pvc pipes.

On the glass I see tiny salt sized white/opaque 'grains'

They were never there before and the top of the fish looks sort of normal, just wondering if they fall off?