Questions about Quarantine

[mdrobc13]

I really prefer people not try to manage ammonia through water changes - biological activity is better.
Water changes are usually not done as well as they should, leaving residual ammonia and a yo-yo effect with the ammonia climbing, then another water change. Also, redosing copper after each change can be tricky.

Jay

So Jay do you recomend NOT doing water changes on a QT? I have done mine every week or so to monitor for ammonia levels but have had to redose my Copper Power each time as I noted it dropped with each change below desired 2-2.4 levels sometimes as low as 0.93 for a day or so. Also just lost a gray angel juve who was introduced to copper at 1.93 on Monday and now seems listless and stuck to my powerhead at 2.43 copper power dosed up last night? Thinking sick fish from LFS more but should I be doing a water change too? Thoughts?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So Jay do you recomend NOT doing water changes on a QT? I have done mine every week or so to monitor for ammonia levels but have had to redose my Copper Power each time as I noted it dropped with each change below desired 2-2.4 levels sometimes as low as 0.93 for a day or so. Also just lost a gray angel juve who was introduced to copper at 1.93 on Monday and now seems listless and stuck to my powerhead at 2.43 copper power dosed up last night? Thinking sick fish from LFS more but should I be doing a water change too? Thoughts?

Having to do water changes to manage ammonia during quarantine is risky and stresses the fish due to residual ammonia. If the QT has an established bio filter, you won't need to do water changes, but if ammonia is present, you don't have any choice but to do them.

Jay

 

[Mikeltee]

So Jay do you recomend NOT doing water changes on a QT? I have done mine every week or so to monitor for ammonia levels but have had to redose my Copper Power each time as I noted it dropped with each change below desired 2-2.4 levels sometimes as low as 0.93 for a day or so. Also just lost a gray angel juve who was introduced to copper at 1.93 on Monday and now seems listless and stuck to my powerhead at 2.43 copper power dosed up last night? Thinking sick fish from LFS more but should I be doing a water change too? Thoughts?

You are supposed to add copper to the replacement water. If the water the fish is in drops below 2.0 you need to start over. How could you go a day without knowing what your copper was after a water change? How did you go from 2.43 to .9? That's a huge water change! I don't change the water at all but I use a Tidal HOB with cycled Matrix in it. If you have ammonia issues you need a much bigger qt tank or need to research the hybrid TTM method. I would still put ick likely fish like powder blue tangs through copper though. I'm doing a Wrasse in thr hybrid ttm method now because I can't get Wrasse to live through copper. It's a pain to do it exactly 72 hours apart.