How to QT Red rooster wasp fish?

[fishywishy]

I’m not really sure what the best way to quarantine this fish is, so I’d appreciate any help.

 

[exnisstech]

,@Jay Hemdal ?

 

[Paul B]

I don't quarantine so I don't know. But whatever you do, feed it meaty foods like pieces of clam or earthworms. I have 3 of them.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’m not really sure what the best way to quarantine this fish is, so I’d appreciate any help.

These can be a bit of of trick to quarantine - they do best in established tanks, and of course, most quarantine systems don't offer that. They are prone to ich, but that can be difficult to see in scorpionfish. I would avoid hyposalinity with them. They can handle coppersafe at 2.25 ppm pretty well.

If you have a small, established tank to put it in, you could try an observational quarantine for 45 days. They handle praziquantel fine, so you could end that period with a double prazi treatment, 7 days apart.

 

[fishywishy]

These can be a bit of of trick to quarantine - they do best in established tanks, and of course, most quarantine systems don't offer that. They are prone to ich, but that can be difficult to see in scorpionfish. I would avoid hyposalinity with them. They can handle coppersafe at 2.25 ppm pretty well.

If you have a small, established tank to put it in, you could try an observational quarantine for 45 days. They handle praziquantel fine, so you could end that period with a double prazi treatment, 7 days apart.

Thank you. I do have an established observation tank, but I’m really scared to add ich to my tank. Does the copper safe have any lasting effects on them like it would a lion fish?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thank you. I do have an established observation tank, but I’m really scared to add ich to my tank. Does the copper safe have any lasting effects on them like it would a lion fish?

That idea that copper having “long term deleterious effects on lionfish” is misinformation that was presented by a single person and it spread through the forums - but it isn’t true. Yes, lionfish often die after 2 or 3 years in captivity, but that is due to fatty liver disease and/or thiamin deficiency. Public aquariums send their dead fish out for histopathology, so we know the cause of death in these fish….and it isn’t the copper.

Now, ionic copper can be immediately toxic to lionfish. Coppersafe is much safer.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I tried to quarantine mine the same way I would a dragonet - 45-60 days in qt with no meds. Besides disease, I had wanted to get it ring trained in qt. Eventually I had to pull it early and go right to the dt since it stopped eating well in qt though.

That idea that copper having “long term deleterious effects on lionfish” is misinformation that was presented by a single person and it spread through the forums - but it isn’t true. Yes, lionfish often die after 2 or 3 years in captivity, but that is due to fatty liver disease and/or thiamin deficiency. Public aquariums send their dead fish out for histopathology, so we know the cause of death in these fish….and it isn’t the copper.

Now, ionic copper can be immediately toxic to lionfish. Coppersafe is much safer.

I didn’t know that about scorps - definitely good to know moving forward! If I had known they were copper tolerant at the time I would have done that.

 

[fishywishy]

That idea that copper having “long term deleterious effects on lionfish” is misinformation that was presented by a single person and it spread through the forums - but it isn’t true. Yes, lionfish often die after 2 or 3 years in captivity, but that is due to fatty liver disease and/or thiamin deficiency. Public aquariums send their dead fish out for histopathology, so we know the cause of death in these fish….and it isn’t the copper.

Now, ionic copper can be immediately toxic to lionfish. Coppersafe is much safer.

So I’m planning on doing 34 days of coppersafe at 2.25 ppm and 2-4 weeks of prazi depending on how much it’s eating. Would that be okay?