How to Quarantine

[JCTReefer]

If I test my salinity in my quarantine tank with infested fish using my Icecap salinity meter. Say they have ich or velvet. And then go wash it off with fresh water and dry it with a paper towel. And then test my display tank. Is there any need to worry about cross contamination if it's thoroughly dry? Ich can't survive being dried out right. How much moisture is required to sustain it? TTM suggest drying for three days so every nook and cranny has dried out of a full quarantine system. Pumps,tank,filtration etc... But does rinsing and drying a small instrument count? Yeah, I could dip it in bleach. Wash it off and then dry it. But I wonder if anything could survive being directly washed off after a quick dunk and then dried. I realize all it takes is one drop to cross contaminate , and sharing quarantine tools with the display is a bad practice. Was just curious. I always use separate pipettes and vials for testing and try to minimize any cross contamination with anything. Hoses, nets, air line, gravel vac etc...

 

[HotRocks]

If I test my salinity in my quarantine tank with infested fish using my Icecap salinity meter. Say they have ich or velvet. And then go wash it off with fresh water and dry it with a paper towel. And then test my display tank. Is there any need to worry about cross contamination if it's thoroughly dry? Ich can't survive being dried out right. How much moisture is required to sustain it? TTT method suggest drying for three days so every nook and cranny has dried out of a full quarantine system. Pumps,tank,filtration etc... But does rinsing and drying a small instrument count? Yeah, I could dip it in bleach. Wash it off and then dry it. But I wonder if anything could survive being directly washed off after a quick dunk and then dried. I realize all it takes is one drop to cross contaminate , and sharing quarantine tools with the display is a bad practice. Was just curious. I always use separate pipettes and vials for testing and try to minimize any cross contamination with anything. Hoses, nets, air line, gravel vac etc...

I would just recommend using separate syringes or whatnot to draw up your test from each tank. Still dry the tester and keep it away from DT. Never can be too safe.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

You only need to treat in copper for 10 days if you transfer to a clean system.

I just saw in the copper treatment sticky that it says you have to leave in copper for 14 days before transferring to a clean tank but here you said 10. Is there a reason you said only 10?

 

[JCTReefer]

I would just recommend using separate syringes or whatnot to draw up your test from each tank. Still dry the tester and keep it away from DT. Never can be too safe.

Yeah, that's definitely the way to go to keep everything completely separate. Draw your water using separate/dedicated syringes to the instrument and then test. Rather than going from QT to DT using the meter directly. I actually was doing this at first, but used it a couple of times by just rinsing it off and drying. And then used it in my DT tank. Hoping I didn't contaminate my DT. The fish in quarantine are showing no symptoms of anything major. Hopefully all is well. Thanks for the advice!

 

[JCTReefer]

I just saw in the copper treatment sticky that it says you have to leave in copper for 14 days before transferring to a clean tank but here you said 10. Is there a reason you said only 10?

I'm not sure if you read this but. @Humblefish said.
A fish with ich or velvet will only be infected with trophonts for 7 days max. So, once copper (or CP) has reached therapeutic, a 7 day countdown can begin so you'll know the fish is parasite free and the presence of copper/CP shields said fish from reinfection. At this point, your primary concern in the QT is unhatched tomonts encysted to the glass, heater, pumps, etc. which copper does not kill.

So why not transfer the fish away from this threat? Into another QT where tomonts are not present? If copper/CP is at therapeutic, and has remained therapeutic the entire time, then any released free swimmers will have been disabled before they can reach the fish. I.E. The shield has held.

While 7 days is technically sufficient, I prefer a 10-14 day window before transferring to have a smaller margin of error. It goes without saying that this method is very unforgiving if you happen to make a mistake, like letting your copper level dip slightly below therapeutic.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

I'm not sure if you read this but. @Humblefish said.
A fish with ich or velvet will only be infected with trophonts for 7 days max. So, once copper (or CP) has reached therapeutic, a 7 day countdown can begin so you'll know the fish is parasite free and the presence of copper/CP shields said fish from reinfection. At this point, your primary concern in the QT is unhatched tomonts encysted to the glass, heater, pumps, etc. which copper does not kill.

So why not transfer the fish away from this threat? Into another QT where tomonts are not present? If copper/CP is at therapeutic, and has remained therapeutic the entire time, then any released free swimmers will have been disabled before they can reach the fish. I.E. The shield has held.

While 7 days is technically sufficient, I prefer a 10-14 day window before transferring to have a smaller margin of error. It goes without saying that this method is very unforgiving if you happen to make a mistake, like letting your copper level dip slightly below therapeutic.

Cool, thanks for the explanation! I’m using the Hanna checker and have had pretty consistent readings so I’m fairly certain the fish are staying in therapeutic range so far.

 

[Stepheng101]

Can I use Aqueon Water Conditioner without it harming the copper treatment? I just read that it "detoxifies heavy metals"

 

[Humblefish]

Can I use Aqueon Water Conditioner without it harming the copper treatment? I just read that it "detoxifies heavy metals"

Odds are mixing that with copper would turn the copper toxic. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Stepheng101]

Odds are mixing that with copper would turn the copper toxic. I wouldn't risk it.

Will it eventually go away?

 

[Humblefish]

Will it eventually go away?

Not without significant water changes to lower the Cu concentration.

 

[Stepheng101]

Not without significant water changes to lower the Cu concentration.

So I should use distilled water for now on in my qt? Also, how many water changes do I need to do to get rid of most of the water conditioner? It is a 10 gallon, thanks for the help!

 

[LouieP]

So I should use distilled water for now on in my qt? Also, how many water changes do I need to do to get rid of most of the water conditioner? It is a 10 gallon, thanks for the help!

Use RODI.

 

[andys]

Humblefish
There shouldn’t be any issues TTM twice a day ? My ammonia it always very high so I just transfer them at 6 am and at 6pm. I guess I could use a ammonia reducer but I just don’t trust it. Please give me your 2 cents

 

[Humblefish]

Humblefish
There shouldn’t be any issues TTM twice a day ? My ammonia it always very high so I just transfer them at 6 am and at 6pm. I guess I could use a ammonia reducer but I just don’t trust it. Please give me your 2 cents

Probably stresses the fish out being caught & transferred so frequently; but the important thing is that you have enough tanks/equipment to do 12 hour transfers (all tanks/equipment must be thoroughly sterilized before being used for TTM purposes.)

 

[Bob Lauson]

Can you run Prazipro and copper at the same time?

 

[Humblefish]

Can you run Prazipro and copper at the same time?

Yes, but with caution. If the water starts to turn cloudy (bacterial bloom), do a large WC ASAP.

 

[JCTReefer]

One more thing I have noticed is that Fiji Pink does not absorb copper.. Just like stated on this Forum. Super thankful for this info.

 

[JCTReefer]

I apologize in advance if this question has been answered. I am at day 13 of therapeutic levels of Copper. My Wrasse recently discovered it's Pyrex sand bed. The only time I see her is early in the morning before work. When I get home she's already buried and she stays that way until the next morning. Are there any issues with the Copper being effective with the Wrasse being buried so much? I figure the copper would penetrate down through the sand bed, but not actually be absorbed by the sand that much. Using fiji pink sand to avoid absorption.

 

[Brew12]

Double post.. So sorry

Nope, no issues.

 

[Humblefish]

I apologize in advance if this question has been answered. I am at day 13 of therapeutic levels of Copper. My Wrasse recently discovered it's Pyrex sand bed. The only time I see her is early in the morning before work. When I get home she's already buried and she stays that way until the next morning. Are there any issues with the Copper being effective with the Wrasse being buried so much? I figure the copper would penetrate down through the sand bed, but not actually be absorbed by the sand that much. Using fiji pink sand to avoid absorption.

To be honest, this is something I've wondered about. Tomonts can encyst to sand, and what if a free swimmer emerged & quickly latched on to a sand burrowing fish before copper/Chloroquine disabled it? But the same thing could happen if a fish was sleeping on the bottom, and a free swimmer emerged from a tomont stuck to the bottom glass. So much we know, so much we don't know...