How to Quarantine

LabradorGirl

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This may be a dumb question but, after the copper dosing is complete, do you have to do anything to prepare the fish to be added to a DT with inverts? First time using copper treatment and don't want to make a mistake.
 

ngoodermuth

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This may be a dumb question but, after the copper dosing is complete, do you have to do anything to prepare the fish to be added to a DT with inverts? First time using copper treatment and don't want to make a mistake.
No dumb questions! How long are you planning to treat with copper? There are two methods that work... one would be 14 days of copper, followed by transfer to a second un-medicated QT for observation. You don't lower the copper before the transfer. The second method (if you only have one QT to work with) is to run copper for 30 days, then remove with cuprisorb/carbon and a large waterchange.

In either instance, I'd suggest a 2-week observation period sans copper to make sure treatment was successful. At that point they will no longer be in copper so you can just transfer them right over :)
 

VJV

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Over the years I lost a great number of fish (almost any virgin fish that I tried) after starting to dose Cupramine. Yellow tangs, power blue, power brown, hepatus... I never have amônia ( always use Seachem Matrix media that I have in my main tank sump) and most of these happen as soon as copper hits the tank at a concentration of 0,1ppm (I ramp it up 0,05ppm per day). Yet in the forums I usually hear that most people are successful with these fish. A couple of questions that have always been nagging me:

- if I drain a tank that had Cupramine in, fill it with tap water and bleach to sterilize, can bleach react with the residual copper and bind into something highly toxic that may get absorbed by the silicone...?

- when I use Seachem Prime after bleaching the tank, no mater how many times I rinse the tank after that it will still have a strong sent of sulphur. Can Prime be absorbed by silicon and remain in the tank only to become toxic when I add Cupramine again...?
 

Brew12

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if I drain a tank that had Cupramine in, fill it with tap water and bleach to sterilize, can bleach react with the residual copper and bind into something highly toxic that may get absorbed by the silicone...?
I know copper won't bind to the silicone, I've never considered if Prime will. It's an interesting question.

hen I use Seachem Prime after bleaching the tank, no mater how many times I rinse the tank after that it will still have a strong sent of sulphur.
I've used both Prime and Cupramine and have never had a tank smell of Sulphur. I would think this may have something to do with what is going on. That doesn't sound right.
 

Brew12

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If you use method 2. Do you keep the copper at the full dose for the entire 30 days?
Absolutely. It is important to maintain the therapeutic dose the entire time the fish is in the water (once it is ramped up) or until 30 days at therapeutic levels have passed.
 

Ready4Launch

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My 29 gal "fishless" frag tank. I place all corals/inverts in here for 76 days before they go into my DT. Just cheap T5 lighting, Koralia powerhead, HOB powerfilter, heater, rock/sand and a frag rack gets the job done. ;)



More recent pic of my frag tank I use to QT:


Do you have your coral/frag QT running all the time, or only when you need it?
 

Bthomas

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This may have been answered before so please forgive me if so..
If I run a couple fish through quarantine (doing 14 days of copper and then transfer to another tank) and don't see any sign of disease is it OK to do one large water change to lower copper and then put another group of fish into same quarantine tank?
 

Brew12

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This may have been answered before so please forgive me if so..
If I run a couple fish through quarantine (doing 14 days of copper and then transfer to another tank) and don't see any sign of disease is it OK to do one large water change to lower copper and then put another group of fish into same quarantine tank?
I wouldn't have an issue with that.
 

Bthomas

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So I just moved some fish from one quarantine tank to another after a 14 copper treatment. When I moved the fish I also moved one of the pvc pieces to the new tank. Was this a bad idea? I didn't see any signs of disease in the first tank but is there any way I could have just introduced ich to the new quarantine?
 

Saltyreef

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So I just moved some fish from one quarantine tank to another after a 14 copper treatment. When I moved the fish I also moved one of the pvc pieces to the new tank. Was this a bad idea? I didn't see any signs of disease in the first tank but is there any way I could have just introduced ich to the new quarantine?
Yes bad idea, the second tank should be sterile to avoid trasfering disease. You dont want to waste 14 days of your hard work!
 

Bthomas

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Yes bad idea, the second tank should be sterile to avoid trasfering disease. You dont want to waste 14 days of your hard work!
But I was also planning to reuse the first quarantine along with everything in it after a large water change since I didn't see any signs of disease per @Brew12
So now I guess I'm confused because if there was ich on these fish it would have died when it left the fish correct? So the tank and all equipment should be clean? But if that's the case then what is the reason for the 30 day treatment if using the same tank. Ugh so confused..
 

Saltyreef

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But I was also planning to reuse the first quarantine along with everything in it after a large water change since I didn't see any signs of disease per @Brew12
So now I guess I'm confused because if there was ich on these fish it would have died when it left the fish correct? So the tank and all equipment should be clean? But if that's the case then what is the reason for the 30 day treatment if using the same tank. Ugh so confused..
I think your original question was only about reusing tank #1 to treat a new batch of fish without sterilizing which is fine and what brew said he didnt have a problem with. But your second tank for the 14 day transfer should be sterile for your already treated fish.

If you put a potentially infected piece of pvc that has encysted parasites on it, then it could potentially re infect the group of fish in the untreated sterile tank.

30 day treatment is used when you have no second sterile tank to transfer into at the 14 day mark.
It ensures all free swimmers are killed as the copper doesnt kill encysted parasites.
 

Bthomas

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I think your original question was only about reusing tank #1 to treat a new batch of fish without sterilizing which is fine and what brew said he didnt have a problem with. But your second tank for the 14 day transfer should be sterile for your already treated fish.

If you put a potentially infected piece of pvc that has encysted parasites on it, then it could potentially re infect the group of fish in the untreated sterile tank.

30 day treatment is used when you have no second sterile tank to transfer into at the 14 day mark.
It ensures all free swimmers are killed as the copper doesnt kill encysted parasites.
Ok that makes sense but.. Since I'm reusing tank #1 how do I ensure any cysts don't infect the new batch of fish close to the end of the 14 days and not have time to fall off before transfer? Or do they die as soon as they hatch if in therapudic copper?

If I remove the pvc now am I safe or have I already infected this second tank?
 

Saltyreef

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Ok that makes sense but.. Since I'm reusing tank #1 how do I ensure any cysts don't infect the new batch of fish close to the end of the 14 days and not have time to fall off before transfer? Or do they die as soon as they hatch if in therapudic copper?

If I remove the pvc now am I safe or have I already infected this second tank?
Yes thats correct from my understanding.
Once hatched copper will kill it before making it to the fish.
This is a good thread post and can clear up some confusion between the two methods.
Screenshot_20190413-125153_Chrome.jpeg
 

Saltyreef

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And to answer the question about the pvc, its your choice. Personally I would retreat the batch of fish after removing the pvc, but i quarantine with copper for 14 days even if the fish shows no signs of ich or velvet just to be safe.
 

Bthomas

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And to answer the question about the pvc, its your choice. Personally I would retreat the batch of fish after removing the pvc, but i quarantine with copper for 14 days even if the fish shows no signs of ich or velvet just to be safe.
Hmm, why would they need to be retreated? I removed the pvc, it was only in there for about an hour could anything have hatched in that time?
They already went through 14 days of copper with no signs of either
 
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