Preparing for First Quarantine Experience

[SkiCatTX]

Hi Gaspipe, Yes on all counts I believe.

I think this is the thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-current-qt-process.483371/

 

[AcanthurusRex]

Please read the stickies;
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-disease-treatment-and-diagnosis.771/
Cu - Not jargon
Cu = Copper
C= Carbon
K - Potassium
and so on.
CP -Jargon
CP - Chloroquine phosphate and requires a prescription
I assumed you already read these threads.
If you don't have a Hannah tester find one. Use CopperPower if you can, easier and more forgiving.
You are doing QT to prevent parasites from getting into the display. Clowns will tolerate "ick" and you not be able to introduce susceptible species later without issues. They will not tolerate "velvet' or "brook".
I assume every fish I get is toxic.

 

[Gaspipe]

@AcanthurusRex Thanks for clearing it up. I said jargon as a poor attempt to make lite of my inexperience. I don't even have a tank, I'm just trying to learn and see what sacrifices are needed to get a quality tank I would like.

I'll be reading that link, and thanks for taken the time out.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Snow storm in Maine today, and it's supposed to be 87'F here tomorrow, so fish are delayed a day...They plan to try again tomorrow for Wednesday arrival. Frustrating, but want to give them the best chance to get here safely.

 

[ReefHog]

Since I will be doing the QT in my home office, I wanted everything to look presentable. No ad-hoc and DIY tanks here!

Since my fish would be in quarantine for another six weeks after treating in the HT, I replaced my pvc fittings with some plastic inserts which make for a nicer looking QT.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Oh, that's cool. Do you have pics, or a link? That would be great for my office. The PVC is a bit annoying...

 

[SkiCatTX]

Fish arrived today from Cultivated Reef! Safe and happy so far.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Triple bagged with a decent amount of water.

I floated them for a while, then each spent 5 minutes in fresh DI water with close pH and Temp as the QT tank. Hand dipped, as I'd prefer to nets if possible, and then again into the QT tank. Should have removed the heater, but too late, I unplugged it, but it will have to go through decon again along with the containers...

They didn't even appear to care that it was fresh water. Neither of them reacted at all, they just swam around in it like normal.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Then on to the QT tank, already prepared with Copper Power to about 1.05, will raise to 1.75 or so over the next 3 days.

Also, while they were in the fresh water I verified that the bag water was 1.025, like the QT tank, which was exactly as Cultivated Reef said it would be. That way we can avoid ammonia poisoning by leaving them in the shipping water more than a few seconds after opening the bags. Just freshwater dip and then plop them into the tank.

Got this look right way..."seriously, you're putting me in here with him...?"

They seem to be getting along so far, almost no aggression. That could change, but hopeful for now. Fortunately, the Lightning is slightly smaller than the **** orange, so maybe that will work out.

The Lightning has a decent amount of orange still, but apparently that will fade as it gets older and become completely black with just the white misbars.

The **** always seems a bit angry, the lightning just follows "her" around all the time, then "she" swims off in another direction.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Hmm, fascinating. The thread filter removes the name of the orange fish...I guess that's a bad word...huh.

 

[Gaspipe]

Hand dipped, as I'd prefer to nets if possible, and then again into the QT tank

When you say hand dipped, as in literally you grab the fish w/ your hand and place him in the DI water? (DI water is your processed RODI water, correct?)

Should have removed the heater, but too late, I unplugged it, but it will have to go through decon again along with the containers

The better process would have been heat the DI water, then remove the heater, then add fish?
What/how do you decon your equipment?

Thanks, excuse the ignorant questions please.

 

[SkiCatTX]

When you say hand dipped, as in literally you grab the fish w/ your hand and place him in the DI water? (DI water is your processed RODI water, correct?)

The better process would have been heat the DI water, then remove the heater, then add fish?
What/how do you decon your equipment?

Hi Gaspipe,
Not ignorant questions for sure!

Yes, well not exactly grabbed, just scooped. Get your hand completely wet and slowly move toward the fish until you have it cupped very lightly, then close your grip just enough that it can't flop around or escape then quickly lift it out and into the next container. This only works with either a slow fish, or very confined area, like from the shipping bag to a cup or tank. You are unlikely to catch a fish in a larger tank without a net or trap.

The theory is that your skin (cleaned and thoroughly rinsed of soap or chems) is less damaging than a net for some smaller tooth/spine-less fish (Of course if the fish gets away and flops on the floor, then that's way worse than a net!) Some people choose to hold a net under or around their hand. I make sure to hold whatever container right above where I'm going so it's more of a quick here to there motion, the less contact the better. You want little or no water exchange. Others feel a net is always better, whatever you feel comfortable with.

This morning I planned to leave the heater in the water for a couple hours. I planned on removing the heater prior to dipping, since it is just like 5 minutes or so, and then since I don't want anything that came off in the dip to be on the containers used, or the heater in this case, they all need to be cleaned.

For sterilization, many people use bleach, though some peroxide or vinegar but you need a lot of that, like non-diluted 3-9%+ or something to be fully safe, where bleach just a few spoonfuls is plenty for even several gallons. The vinegar or peroxide you can just rinse and use, or wait 24 hours if you want to let it dry. For bleach you need to rinse well, then let dry at least a day or two, some like to wait a week just in case...but at least make sure you can't smell it any more before using again. Chlorine evaporates quickly, even out of water, so when it's dry it should be fine.

I will use vinegar when I want to remove calcium carbonate, or coralline algae from equipment, but typically bleach for anything else. 24 hours or so in either case, ideally with a pump running the whole time circulating. Then rinse well and let set for several days until completely dry.

 

[ReefHog]

Oh, that's cool. Do you have pics, or a link? That would be great for my office. The PVC is a bit annoying...

heres my 40 with sand and inserts. The fish already went through treatment. Now six weeks of observation while DT goes fallow. For hospital tank I’d remove the sand but inserts should be fine with meds.

 

[ReefHog]

heres my 40 with sand and inserts. The fish already went through treatment. Now six weeks of observation while DT goes fallow. For hospital tank I’d remove the sand but inserts should be fine with meds.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Hmm, those are plastic? Interesting. Thanks for the pic.

 

[ReefHog]

More like a resin I guess but not porous. I got these at Petsmart. I chose these ones because they provide plenty of hiding areas. They have coral reef design inserts too but look cheesy.

 

[SkiCatTX]

48 hours in and they are still looking healthy. It is difficult to get a good picture since they move so fast...

They have been eating, somewhat reluctantly at first. They eagerly go after the food but spit it back out, then eat it again and spit it out. I'm guessing it is either the meds and vitamins that it was soaked in, or that it tastes different than what they were raised on. I tried some pellets and flake food without meds with the same result, though frozen brine shrimp seems to be what they like the most. The second day they started actually keeping the shrimp down.

I mixed up a bit more brine shrimp with the mix that I prepared the day of arrival as per @HotRocks suggestion here (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-current-qt-process.483371/). "Add 1 scoop of GC (scoop that comes with focus) + 1 scoop focus per 1 tablsespoon of prepared frozen food. I add selcon + a touch of garlic to help dissolve the meds." I don't want to use just brine shrimp for too long, but with the Selcon vitamins it should be fine for a few days I figure.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Copper treatment was successful. Transferred them into the other tank with clean water and dosed the first round of Prazipro last night.

They are eating well and very active. No sign of fighting or aggression so far. They still prefer brine shrimp, but I have been giving them flake and pellets occasionally. The lighting will eat some pellets but the other will grab them but always spits them back out. They will both eat a bit of flake food, but only reluctantly.

I'll keep trying. In the main tank I would give them more ground up frozen food, but I'm afraid to give too much of that in QT since a lot of it won't get eaten and there are no corals to eat the left overs and fine particles.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Next up in QT, I picked up a baby Raspberry Pi Rainbow Anemone at That Aquarium Place, a local shop. The guy there propagates them himself. The parent for this one he's had for 8 years or so. I got the last one, so not exactly pick of the litter, but hopefully it'll grow out.

Under Blues:

Anyway, this meant I had to set up the other tank which I already bleached out, rinsed, and was drying the last few days. I rinsed everything again real good, then filled it. Just to be sure I tested the copper level of the water just in case, but it first showed up as .39ppm, which was worrisome, though I believe that was because I used a syringe that, while cleaned, might have retained some of the copper from previous water testing. I tested again and it came out 0.08ppm, which is what the other tank is so I think it's fine.

Just to be safe, I put in a large bag of Cuprisorb which will likely lower it further. That's certainly something to consider if you use the same tanks for inverts as for copper treatment of fish...make sure to test when you set it up again in case there is copper left over, in the plastics or something.

After acclimating and letting it sit in a cup of tank water for a few minutes, I moved it into the tank in a small glass vase. It's not the fishbowl type so it can probably get out. In fact, as I write this it has just let go and is slowly tumbling over within the bowl like a ball of chaeto...

...OK back. lol. I turned off the circulating pump, I'll just leave the return pump running overnight until it gets settled in.

I already wrapped it in sewing mesh I bought to put around my pumps in the main tank.

 

[SkiCatTX]

I plan to keep it here for about a week, then put it in the QT tank with the clowns...or move them to this tank. Then they will all move to the DT after observation time is over.

I understand that even though anemones can't actually get most fish parasites on them, they can be in the contained water. I figure any that might be in there should die off in the next 7 days or so. Ideally it's two weeks apparently, but I expect some corals in a week or so and then I'll be out of QT tanks...

Here is another pic under whites: