Quarantine tank

[valley]

Hello, I just tore down my Fluval Evo 13.5 aquarium and I want to use it as a quarantine tank. I already have all of the equipment (return pump, heater) and bio media (Seachem matrix and Fluval biomax). The bio media is seeded since the tank ran for a year and I’ll also add a big bag of Fluval biomax from my display tank that has been running for 7 months now.

There are a lot of Black Friday deals going on right now and I’m at buying a one spot foxface and a Kole tang. Both are going to be 3" and I’d be getting them tomorrow. Can I fill up the Fluval evo with fresh saltwater and add the fish on the same day?

The LFS seems pretty clean and I’m not sure if I’ll be adding any meds yet. I only plan to wait to see if the fish has velvet or ich, so they’ll be in this quarantine for less than a week if I don’t spot anything. Is this a good plan?

 

[fishywishy]

As long as you seed the tank with some used filter floss or something it should be fine to put the fish in same day. Just keep an eye on ammonia.

Thats a decent plan. But keep in mind that ich and velvet don’t usually show up in the first week. Personally, I start quarantining with copper right away, but it’s perfectly fine if you prefer to observe them first.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think the tank is too small to be an observation tank for those types of fish, they will be stressed. I think you will actually be forcing ich onto them by causing them so much stress. I would not do this.

 

[CHSUB]

I think the tank is too small to be an observation tank for those types of fish, they will be stressed. I think you will actually be forcing ich onto them by causing them so much stress. I would not do this.

Fish either have a parasite or not. No amount of stress or lack there of can cause a parasite.

 

[CHSUB]

Imo, not a great plan. I would and do use TTM with a h2o2 dip over 13 days. Parasites can “hide” for weeks at non visible levels.

 

[threebuoys]

If you QT. you should follow the full protocol. Observation only QT has limited value given the potential for new fish being carriers of parasites that may not be seen for weeks.

If the tank is 13.5 gallons, I would be concerned that it's too small for two active fish for the 45 days required for the copper and praziquantel processes. Be sure to observe the fish for aggression and monitor the copper concentration and keep an eye on ammonia level.

 

[Dom]

I think the tank is too small to be an observation tank for those types of fish, they will be stressed. I think you will actually be forcing ich onto them by causing them so much stress. I would not do this.

Yes, I'd have to agree. Those fish require horizontal swimming space, even if it is in QT.

 

[valley]

Alright, I’ll hold off on the kole tang then. It’s the bigger of the two. Can I fit other fish like a melanurus wrasse or a longnose hawkfish in here alongside the foxface?

As for the process, how long should I quarantine? The LFS I’ll be buying from is pretty clean and I don’t see their fish having some of the “rarer” diseases. I’m also concerned regarding the cycle. I don’t have any mechanical filter media that is seeded. I only have seeded bio-media. Is this enough?

 

[valley]

Bump