I understand that you are supposed to quarantine anything before you put it into your tank, but what do you do with it in the quarantine tank? Do you just put it in there and wait to see if it is sick or anything?
Quarantining
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4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
For me, it depends. @HotRocks and I quarantine everything wet but inverts and coral go through a different routine than do fish.
Our fish procedure:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-current-qt-process.483371/
Other wet items:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coral-invert-quarantine-time-frames.334584/page-3
Fallow per the guidelines in this thread^
Thats the general meaning of QT.
Now there are other things you can do to be a little proactive.
Coral: Dip them to get rid of unwanted pests.
Fish: I use the TTM to rid them of ich. And 2 times during the process, I use Prazi Pro to rid them of any internal parasites.
Some people use copper but I think that its hard on fish plus Its a pain to keep levels correct.
hahhahaha read the above things. I was going to get links to but they beat me to it
Now there are other things you can do to be a little proactive.
Coral: Dip them to get rid of unwanted pests.
Fish: I use the TTM to rid them of ich. And 2 times during the process, I use Prazi Pro to rid them of any internal parasites.
Some people use copper but I think that its hard on fish plus Its a pain to keep levels correct.
hahhahaha read the above things. I was going to get links to but they beat me to it
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
I used to think that about copper, but after fish leaping out in TTM, velvet becoming as common or more common than ich (TTM doesn't address it or Brook), and the Hanna Copper Checker "discovery" by @HotRocks, I've opted only for Copper thus far.
CP is a promising alternative if you can access a pure form of it, which is challenging for most of us without a script from a veterinarian (mine require me to drag fish in for an examination prior --- they wouldn't know what they're looking at anyway and that's a lot of stress on a velvet-afflicted fish, or even a healthy fish for that matter!) The Chloroquine Phosphate source on ebay has some QC concerns, not sure of the purity.
Copper Power, Hanna Copper Checker, General Cure (in lieu of prazi due to the fact it's effective with a greater number of flukes and worms), and some bacteria in a bottle is my go-to!
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
I also don’t personally believe that copper is as harmful as people have shared — I think that ammonia, difficulty of testing reliably, and low oxygen in quarantine were more to blame for “copper deaths”.
Since we’ve controlled for these things, we haven’t had much experience losing fish to copper, at least not comparatively. Angels, for example, I’ve found to be very tolerant of copper. They are very intolerant of low oxygen levels and even trace ammonia levels, however. Wrasse aren’t as sensitive as previously thought now that we can reliably keep the levels of copper around 1.75 PPM. I do still believe they’re sensitive to all medications but highly suspect that stress is the greater killer, as even in strict observation prior to any medications being added we’ve found wrasse mortality to be about the same, if not MORE than when we’ve acclimated them to 1PPM copper from the start.
Since we’ve controlled for these things, we haven’t had much experience losing fish to copper, at least not comparatively. Angels, for example, I’ve found to be very tolerant of copper. They are very intolerant of low oxygen levels and even trace ammonia levels, however. Wrasse aren’t as sensitive as previously thought now that we can reliably keep the levels of copper around 1.75 PPM. I do still believe they’re sensitive to all medications but highly suspect that stress is the greater killer, as even in strict observation prior to any medications being added we’ve found wrasse mortality to be about the same, if not MORE than when we’ve acclimated them to 1PPM copper from the start.
Dont get me wrong, I was talking proactive. The reason to QT something is to prevent it from contaminating others and to observe if it has an issue. How long we need to observe is up for debate. There are some best practices to follow for this. If copper is the cure then I use it, but not as a preventive.
I go back to chicken thinking.
Do I feed them medicated food to keep them from being sick ? or Do I wait until to see if they get sick before treating?
I go back to chicken thinking.
Do I feed them medicated food to keep them from being sick ? or Do I wait until to see if they get sick before treating?
HotRocks
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This is what he is talking about. Here is the full write up:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/coppe...truments-high-range-copper-checker-hi702.454/
HotRocks
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Does it not take you to the link about the hanna copper checker?
HotRocks
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Yeah, not surprising with Tapatalk. I lasted about 30 seconds and went back to using browser on both PC and Mobile.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
If you introduce a wrasse or goby to your DT after months of observation and within a week your fisg are covered with velvet, you’ll realize prophylactically treating, although imperfect, is often the right move.
Some fish, even a hardy tang can fight velvet or ich for some time. Often, fish at the LFS have lived with it for so long (or in low levels of copper that keep it contained) that they can fight it off in observation but act as an effective “Typhoid Mary” in their new home.
Wrasse have very thick slime coats, often sleep under the sand (away from parasites), and often in mucous cocoons. It’s not surprising that they can show no symptoms of even the worst strains of velvet and then introduce it in to our DTs.
Unfortunate reality, believe me I’ve been there.
Ferrell
Valuable Member
Since @HotRocks and @4FordFamily turned me on to Copper Power I’ve had no trouble maintaining the level of copper. Easy on the fish and doesn’t precipitate out. Couple that with a most accurate and easy to use Hanna HR Copper checker and you’re golden. Water changes are a bit tricky matching salinity AND copper but not too terrible
I will basically be doubling my livestock in my 100g with an order I just received from Live Aquaria. Currently in the display is a firefish, jewel damsel, and 2 banggai cardinals. I have 2 snowflake clowns, a flame hawk and yellow prawn goby in my 20g tall QT tank. My problem is that the guys in the QT tank seem so much more stressed out than the residents of the DT...I just don't want to convince myself to put them in the DT prematurely because I think they're more stressed in the QT...I'll give it a few days to see if they calm down.
The Yellow Prawn Goby is eating like a pig, the clowns have eaten a pellet or eaten and spit out a pellet here and there. My flame hawk just arrived today and he's hiding everywhere, behind powerheads, heater, hanging on the thermometer wire...Please someone tell me to just be patient. LOL.
The Yellow Prawn Goby is eating like a pig, the clowns have eaten a pellet or eaten and spit out a pellet here and there. My flame hawk just arrived today and he's hiding everywhere, behind powerheads, heater, hanging on the thermometer wire...Please someone tell me to just be patient. LOL.
Joel Schommer
Active Member
Well, I put 5 tangs in tank last Friday (January 11th). I have quarantined everything for 21 days with cupramine and have had no signs of ich and have quarantined and coral dipped all corals. Well, the stress of the transfer brought ich to my blue tang, powder brown, purple, and yellow. Kole tang has avoided it. Obviously means that there was ich already in my tank. Awesome. Anyway, between feeding them and supplying a whole bunch of Seaweed, by Sunday all the ich was gone and everyone is fat and happy.
First couple days the purple and yellow were trying to express dominance as could be expected and the purple has won the battle and all has mellowed out. Granted it is early, all the fish appear to have made their decisions on which structure and cave they live in.
Sorry for this long next thought, but I wanted to express my opinion and am open to any others on it:
One thing that has concluded in this operation in my opinion is that to me quarantining is a joke (Note again, my opinion). I truly believe that the ich parasite never dies and may pop up eventually if husbandry has any slip of any sort that the fish may not like or by means of some other stressful thing. My water parameters are spot on and I have taken the time to monitor my parameters daily since the fish have been put in and no changes have occurred. Anyway, to me ich appears to be just like the common cold for humans, when stressed or not taking care of our bodies are more susceptible to getting sick. This has also has led me to believe that when we treat these fish to kill this parasite that we are killing the chances of the fish being more successful to fight it off if the parasite returns.
We, as humans have done studies that show it is good for children pick there noses and get dirty and all that fun stuff. This bacteria from all of this usually ends up in their mouths. I'm not telling you to serve them a plate of this stuff, but that it is a fact of life. If there bodies don't get this bacteria they will less likely be able to fight it off as they get older. Guess what, they get sick and what do we do, medicate. However, we don't medicate until a sickness has occurred. Medication takes into affect and over time our bodies except it and we get better and in some cases they don't get better. So, my thoughts are that quarantining is best if the problem has actually occurred and should not be used for precaution of possibly eliminating the parasite. If we do it before, we are also killing the good bacteria that fight off sickness from them. Every time we quarantine, its like moving 4-5 times in a short period of time and in some cases fish get comfortable in one environment and then thrown into another and these moves sometimes cause problems. Example: Going from the Ocean, supplier, fish store, quarantine, then dt. Plus, in most cases the longest term of the 5 is in the quarantine tank in which they are most likely to get comfortable in. Most everyone hates move and some hate change. Animals have the same trait and in some cases it hits harder for some than it does for others. I'm will in to not waist loads of money and time for quarantining, but instead as a hospital tank.
That's my food for thought on quarantining.
Each day the fish colors have popped even more since they have become more comfortable and it appears as though my corals are liking the fish in there too as I have never seen them happier either.
First couple days the purple and yellow were trying to express dominance as could be expected and the purple has won the battle and all has mellowed out. Granted it is early, all the fish appear to have made their decisions on which structure and cave they live in.
Sorry for this long next thought, but I wanted to express my opinion and am open to any others on it:
One thing that has concluded in this operation in my opinion is that to me quarantining is a joke (Note again, my opinion). I truly believe that the ich parasite never dies and may pop up eventually if husbandry has any slip of any sort that the fish may not like or by means of some other stressful thing. My water parameters are spot on and I have taken the time to monitor my parameters daily since the fish have been put in and no changes have occurred. Anyway, to me ich appears to be just like the common cold for humans, when stressed or not taking care of our bodies are more susceptible to getting sick. This has also has led me to believe that when we treat these fish to kill this parasite that we are killing the chances of the fish being more successful to fight it off if the parasite returns.
We, as humans have done studies that show it is good for children pick there noses and get dirty and all that fun stuff. This bacteria from all of this usually ends up in their mouths. I'm not telling you to serve them a plate of this stuff, but that it is a fact of life. If there bodies don't get this bacteria they will less likely be able to fight it off as they get older. Guess what, they get sick and what do we do, medicate. However, we don't medicate until a sickness has occurred. Medication takes into affect and over time our bodies except it and we get better and in some cases they don't get better. So, my thoughts are that quarantining is best if the problem has actually occurred and should not be used for precaution of possibly eliminating the parasite. If we do it before, we are also killing the good bacteria that fight off sickness from them. Every time we quarantine, its like moving 4-5 times in a short period of time and in some cases fish get comfortable in one environment and then thrown into another and these moves sometimes cause problems. Example: Going from the Ocean, supplier, fish store, quarantine, then dt. Plus, in most cases the longest term of the 5 is in the quarantine tank in which they are most likely to get comfortable in. Most everyone hates move and some hate change. Animals have the same trait and in some cases it hits harder for some than it does for others. I'm will in to not waist loads of money and time for quarantining, but instead as a hospital tank.
That's my food for thought on quarantining.
Each day the fish colors have popped even more since they have become more comfortable and it appears as though my corals are liking the fish in there too as I have never seen them happier either.
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