Rate my quarantine setup?

[Herides]

Hello,

Long story short, i've had a 40 gallon breeder tank thats brand new, I got two clowns from my lfs, 4 weeks later one of the 2 clowns died of Hole in the Head Disease/Hexamita that was present in it from the lfs and my inexperience missed. I just got a replacement clown today and i'm mitigating more potential mistakes by having a quarantine system for it.

I intend to keep it in the quarantine system for 2 weeks (since it only took a week for the other clown to start showing symptoms (which the whole time right until its death I just thought was poor water quality)) and i'm treating the system with medication that should kill hexamita and ich. I cycled the system using Dr. Tims one and only added at the same time as when the fish was added (which I know might rile some folks up but I think it should be fine, I have faith in the amount of research I put in) and some of the water used to initially fill it was from the DT.

The system itself is just a clear plastic storage bin, with a small HOB filter, a heater, 3 air stones (i have 3 because their part of 2 different battery powered air pumps I have in the event of a power outage), 2 PVC pipes superglued to the bottom of the bin, a simple thermometer and quick and easy ammonia sensor suctioned inside the front.

The only issue so far that i'm having with day 1 (I might just be overly paranoid (though after the last 4 weeks with a mysteriously dying clown can you blame me?) is that he didn't eat his pellets, when I remember specifically with my first 2 clowns I put pellets in and they jumped on them day one. How am I doing? I have 2 pics of the quarantine system inserted.

 

[Tamberav]

I use bricks and fake plants in mine so the fish are way less stressed as the environment appears more natural to them. I know a lot of people use PVC and I have used it in TTM when I don't have something better. I just don't think fish settle as nicely as they do with something natural looking.

LA has fake plants for like a dollar-ish each.

 

[Herides]

I use bricks and fake plants in mine so the fish are way less stressed as the environment appears more natural to them. I know a lot of people use PVC and I have used it in TTM when I don't have something better. I just don't think fish settle as nicely as they do with something natural looking.

LA has fake plants for like a dollar-ish each.

I was thinking about sticking in some cheap plastic aquarium decor as opposed to PVC, i'll take try some of that

 

[ichthyogeek]

Looks pretty good. The less "clutter" the better in a quarantine tank IMHO. Clowns like clay flowerpots if anything.

As for pellets, it does depend on the fish. Some will go straight for them, others will be all "meh" about them. Have you tried other foods yet? Or just pellets?

 

[Reverend Turtle]

I recently bought two clowns, one eats everything the other would barely eat, after trying many different prepared and bottled foods, I found some mysis shrimp at a box store. He finally ate something, not much, but he ate.
I also keep freshwater fish, and have found fluval bugbites to get almost all fish eating. So the day after he ate mysis, I put a small pinch in the tank to see what would happen. Turns out clowns like it too.

 

[Steph72]

Great idea with the storage bin!!!!! It’s not unusual for new fish to not eat so I wouldn’t worry yet. I’d just keep a very close eye on the heater and try to find something heat resistant to secure it to so it doesn’t touch the plastic bin.

 

[Herides]

Looks pretty good. The less "clutter" the better in a quarantine tank IMHO. Clowns like clay flowerpots if anything.

As for pellets, it does depend on the fish. Some will go straight for them, others will be all "meh" about them. Have you tried other foods yet? Or just pellets?

I did try a little piece of frozen food that I used to feed the DT clown, ignored that too. All I have at the moment are those 2 foods but I might try something else like mysis shrimp.

 

[Herides]

I recently bought two clowns, one eats everything the other would barely eat, after trying many different prepared and bottled foods, I found some mysis shrimp at a box store. He finally ate something, not much, but he ate.
I also keep freshwater fish, and have found fluval bugbites to get almost all fish eating. So the day after he ate mysis, I put a small pinch in the tank to see what would happen. Turns out clowns like it too.

I'll definitely have a go with the mysis shrimp

 

[Herides]

Great idea with the storage bin!!!!! It’s not unusual for new fish to not eat so I wouldn’t worry yet. I’d just keep a very close eye on the heater and try to find something heat resistant to secure it to so it doesn’t touch the plastic bin.

I didn't think of that, there is a suction cup separating the heater and walls but i'll keep an eye on it.

 

[Herides]

I recently bought two clowns, one eats everything the other would barely eat, after trying many different prepared and bottled foods, I found some mysis shrimp at a box store. He finally ate something, not much, but he ate.
I also keep freshwater fish, and have found fluval bugbites to get almost all fish eating. So the day after he ate mysis, I put a small pinch in the tank to see what would happen. Turns out clowns like it too.

He didn't take the mysis i'm afraid to say.

 

[Herides]

Looks pretty good. The less "clutter" the better in a quarantine tank IMHO. Clowns like clay flowerpots if anything.

As for pellets, it does depend on the fish. Some will go straight for them, others will be all "meh" about them. Have you tried other foods yet? Or just pellets?

I tried mysis shrimp, he didn't take them.

 

[Reverend Turtle]

He didn't take the mysis i'm afraid to say.

Sorry to hear. I actually ordered some Reef Nutrition TDO Chroma boost, and I must say, the clown that didn't really care to eat packed his mouth with pellets. So did the other one. I will highly recommend this food from now on.

 

[Tired]

Another place to hide might be good. It doesn't matter if it looks natural, it just needs to be a good place to hide. Fish will hide just the same in a pink fake castle as a vaguely castle-shaped rock. A flowerpot is a pretty good option. And easier to get fish out of, or view fish in, than long pieces of pipe.

I would un-glue those pipes once the tank is empty. Otherwise, what if a fish hides in one while you're trying to remove it? You'd be out of luck.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Well...if the fish hides, you could always tilt the tub to wash the fish into the net. Or insert something into the tubing to get them to swim into the net. But I do agree that it would probably be best to unglue the pvc. They shouldn't roll around too much, and if they do, you can always add little silicon dabbed "feet" to keep them from rolling too much/too far.

 

[Weasel1960]

Great idea with the storage bin!!!!! It’s not unusual for new fish to not eat so I wouldn’t worry yet. I’d just keep a very close eye on the heater and try to find something heat resistant to secure it to so it doesn’t touch the plastic bin.

Put the heater inside a piece of pvc pipe or use 2 pvc pipe couplers, elbows, etc. to keep heater off of plastic

 

[Patrick.S]

Most clowns are captive bred and accustomed to live brine. If they get hungry enough they’ll start eating. I freaked out the first time it took mine a couple days to eat too.

 

[Herides]

Sorry to hear. I actually ordered some Reef Nutrition TDO Chroma boost, and I must say, the clown that didn't really care to eat packed his mouth with pellets. So did the other one. I will highly recommend this food from now on.

I'll look into this stuff too, I'm going to need to diversify my fish's diets anyway. Thanks!

 

[Herides]

Another place to hide might be good. It doesn't matter if it looks natural, it just needs to be a good place to hide. Fish will hide just the same in a pink fake castle as a vaguely castle-shaped rock. A flowerpot is a pretty good option. And easier to get fish out of, or view fish in, than long pieces of pipe.

I would un-glue those pipes once the tank is empty. Otherwise, what if a fish hides in one while you're trying to remove it? You'd be out of luck.

Since you're the second to recommend a flower pot, i'm going to try that, my mother is a big gardener so i'm sure she has a spare small one lying around. And maybe i'll get a pretty pink castle lol.

 

[Herides]

Well...if the fish hides, you could always tilt the tub to wash the fish into the net. Or insert something into the tubing to get them to swim into the net. But I do agree that it would probably be best to unglue the pvc. They shouldn't roll around too much, and if they do, you can always add little silicon dabbed "feet" to keep them from rolling too much/too far.

Well the reason I glued them down was because they actually float otherwise, but I didn't think about them hiding in it when I need to get them out... mostly because I have yet to see him actually enter them, he mostly just sidles right next to them and sits there.

 

[Herides]

Put the heater inside a piece of pvc pipe or use 2 pvc pipe couplers, elbows, etc. to keep heater off of plastic

Good idea! I will say upon a surface level inspection it looked like the side of the bin where the heater is is doing just fine, so i think i'm good this go around but next time i'll play a little safer.