Scooter Blenny died in QT - what went wrong?

[MarsWulf5]

I found my scooter blenny dead in QT. I did a 100% water change just now, so don't ask me parameters. This is a 20G high fish QT. Today was the 6th day of treatment with Prazipro. Yes, I was one day late with my water change. My ferret was hiding yesterday and I exhausted myself looking for her for two hours, found her sleeping behind the hot water heater! Anyhow, I fell asleep after the commotion, went to feed the fish in QT and the blenny was dead.

There was no aggression- I never saw him eat much. I have a container in there with sand that he ignored mostly.

I fed Algea wafers, Nori, Brine shrimp, Mycis shrimp, and Emeral Entree Herbivore diet.

I think was diet where I went wrong???

I dunno. He was a young fish, seemingly completely healthy or I wouldn't have purchased him. I had him about 10 days.

Any advice? I have a star blenny in there and I don't want to lose him too. Thanks.

 

[Sosuke]

Scooter blennie's eat copepods, so it's very hard to QT them safely. It most likely starved to death if you didn't see it eat. An 100% water change? Do you have any rocks or media in the tank to keep the ammonia level down? How old was the QT tank?

 

[MarsWulf5]

Scooter blennie's eat copepods, so it's very hard to QT them safely. It most likely starved to death if you didn't see it eat. An 100% water change? Do you have any rocks or media in the tank to keep the ammonia level down? How old was the QT tank?

I use copper in QT so can't use any rock. Deal with ammonia etc... through routine water change. There are no pods etc in the QT, they wouldn't survive the copper, no inverts would. This specific QT hank has been up a year - but the "filter media" is taken out because I switch between a medications that require a complete water change.

I asked a dozen times before I bought this blenny - how to quarantine it on copper etc and how will it eat etc.

Everyone waffles on about quarantine and I agree that it must be done but how does one quarantine a blenny or a mandarin then - if they only eat pods and copper kills the pods? Saying that it's "difficult" says nothing about how to accomplish the goal.

I'm concerned about the Starry Blenny in there. I don't want to kill him. What should I do? Can't just throw him in the DT. Can't feed him pods in a QT on copper. Solution?

 

[Greg P]

I successfully QTd 2 starry blennies by feeding first spirulina brine shrimp, then moved on to hikari mysis (smaller than PE brand) and eventually small pellets

 

[Uncle99]

I do not QT this fish and mandarins because their feeding requirements, good slime coat, known source, and not the top of the list for disease, so while a risk, not a high one.

 

[MarsWulf5]

I have read that about the slime coat... He's still alive in QT and in and full dose of copper as of yesterday.

I'm thinking this. Keep him in QT on copper for as many days as it takes for ich cysts to stay on fish... I think that's 5 days - so four more.

Then remove him from QT and give him one heck of a freshwater dip... not to stress him - just to he sure no ich cysts are entering the tank.

Here's the thing... I QTd my first batch of fish for this new 120G DT for TEN months. They had ich. I treated with Copper, then Prazipro, then Copper again, hyposalintiy...the whole shebang... 2 months later... ich came back in QT (bare bottom, no rock, sometimes 100%water change and filter media change - just floss)

I treated with copper cycle and prazipro cycle again.

Anyhow, ich SEEMED to be gone at that point. I saw no sign for 6 months as I did my plumb, etc... on the DT.

My YT stopped eating - and my coral QT started to crash for unknown reason.

So, I put my DT up and running.... I actually cycled my DT with new dry rock and a few added bacterial products. I cycled the rock and the DT with 6 fish and over a dozen corals in it. Not what I wanted to do - but things were dieing in QT.

It worked. I lost no fish. My corals actually improved... it was a risk but I pulled it off.

Now, the DT is cycled, the corals look great --- but --- I saw an ich cyst on my black clown in the DT. I tried to deny it... but I saw it. I am confident that I can identify ich.

Anyhow, there are no cysts on any fish now at all - haven't seen a cyst in over a week - BUT - I know it's in there. Even after all that QT.

So, I bought a UV sterilizer.

Now, I'm not going fish less and QTing these poor fish again. Besides... my QT tank is full for a new batch of fish.

It almost makes the who QT for ich superfluous... but I don't want to exacerbate the problem.

Hence, the blenny is going into the DT in 4 days.

I am going to add a Gobi ... I just added a Fuge Starter pack from Algea barn to the fuge and tank 3 days ago.

Gonna wait a month to get a gobi... thinking to just QT one day on copper. Dip him out of the bag. Full copper one day - see if he eats anything... if not dip him again and into the DT.

I feel bad that I killed my scooter blenny... gonna get my starry in there ASAP.

Thanks.

 

[Shirak]

I use copper in QT so can't use any rock. Deal with ammonia etc... through routine water change. There are no pods etc in the QT, they wouldn't survive the copper, no inverts would. This specific QT hank has been up a year - but the "filter media" is taken out because I switch between a medications that require a complete water change.

I asked a dozen times before I bought this blenny - how to quarantine it on copper etc and how will it eat etc.

Everyone waffles on about quarantine and I agree that it must be done but how does one quarantine a blenny or a mandarin then - if they only eat pods and copper kills the pods? Saying that it's "difficult" says nothing about how to accomplish the goal.

I'm concerned about the Starry Blenny in there. I don't want to kill him. What should I do? Can't just throw him in the DT. Can't feed him pods in a QT on copper. Solution?

I had a scooter blenny go through QT in a small tank by himself. I was able to get him to eat premoistened .8mm fish food pellets that I released near him through a pipette. My understanding copper was really bad for dragonettes and scaleless fish so I used chloroquine phosphate dosing.

 

[MarsWulf5]

I had a scooter blenny go through QT in a small tank by himself. I was able to get him to eat premoistened .8mm fish food pellets that I released near him through a pipette. My understanding copper was really bad for dragonettes and scaleless fish so I used chloroquine phosphate dosing.

He made it through the Prazipro... 2 days rest... And now 2 full days of copper. I'm gonna pull him out of QT probably tonight... Hes been through enough. He's such a cool fish... If you dont have a Starry Blenny think about one in the future. He perches areound the tank and "sits" like hes a genie. Such a cool dude.

 

[Shirak]

Cool will have to take a look!

 

[Saltyanimals]

I do not QT this fish and mandarins because their feeding requirements, good slime coat, known source, and not the top of the list for disease, so while a risk, not a high one.

Same dragonet family, but same thick skin coat like the manny? I’m debating on pulling mine out of QT as well. Been there 7 days and I’m putting DT chaeto into the QT for pods and he’s still getting thin.

 

[Uncle99]

The wild caught exclusive pod eater types usually don’t fair well in many QT environments for long, so we send them right into the DT.
Is there risk? Sure, anything wet is a risk. But how much?
I think the risk of the pod eater going hungry, becoming weak, is of greater risk.
I would support the move.

 

[Saltyanimals]

The wild caught exclusive pod eater types usually don’t fair well in many QT environments for long, so we send them right into the DT.
Is there risk? Sure, anything wet is a risk. But how much?
I think the risk of the pod eater going hungry, becoming weak, is of greater risk.
I would support the move.

One of this great dilemmas of one fish vs a stocked 180g system. Qt schedule calls for metro and prazi tomorrow. Leaning towards a move after that 3rd prazi and 10th metro day round . 7 copper is half of the 14day min, but will have to search a bit more on their skin coats.

 

[Uncle99]

One of this great dilemmas of one fish vs a stocked 180g system. Qt schedule calls for metro and prazi tomorrow. Leaning towards a move after that 3rd prazi and 10th metro day round . 7 copper is half of the 14day min, but will have to search a bit more on their skin coats.

QT themselves are not the best place for any fish, the environment is different, but necessary for the safety of others.
I just never understood the use of “meds” as a “pre-treatment”.

For me if any fish eats, swims, looks and behaves normally, using no meds whatsoever for 14 consecutive days, goes in my 180g without worry, but each of us has our “taste of risk”

Hope all goes well.

 

[Tamberav]

For wild scooters or mandarins… you can feed them live freshly hatched brine shrimp, live white worms, live pods, and they also tend to like ova.

They can certainly be fed in QT but typically not just by buying whatever your local LFS has for frozen.

Just have to research and put in some extra time culturing for their needs.

Last I knew mandarins were considered sensitive to copper so CP or TTM and such are better.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I had a 7 yr tank that was rock solid stable get wiped out at the beginning of this year because of a single new fish. Heart breaking as many of those I’ve had since the beginning. Before that event I did zero QT. Rolled the dice every time and my luck eventually ran out. I hope this never happens to anyone. QT is nothing I enjoy doing nor the fish, but a necessary evil for the well being of the current inhabitants. To each his own and plenty of people never QT and have been totally successful.

I did take a risk and just h2o2 dip a manny months ago. He ended up with brook and died. I know they’re copper intolerant but chelated is bit gentler on fish as a whole. I still wouldn’t copper the next one, but I would however metro and prazi it as those are fairly mild meds. Again ymmv and hope for the best.