To QT or not QT?

[miyags]

I lost one fish in treatment,and I've successfully treated 15.I keep a 20gal running with copper 24/7. Ammonia is the biggest killer in new hospital tanks.

 

[Brian Saxby]

I am by NO means nothing but a noob in the hobby but I only QT for observation and treat only when there are signs. Food/ nutrient is where it’s at in my experience. ICH in the display with a PBT, purple tang, and kole. All where QTd for observation only for 8 weeks and still got ICH in the DT. Keep them eating well and haven’t had one loss. They fight it off on their own. Just my 2 cents and what has worked for me

 

[laverda]

My QT is an established 50 gallon AIO reef tank. All fish go in for observation for 90 days. If they exhibit noticeable issues then I will treat as needed. I recently just purchased 11 small fish. They all disappeared with in a few days. Only one showed any symptoms and that was just hanging around the bottom of the tank from first introduction. Everything looked great, they were eating, their were just fewer each day. I have lots of rock and a clean up crew so I never saw a single body. While I don’t know what killed them I am glad I did not introduce it to my display tank. It the 3 days before I moved 5 healthy fish to my display, so no reason to think the tank parameters were an issue.

 

[Lasse]

Thank you for your thoughts and experiences Lasse. It’s always good to see the other side of the coin too and proof that what works for one person may not always work for another.

So in your opinion and purely hypothetically would you use the same process for a commonly thought of riskier fish into your display such as a Powder Blue or Achilles tang?

In my own aquaria (if I really want any tangs :)) I would probably do as I do now. Observe the fish in the LFS and only take it if it looks ok. Let it be in my fuge for a week or two. Remember that my aquaria is mature and there is a lot of hungry mouths looking for free swimming parasites

But if I want to build a QT system it would be like the one I describe in another thread

Here we goo

My friends system is constructed as two different system. Each system consist of 12 pcs 100 litres tanks and 6 pcs 200 litres tank. Joint sump – total water volume each system – around 2 600 litres. Flow 10 000 litres/hour divided on 18 tanks. After the return pump – there is a huge UV-C – 6 x 55 W – total 330 W or 0.13 W/litre (volume) or 0.033 W/litre (Flow) The chose of UV-C system is – IMO – of huge importance. His UV-C is from TMC – (UK) and it is low-pressure mercury T-8 tubes. IMO - low pressure amalgam tubes works well too. These tubes give an optimum (per watt) amount of the important wavelength (254.6 nm) and (at least the low-pressure mercury/amalgam tubes) give some ozone too. These types of tubes can be combined with H2O2 in order to bee very effective killing machines. In every tank it is an internal foam filter and every tank can be disconnected from the system circulation with a valve. Some tanks have gravel – some is only glass boxes. When new fish arrive – the pH in the whole system (or in fish receiving tanks) is lowered to pH below 7 with help of CO2. The plastic bags (with fish) is temperature adapted and after that opened. Sometimes we start a procedure with slowly mix the bag water with tank water (low pH) – sometimes we just lift the fishes to its tank (with low pH). Have not seen any differences in success between the two ways to adapt the fishes. Because – fish is often transported in salinity of 1.020 – 1.022 – the salinity of the system is around 1.020. Known ich sensitive species is placed in the “clean glass boxes” tanks and other fish is placed in in decorated aquarium. Every aquarium have hiding places. The whole process is done during low light intensity. During the coming days – fish are inspected and with any signs of diseases – the actual tank is taken out of circulation. Because that every tank have an internal biological filter – nothing happens with ammonia in these tanks – nitrification works even if the tank not is connected with the main system. Fish from decorated tanks is moved to the tanks without decoration before medication. He use copper (there is no other alternatives here in Sweden) in order to treat Ich. After a week or two (sometimes three) without any signs od disease – the actual tank is connected to the main circulation again. We have never ever (in at least 15 years) been out for disease spreading between tanks in the systems. The UV-C take care of that. It is rather seldom – even with fish like power blue tang – that any ich show up. With butterflies it is more of a rule with some of them. Butterflies is not so popular here in Sweden because there is few FO tanks here.

This I a short description of the system – I hope you understand how it works

I do not do a normal QT with fish to my own tank but I never introduce (nowadays) a fish direct into the DT. I have newcomers in my fuge for one to two weeks first before introducing into the DT. This have works out well – I have lose one newly imported cardinal during the last 1.5 years in the introducing phase. This way feels safe for me.

But my ideal QT id I would construct that for my home aquaria – what would it be. Basically the same setup as my friend. One DT, one decorated observing tank and one clean glass tank as treatment/observation tank. All three tanks connected to the same sump. Return pump – UV-C of the right construction – diversion to each tank. Ball valve to each tank. The two observation/treatments tanks will have internal biological foam filters. During normal circumstances – no fish to QT – the main flow will go through all tanks. During introducing/first observation – the QT tanks not connected to the main flow – only internal circulation and filtrating – after a week or two – no signs of diseases – opening to the main flow but rather low flow during the first weeks. If you want – you can connect a frag tank/use the decorated tank or/and also QT corals here.

The critical equipment here is the UV-C – it is important to use a well known technique (there is low, medium and high pressure systems) and IMO the low pressure systems is the best. Some medium can work but stay away from all that will be advertises as broad band UV-C. It is only one wavelength that is of interest – 254.6 nm. And if you get 186 nm too (as with low pressure mercury/amalgam tubes) you get a bonus (ozone). And it is not bad with a slight over dimensioned UV-C either and with the ones giving some ozone – you can use H2O2 in order to rise the effect and get some effect in the tanks too.

Sincerely Lasse

I am unaware of potential risks to fishes health from using CP Lasse although I’m sure any foreign substance introduced to a fish is potentially hazardous. Is there any reading on the topic you know of that I could study?

Many thanks,

Shaun.

You can try to do search with words like MFO system, P-450 stystem. Inhibitors, inducers, recistance and CP

Sincerely Lasse

 

[DSC reef]

@Lasse put us on the "lucky" team too my friend as we have never and will not QT. Got nothing against it, many ways to reef. I see people use the word luck a lot but we've had such minimal fish death due to not having to replace the ones we have.

 

[ChristianReefer]

Your last group of fish you said were 5 Chromis that died from Uronema correct? Had you not QT’ed them then you would quite possibly be bleaching and restarting your DT. I know it’s hard and discouraging but don’t give up.

Nicely said. I am currently quarantining three Anthias fish. The first two weeks I thought “ what’s the point” they look great! Not too long later I saw White stringy poop hanging out of the butt of one of my fish. I’m pretty sure it’s some sort of internal parasite. So glad I put them in quarantine because it would have been a big problem trying to pull them out of my tank and then put them in QT. I’m currently using Prazipro and medicating food with general cure and focus. Hoping for the best.