When to add fish to initial quarantine?

[Lindsay1126]

So my quarantine has completely cycled. I have my acid bathed pukani curing for my 120 gallon DT build. At this points phosphates are pretty low, but will probably be curing anouther week or two. I have added filter media (to my quarantine) I can seed my sump with once I get it up and running (as long as all the fishies are healthy), so my DT cycle should be shortened some.
So I was thinking of adding some fish to my QT while I wait on my cure to finish. Is there any reason not to do this? I figured this would get me some fish action while I wait patiently to get my phosphates in check for the DT. It would also allow for me to add my fish right into DT, once I get it cycled. If I go this route, should I still start with the fire fish? Clowns are on a huge sale at my LFS this week. The ones I want are pretty pricey (Picasso), so I was contemplating that, but I know they are not a great first pair, I mean they are still damsels.

BTW, my quarantine is a bare bottom, 29 gallon with a Aquaclear 70 HOB: I keep a few bio filter media (block, sponges, and bio balls) filter pads and I just added carbon . Cobalt 100 heater. I have a ton of hiding places with pvc and regular aquarium decorations my kids picked out. My levels are:

• salinity is 1.025
• ammonia 0
• Nitrite: 0
• Nitrate: 5
• PH: 8.2
• Alk: 8.344 dkH
• phosphate: 0.0ppm
• Calcium: 400
• Temp: 78F

Thoughts, opinions.

Also on a side note, are all these parameters as important to a setup like my quarantine? I know salinity ammonia, ph, nitrite and nitrate are very important to all aquariums. Are the others also for FO setup or are they more important to reefs?

 

[Maritimer]

Salinity should be adjusted to the same as any incoming fish - many vendors keep fish in reduced salinity. You can reduce salinity relatively quickly (hours or so...) but raising it should be done very slowly. I'm working on that right now with some QT fish, by replacing evaporation with saltwater, rather than with RO/DI.

Ammonia is always important - and should always be zero, nitrite / nitrate, less so in QT. pH is somewhat important. Alk, Cal, Phos, are much more important for corals than for fish.

~Bruce

 

[Lindsay1126]

My LFS does 1.023. I planned to do drip acclimation. I can try to take some water out and replace with rodi, to drop it a bit more. I am still getting used to getting salinity perfect.

This is my first saltwater endeavor, but I’ve been keeping freshwater for many years. I am very familiar with ammonia, nitrate, nitrite it’s all the others I am learning about. Thanks for the tip.

 

[ca1ore]

Do yourself and your fish a favor and check LFS salinity for yourself. None of the places I buy fish from get much above 1.020, even the ones who say they do (well, maybe on dose).

 

[ca1ore]

My LFS does 1.023. I planned to do drip acclimation. I can try to take some water out and replace with rodi, to drop it a bit more. I am still getting used to getting salinity perfect.

This is my first saltwater endeavor, but I’ve been keeping freshwater for many years. I am very familiar with ammonia, nitrate, nitrite it’s all the others I am learning about. Thanks for the tip.

Remember ammonia is a MUCH bigger potential problem in salt water that fresh water. pH in FW means it's mostly benign ammonium; PH in salt water means its harmful ammonia.

 

[Maritimer]

Sorry for a slightly rushed reply earlier - I was on my way out the door to work.

Fish should probably be in quarantine for 6-8 weeks, so I can't think of a reason not to begin now - unless your display starts doing wacky things, like a phytoplankton bloom or something . . . (which my display did this summer while my fish were in QT for the transfer from old to new tanks). If you get the clowns small, they should be OK for quite a while. I've got a pair of classic ocellaris in my display since they were about half-an-inch-long, and they've never been even a little cranky with anyone - about a year and a half on, now. (If they start breeding, I expect that to change.) Firefish are also very mild-tempered, and it would be great to get them acclimated and confident before adding any larger, faster fish. If you'd like to try for a pair of firefish, look for two in the tank who are hanging together, but defending their corner from all comers. (One of the many benefits of a good LFS!)

If the fish in QT come down with a disease or you have to dose copper, don't use that biomedia to seed your display. Copper can be absorbed - and can leach back out. Ich, velvet and flukes could ride into your display on the biomedia. Get some bottled bacteria or liverock from either an established tank or the ocean. (Adding aquacultured liverock from the ocean can bring in a few pests - and a host of beneficial and fascinating marine life.)

~Bruce

 

[tj w]

Do yourself and your fish a favor and check LFS salinity for yourself. None of the places I buy fish from get much above 1.020, even the ones who say they do (well, maybe on dose).

I agree with this, you should definitely check it yourself

 

[Lindsay1126]

Do yourself and your fish a favor and check LFS salinity for yourself. None of the places I buy fish from get much above 1.020, even the ones who say they do (well, maybe on dose).

I will, I am going by there tomorrow to pick up my heaters for the DT. I will check on my own. Thanks for the tip.

Remember ammonia is a MUCH bigger potential problem in salt water that fresh water. pH in FW means it's mostly benign ammonium; PH in salt water means its harmful ammonia.

I didn't know that, I assumed ammonia was just as deadly to both freshwater and saltwater equally. Thanks. I have been doing fishless cycle for a month, with pre-seeded material from a friend. It has been turning my 2ppm of pure ammonia into 0 in way less than 24 hrs for over a week, so I am pretty sure I am thoroughly cycled.

Sorry for a slightly rushed reply earlier - I was on my way out the door to work.

Fish should probably be in quarantine for 6-8 weeks, so I can't think of a reason not to begin now - unless your display starts doing wacky things, like a phytoplankton bloom or something . . . (which my display did this summer while my fish were in QT for the transfer from old to new tanks). If you get the clowns small, they should be OK for quite a while. I've got a pair of classic ocellaris in my display since they were about half-an-inch-long, and they've never been even a little cranky with anyone - about a year and a half on, now. (If they start breeding, I expect that to change.) Firefish are also very mild-tempered, and it would be great to get them acclimated and confident before adding any larger, faster fish. If you'd like to try for a pair of firefish, look for two in the tank who are hanging together, but defending their corner from all comers. (One of the many benefits of a good LFS!)

If the fish in QT come down with a disease or you have to dose copper, don't use that biomedia to seed your display. Copper can be absorbed - and can leach back out. Ich, velvet and flukes could ride into your display on the biomedia. Get some bottled bacteria or liverock from either an established tank or the ocean. (Adding aquacultured liverock from the ocean can bring in a few pests - and a host of beneficial and fascinating marine life.)

~Bruce

Thank you for explaining. I would never use my QTs filter media even if I didn't treat with copper, if I felt the fish were anything but healthy. I have a really good LFS, so I am hoping for the best. I am glad to know about the salinity as I always read to strive for 1.025 for salinity, so thats what I did. Should I keep my DT at that salinity also? I dropped it yesterday to 1.023 and will leave it there until I get my own reading at the LFS. I thought that was why we drip acclimate, was to get the fish use to a new salinity. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can. Thanks.

 

[Maritimer]

For your DT, 1.025 - 1.026 is just about right.

Drip acclimation does ease a fish into a new salinity / water chemistry, but easing down is easier on their systems than easing up. I recently (Black Friday) purchased several fish, which came from the LFS at 1.015. I dropped my QT (which had no fish in it at the time) to that level, but kept some of the salt water aside in buckets. Each day, when I feed the fish, I thaw their food in salt water, and when I top off for evaporation, I'll use salt water as well. Salinity in that tank is now just about 1.023, and will be at NSW levels (and the same level as my DT) before I'm done with my QT protocol.

It's sometimes said that you shouldn't try to raise salinity more than .001 (i.e., 1.015 - 1.016) per day, though some fish will tolerate more than that.

~Bruce

 

[Lindsay1126]

For your DT, 1.025 - 1.026 is just about right.

Drip acclimation does ease a fish into a new salinity / water chemistry, but easing down is easier on their systems than easing up. I recently (Black Friday) purchased several fish, which came from the LFS at 1.015. I dropped my QT (which had no fish in it at the time) to that level, but kept some of the salt water aside in buckets. Each day, when I feed the fish, I thaw their food in salt water, and when I top off for evaporation, I'll use salt water as well. Salinity in that tank is now just about 1.023, and will be at NSW levels (and the same level as my DT) before I'm done with my QT protocol.

It's sometimes said that you shouldn't try to raise salinity more than .001 (i.e., 1.015 - 1.016) per day, though some fish will tolerate more than that.

~Bruce

Thank you for explaining that, it makes sense now. I will double check what the salinity is tomorrow, and change things accordingly.