First Time Quarantining -- Validation Requested!

[mythesis]

Main tank is 2 months old (live rock start). Ugly stage is fully present and brown haze is settled in and made itself right at home. Awesome, love it, so fun.

But, picked up some more fish from @Biota_Marine , a Link's & a Court Jester Goby and a Royal Gramma. I have them in a 24 gal QT. The tank came with 3 filtration tubs, and I put the one with porous media in the sump of my main for a month to try and "seed" it with bacteria.

Put in some (bleached, then thoroughly dried) PVC tubes for hides. I also grabbed two small/medium pieces of rubble from the sump to try and help the bacteria load.

I wrapped all but the front wall with a cover to cut down light, and have kept the lights off (on for the pic only).

The Court Jester was acting pretty lethargic, swimming by the outtake in the top, so I put it into the Acclimation Box and added an airstone to add surface agitation. After 2 days, I confirmed it was eating and opened the door to the Box. It's since been swimming in and out, so I assume it's healthy.

Per Biota instructions, I've been trying to siphon anything before/after feeding. Monitoring the Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate levels via API. Nitrite are non-zero, so been doing 5 gal (~20%) water changes every other day or so. (Ammonia is 0...ish; it's not the next color, but not the full 0 I see from main tank; Nitrates are 10ish)

So, my plan is to keep testing / water changing / siphoning for 3-4 weeks?

If something comes up, try and treat it?

Am I missing anything? Over stressing? Under stressing?

 

[Formulator]

All seems to be going swimmingly

But seriously, all actions you’ve taken have been the right thing to do. I would have guessed you were a seasoned pro.

 

[Jekyl]

Seems you've got everything in the right direction. Just also ensure you have good testing equipment for copper and ammonia. Hanna is the top recommended. Here's a write up in case you haven't seen it.

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[mythesis]

Seems you've got everything in the right direction. Just also ensure you have good testing equipment for copper and ammonia. Hanna is the top recommended. Here's a write up in case you haven't seen it.

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

Holy crap. I thought I was being overly cautious.... I'm no where close to this level though!

It looks like all this is prophylactically done as well... Regardless of symptoms?

 

[PharmrJohn]

Good job Dude! Keep it up!

 

[Dom]

Main tank is 2 months old (live rock start). Ugly stage is fully present and brown haze is settled in and made itself right at home. Awesome, love it, so fun.

But, picked up some more fish from @Biota_Marine , a Link's & a Court Jester Goby and a Royal Gramma. I have them in a 24 gal QT. The tank came with 3 filtration tubs, and I put the one with porous media in the sump of my main for a month to try and "seed" it with bacteria.

Put in some (bleached, then thoroughly dried) PVC tubes for hides. I also grabbed two small/medium pieces of rubble from the sump to try and help the bacteria load.

I wrapped all but the front wall with a cover to cut down light, and have kept the lights off (on for the pic only).

The Court Jester was acting pretty lethargic, swimming by the outtake in the top, so I put it into the Acclimation Box and added an airstone to add surface agitation. After 2 days, I confirmed it was eating and opened the door to the Box. It's since been swimming in and out, so I assume it's healthy.

Per Biota instructions, I've been trying to siphon anything before/after feeding. Monitoring the Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate levels via API. Nitrite are non-zero, so been doing 5 gal (~20%) water changes every other day or so. (Ammonia is 0...ish; it's not the next color, but not the full 0 I see from main tank; Nitrates are 10ish)

So, my plan is to keep testing / water changing / siphoning for 3-4 weeks?

If something comes up, try and treat it?

Am I missing anything? Over stressing? Under stressing?

I do a 90 day observational QT and only treat when signs of disease begin to present. I understand and agree that it may be too late at that point, but I've had good luck over the years; only having 1 fish with ICH which I was able to address with hypo-salinity.

Because it is observational, I am able to keep live rock in the tank. And using a 40 gallon with one fish, my water changes are 25% once per month. Of course, if the need for copper arises, the rock would be removed first.

Try not to make it more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[Jekyl]

Holy crap. I thought I was being overly cautious.... I'm no where close to this level though!

It looks like all this is prophylactically done as well... Regardless of symptoms?

This is the best route. It ensures nothing makes it into your system. If you find out too late it ends up being even harder to deal with.

 

[mythesis]

Another question...

The Royal Gramma is *so small*, and for that matter so is the Court Jester.

The Link's Goby seems like it'll be fine getting food. But I'm worried the other two might have a tough time outcompeting for food when they eventually get transferred.

The Court Jester will pick at rocks and be fine. But what about the Gramma?

Do people just wait...months? for the fish to get big enough to thrive?

I don't have aggressive mates in the 90, but the Solar Wrasse is a *pig* and snatches up food pretty quick.