How to Quarantine

[melypr1985]

I recently purchased a red lined wrasse, carpenter flasher wrasse, and a lawnmower blenny. Both of the wrasse dies within two days, the red lined wrasse died the same day I placed it in the QT and the carpenter the next day. I am doing the TTM for the first time and I would like to know what I did wrong. The lawnmower blenny is fine and I just did the 2nd transfer and added prazi. Are wrasse more delicate or is it something I did. I acclimated them for about a half an hour and they had plenty of pipe to hide in. I really want to have 4-5 wrasse but don't want to kill any more of them if I can help it. Any information would be appreciated. My QT consists of 10g tank, air stone, ammonia badge, heater, and thermometer.

Could be the wrasse were already sick when you purchased them. Did you get them from a LFS? Anyway, to answer your question.... sometimes these things happen. It will take practice to get this method perfect. The more you do it, the less fish you'll lose from mistakes.

 

[FireEMT]

Could be the wrasse were already sick when you purchased them. Did you get them from a LFS? Anyway, to answer your question.... sometimes these things happen. It will take practice to get this method perfect. The more you do it, the less fish you'll lose from mistakes.

I don't have any decent LFS local. I ordered them online and they seemed very lathargic right from the beginning. They both went straight to the bottom of the QT and never really swam around. Not sure if the FedEx delivery was rough with them or if they just got stressed out. I saw on your blog the deal about using prime before acclimating. How do you do that with such low volumes of water in the bag. Do you just add a couple drops or what?

 

[melypr1985]

I don't have any decent LFS local. I ordered them online and they seemed very lathargic right from the beginning. They both went straight to the bottom of the QT and never really swam around. Not sure if the FedEx delivery was rough with them or if they just got stressed out. I saw on your blog the deal about using prime before acclimating. How do you do that with such low volumes of water in the bag. Do you just add a couple drops or what?

Just a drop or two can nullify the ammonia in the shipping bag. Make sure you don't ever introduce Prime to your QT if you plan to use Copper of any kind. It will result in a very toxic mess.

So I think you didn't do anything wrong, they were probably already sick. Whether it was from shipping stress or from the dealer, doesn't matter.... they were probably already sick. I'd contact the dealer and see what they can do for you.

 

[FireEMT]

Just a drop or two can nullify the ammonia in the shipping bag. Make sure you don't ever introduce Prime to your QT if you plan to use Copper of any kind. It will result in a very toxic mess.

So I think you didn't do anything wrong, they were probably already sick. Whether it was from shipping stress or from the dealer, doesn't matter.... they were probably already sick. I'd contact the dealer and see what they can do for you.

Thanks for the info, and the dealer already took care of me. They were great

 

[jaws789832]

Does copper (cupramine) throw off the nitrite test as well as ammonia? I just tested my nitrites and they are thru the roof. The QT tank has been up and running for about 3 months (so it was completely cycled before any fish went in). I did a water change last Sunday (before the copper went in and tested everything and it was all good). Was going to do another water change tomorrow or wed. but with nitrites that high.......

 

[jaws789832]

Just a drop or two can nullify the ammonia in the shipping bag. Make sure you don't ever introduce Prime to your QT if you plan to use Copper of any kind. It will result in a very toxic mess.

I actually called seachem on this, they told me after 24 hours the prime was gone and then it was safe to add copper. I waited a lot longer than that though, it was like a month for me (and a few water changes) before adding the copper

 

[Humblefish]

Does copper (cupramine) throw off the nitrite test as well as ammonia?

It likely interferes with all test kit readings.

 

[keithp]

Test kits usually list the level at which copper, salt, and other common substances will interfere. I don't know if the interference ramps up or if it jumps at the listed concentrations.

 

[cb684]

I have a couple of questions on receiving / quarantining livestock (fishes, snails and hermit crabs)
1) Anyone with experience on using hyposalinity for sensitive teleost fish? http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/6/fish
2) How would you set up a quarantine for large numbers of snails and hermit crabs (50-100)?

 

[Humblefish]

@cb684 I don't have much experience using hypo, but for the snails/hermits you will need to setup an invert QT or you could even use a sterilite container as a temporary vessel. You will need a small amount of LR to break down ammonia (snails/hermits do produce waste), plus a heater and some type of flow. Just an air pump/stone will work for snails/hermits. You will also need to supplemental feed the algae eaters with nori/algae wafers and mysis shrimp if any of them are pure carnivores (like nassarius snails). The latter will also need sand.

Below is a pic of my 29 gal "fishless" frag tank. I place all corals/inverts in here for 76 days before they go into my DT. Just cheap T5 lighting, Koralia powerhead, HOB powerfilter, heater, rock/sand and a frag rack gets the job done. It's probably more than you need for just QT'ing snails/inverts, but you can also use it down the road for corals and other inverts. And to sell/trade frags!

 

[VJV]

Just got a new batch of fish [emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]. Powder Blue Tang, yellow Tang and lawnmower blenny. Decided to throw in my daughter's clowns that have never been quarantined for a bit of prophylactic treatment. The reason for this is that I want to avoid cross contamination across the different tanks, and given those clowns had never been treated a drop of water in a water change could ruin all my efforts with the main living room tank.

My protocol is.

1- Tremazol (Praziquantel@7% from Sera) bath for 6h outside the QT
1 week later: repeat bath
2 weeks later: start 4 weeks of cupramine
6 weeks later: end of cupramine
+1 or 2 weeks of observation.

QT is a 55 gallon with Tunze 9004 skimmer and Eheim 2075 external filter with Seachem's Matrix media (does not absorb cupramine)

Maintenance includes weekly 50% water changes. Constant monitor of ammonia with Seneye Reed monitor. Add Seachem's stability with each water change.

 

[TheEngineer]

I just setup my 10g QT. I am running a simple HOB filter and a Koralia powerhead for flow. I seeded about 10 bioballs in my sump for several months and they are now in the HOB filter chamber. I don't expect to pick up the fish until next weekend. I have some potassium nitrate that I was dosing in my DT. Can I use that to feed the bacteria until I get fish in there? Or should I just ghost feed instead?

 

[VJV]

Here they are in the Rubbermaid container (45 liters) going through the Praziquantel bath. Heater and airstone in.

 

[omykiss001]

I just setup my 10g QT. I am running a simple HOB filter and a Koralia powerhead for flow. I seeded about 10 bioballs in my sump for several months and they are now in the HOB filter chamber. I don't expect to pick up the fish until next weekend. I have some potassium nitrate that I was dosing in my DT. Can I use that to feed the bacteria until I get fish in there? Or should I just ghost feed instead?

Nitrate is the end product. You'd want to feed them ammonia. This is what I use

http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquati...=1455986011&sr=8-3&keywords=Ammonium+chloride

Or you can just ghost feed the tank to keep some amount of ammonia production.

 

[VJV]

Here they are, at the end of the 6h Praziquantel bath. All doing fine [emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]

 

[Humblefish]

@VJV One problem I see with your prazi bath method is the fish can be reinfected upon return to the QT. Unless the fish is placed in a "fresh QT" following each bath. The problem is the eggs. Most of them remain inside the fish's gills (if its flukes), but some can drop out, hatch and go waterborne.

 

[VJV]

Thanks Humblefish. I see your point and have thought about it, and that is why I do another bath.

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks Humblefish. I see your point and have thought about it, and that is why I do another bath.

Not trying to harp on you, but there is a possibility that the fish will just keep getting reinfected with flukes each time he is placed back in the original QT. This is why you have to go fallow for 4 weeks in a DT infested with flukes, if opting not to treat the DT with Prazipro; the same logic applies to a QT not treated with Prazipro. The only workaround is to place the fish in a "new" QT following each prazi bath.

 

[VJV]

No harping taken [emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]. I know that is the case, though I have had success (luck most likely) doing it this way.

But now you got me thinking about treating the full tank. Problem is Tremazol requires at least 80% water change after the 6h which in a 55g tank I would like to avoid... [emoji12]

 

[Humblefish]

No harping taken [emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]. I know that is the case, though I have had success (luck most likely) doing it this way.

But now you got me thinking about treating the full tank. Problem is Tremazol requires at least 80% water change after the 6h which in a 55g tank I would like to avoid... [emoji12]

What not just use Prazipro? Or you can also use straight praziquantel powder, it just takes longer to dissolve. API General Cure is a prazi/metro powder mix that is readily available at some LFS.