The DOs and DON’Ts of Quarantine

[melypr1985]

I'm so sorry you lost all that and are having to go through so much! :-(

So the "more conservative" angle wins out. I'm okay with that. Just means that I have to wait until after the holidays to get more fishes. Otherwise I'd go out of town with fishes still in QT - which is not something I'd trust a house-sitter (read: neighbor) to keep an eye on...

It's all good now. I'm just glad that we could save the rest. My motto "It's better safe than sorry"

 

[Stylo328]

I am in need of advice. I currently have a 187-gallon reef, which I am upgrading to a 405-gallon, likely this weekend.

The 187 is known to have ick after an outbreak ~ 1 year ago that wiped out 60-70% of the fish population. Deaths were quick, so likely more than just ick.

From the initial group of fish, the chocolate, purple and blonde naso tangs survived, along with a black cardinal, yellow tail blenny and a pair of lyretail anthias. In the year following the deaths, I have added a melanurus wrasse, pair of yellow coris wrasses, green coris wrasse, mystery wrasse, salifin blenny, and a possum wrasse with no ill effects or losses.

As I prepare to swap tanks, I am considering leaving the 405 fallow, but am confused on how to handle the 14 current fish. I've read up on TTM, copper, hypo, etc... but none seem like a viable option given the large number of fish.

They also have internal parasites which I plan on treating with metroplex and focus (thanks for your post in the other thread).

Please help and feel free to be as prescriptive as possible.

Thanks in advance.

 

[melypr1985]

I am in need of advice. I currently have a 187-gallon reef, which I am upgrading to a 405-gallon, likely this weekend.

The 187 is known to have ick after an outbreak ~ 1 year ago that wiped out 60-70% of the fish population. Deaths were quick, so likely more than just ick.

From the initial group of fish, the chocolate, purple and blonde naso tangs survived, along with a black cardinal, yellow tail blenny and a pair of lyretail anthias. In the year following the deaths, I have added a melanurus wrasse, pair of yellow coris wrasses, green coris wrasse, mystery wrasse, salifin blenny, and a possum wrasse with no ill effects or losses.

As I prepare to swap tanks, I am considering leaving the 405 fallow, but am confused on how to handle the 14 current fish. I've read up on TTM, copper, hypo, etc... but none seem like a viable option given the large number of fish.

They also have internal parasites which I plan on treating with metroplex and focus (thanks for your post in the other thread).

Please help and feel free to be as prescriptive as possible.

Thanks in advance.

I would run them through copper. There is another thread with a guy who is QTing 40 fish at once using a large trough that is normally used for watering large animals I believe. We use them all the time in the hobby. He's taking his time with transferring all the fish over, but it's working well for him. It should be an active thread here in the disease forum.

 

[Humblefish]

I would run them through copper. There is another thread with a guy who is QTing 40 fish at once using a large trough that is normally used for watering large animals I believe. We use them all the time in the hobby. He's taking his time with transferring all the fish over, but it's working well for him. It should be an active thread here in the disease forum.

+1 on copper treatment, as that treats both ich & velvet. Your current crop of fish have likely developed immunity to one or both. However, they are still carriers capable of infecting new additions. The wrasses/blenny you have added are all hardy species with thick slime coats to protect them from attacking parasites. However, I'm not so sure I would add an Acanthurus Tang or other thin mucous coat species until after you've gone fallow. You could add a FW black molly to test for velvet (testing for ich can take up to 76 days) - however if he shows positive for velvet (takes a week or two) that could trigger an outbreak in your DT.

 

[Stylo328]

Well... as you may have read in my build thread, I failed in keeping a fish out during the transfer of tanks. I tried but I was unsuccessful. Therefore, all of the fish were moved into the 405. As I plan for future additions, other than avoiding tangs, do you have suggestions for species?

Thanks.

 

[melypr1985]

Well... as you may have read in my build thread, I failed in keeping a fish out during the transfer of tanks. I tried but I was unsuccessful. Therefore, all of the fish were moved into the 405. As I plan for future additions, other than avoiding tangs, do you have suggestions for species?

Thanks.

Fish with thick slime coats like clowns and wrasses may do well for you.

 

[Stylo328]

Fish with thick slime coats like clowns and wrasses may do well for you.

Thank you.

 

[rockstarta78]

So this might be a dumb question, does anyone QT lawnmower blenny? I'm thinking of getting one for a little bit of algae that I have in my tank. But worried what I'd they'd not diy enough algae after few weeks.

 

[Humblefish]

So this might be a dumb question, does anyone QT lawnmower blenny? I'm thinking of getting one for a little bit of algae that I have in my tank. But worried what I'd they'd not diy enough algae after few weeks.

Nori - lots of it. They'll also chomp on algae wafers.

 

[rockstarta78]

Can you QT them? If so, do I use copper or Prazi? I usually do 30 days of Coppersafe and 2 doses of Prazi before it goes into the DT.

 

[Humblefish]

Can you QT them? If so, do I use copper or Prazi? I usually do 30 days of Coppersafe and 2 doses of Prazi before it goes into the DT.

IME; they handle both chemicals quite well. TTM would be another option to consider: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/

 

[rockstarta78]

IME; they handle both chemicals quite well. TTM would be another option to consider: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/

Thank you humblefish. I guess I'll clip some nori and QT with coppersafe and prazipro

 

[Barrett]

Can I use prazipro and prime at the same time?

 

[Humblefish]

Can I use prazipro and prime at the same time?

No, I don't recommend it.

 

[melypr1985]

No, I don't recommend it.

agreed. It's always better safe than sorry.... rely on water changes to keep ammonia at bay until your QT can cycle.

 

[Barrett]

What would you recommend I do if I have already added prime. I just noticed one of clowns in qt has stringy white poop.

 

[melypr1985]

What would you recommend I do if I have already added prime. I just noticed one of clowns in qt has stringy white poop.

A large water change and running carbon will help quite a bit. For intestinal worms, it's best to feed metroplex in the food with Focus to bind it. This takes the meds directly to the intestines and the problem.

 

[Humblefish]

A large water change and running carbon will help quite a bit. For intestinal worms, it's best to feed metroplex in the food with Focus to bind it. This takes the meds directly to the intestines and the problem.

+1 More info: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-parasites-intestinal-worms.267419/

 

[Barrett]

Thank you so much for all your help. This is my first saltwater tank and I am trying to do everything right. Do I just put a few drops of each on pellet food? Again thank you for all your help.

 

[melypr1985]

Thank you so much for all your help. This is my first saltwater tank and I am trying to do everything right. Do I just put a few drops of each on pellet food? Again thank you for all your help.

It explains it more in the link, but if you are using pellets then you would wet the pellets and add one scoop of metroplex and one scoop of focus and allow that to soak for 20 minutes or so before feeding. Some people even allow the pellets to dry before feeding. I prefer to use frozen food for medications, but that's personal preference only.