The DOs and DON’Ts of Quarantine

[Barrett]

Have you ever used new life spectrum hex shield I saw that LFS today and it says it is for intestinal worms. Just wondering if it is any good.

 

[Humblefish]

Have you ever used new life spectrum hex shield I saw that LFS today and it says it is for intestinal worms. Just wondering if it is any good.

Never used it, but it is metro soaked pellets. So it should work.

 

[Barrett]

I will go pick some up tonight and let you know how it works. Thanks for all the help, I am starting a build thread for my first tank I will send a link when I get it going any comments would be much appreciated I need all the advice I can get.

 

[Barrett]

Have been feeding hex shield twice daily for 3 days, the fish love it and white stringy poop is cleared up.

 

[melypr1985]

Have been feeding hex shield twice daily for 3 days, the fish love it and white stringy poop is cleared up.

I would advise you to keep feeding it for another 7 days minimum. Just to be sure.

 

[Barrett]

Will do

 

[azreeftank]

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

I always QT with Prazi and add Prime to tank and have never had an issue. Currently have a purple and chevron tang in Qt that went thru 2 doses of Prazi and each time I added prime to tank. With copper it's a different story

 

[becks]

Nothing to add other than it completely sucks to have to be fallow in your display tank. If any is starting up the hobby....QT...QT...QT sooner or later your number is up. I'm currently going fallow.

 

[jasonrusso]

If a fish is treated with CP, why does there still need to be a 30 day QT? As I understand it, velvet and crypt stay on the fish for 4-7 days. They then fall off, reproduce, and swim to find another host. The CP will kill them at this point.

So if I put a fish in QT that is dosed with Prazi and CP (with enough aeration), then wouldn't 2 weeks max be enough time?

 

[Humblefish]

If a fish is treated with CP, why does there still need to be a 30 day QT? As I understand it, velvet and crypt stay on the fish for 4-7 days. They then fall off, reproduce, and swim to find another host. The CP will kill them at this point.

So if I put a fish in QT that is dosed with Prazi and CP (with enough aeration), then wouldn't 2 weeks max be enough time?

CP (and copper) has only been proven to kill the theront/dinospore stage. This is the free swimming stage released after tomonts encyst. The protomont (before the cyst forms) may be susceptible to copper/CP, but once the the cyst has formed and hardened around the tomont, it has greater protection against common treatments. However, I would only count on 100% eradication with the theront/dinospore stage.

Your 2 week treatment plan can work, but only under the following conditions:

1. After 14 days, the fish is transferred to another tank (QT#2) at least 10 feet away from the original treatment tank (QT#1).
2. DO NOT reuse ANYTHING from QT#1 for QT#2; only transfer the fish.
   
3. Cooper/CP must be maintained at therapeutic levels for the entire 14 days (very, very important).

This 14 day protocol requires precision, attention to detail, and allows NO MARGIN FOR ERROR.

 

[jasonrusso]

After 14 days, the fish is transferred to another tank (QT#2) at least 10 feet away from the original treatment tank (QT#1).

Not trying to argue, just trying to understand. Also not saying I am planning to do it, but I couldn't for the life of me get my eel to eat while under CP treatment (and now won't eat again after the re-occurrence and re-treatment I mentioned in my other thread), so I wouldn't want to push a full 30 days.

Why wouldn't the fish be ready for the DT after that 14 days? If I took out a small amount of water in a bowl and put him in my DT (let's assume no acclimation because parameters are matched), then there shouldn't be any live parasite transferred. I would still leave the CP in the QT tank for the remainder of the month to kill the newly hatching parasite.

 

[Humblefish]

Why wouldn't the fish be ready for the DT after that 14 days? If I took out a small amount of water in a bowl and put him in my DT (let's assume no acclimation because parameters are matched), then there shouldn't be any live parasite transferred. I would still leave the CP in the QT tank for the remainder of the month to kill the newly hatching parasite.

I think we are splitting hairs about whether the fish should be transferred into a holding tank (for further observation) or right into a DT. The latter is cutting it too close for comfort IMO. You're going to make a mistake (everyone does) sooner or later, and the observation time will hopefully allow you to catch it before the fish enters your DT.

Also, what about deworming (Prazipro)? And watching for bacterial infections? Both can be done in QT#2, while you also observe to ensure symptoms of ich/velvet do not return.

 

[lewis.maryann08]

Can I use PraziPro with Formalin MS

 

[Humblefish]

Can I use PraziPro with Formalin MS

I never have, and I would not. For two reasons:

1. The oxybispropanol found in Prazipro would likely interact negatively with the formaldehyde found in Formalin.
2. Combining those two meds would be a very harsh experience for any fish.

 

[linus.chan]

i read up on using hypo as a QT procedure and was wondering about your thoughts on matching Ph and temp only and letting fish into the hypo environment right away instead of matching SG.

 

[melypr1985]

i read up on using hypo as a QT procedure and was wondering about your thoughts on matching Ph and temp only and letting fish into the hypo environment right away instead of matching SG.

You don't want to drop a fish from one SG to hypo without acclimation. The severe change in SG can cause more harm than any QT procedures ever would.

 

[linus.chan]

this conflicts with a few articles about how fish actually do better acclimating dropped into hypo rather than matching SG- now i need to find the article on it. It ieven discussed that this was the method used by public aquariums

 

[linus.chan]

So ipthis isn't the article I think, but I believe it was the same author http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/6/fish

 

[linus.chan]

Here it is- http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/1/aafeature2

"Marine teleost fish (bony reef fish) readily adjust to a rapid drop in salinity without any apparent ill effects. Place fish directly into a salinity of 12-14ppt."

 

[linus.chan]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/2006/3/aafeature1 the follow up