Turn FOWLR tank into QT, Setting new DT Tank... Loopholes?

[stageforkids]

Hey guys,

So I'm semi new to the hobby (a year?), and had a couple of Ich outbreaks.

I didn't do the QT setup and all, so I went into Ich management.



Feeding fish (tangs, damsels, garden eels, doctor wrasse, trigger) and inverts (strawberry conch, hermit crabs) and one anemone.

All eating well, well fed with four types of flakes plus mysis shrimp, added with Biowell Aquatics Vitamin-R and selcon.

Evening, I add BA's Vitamin-C.



All going well, and almost done with ruby rally pro, fifth day (using it as a prevention). Was planning on then stopping the rally, leave for two days, and then do the Voogle+ No to Antibiotics for three days to further build immune system.



Then. Today. I see scratching against rocks.



So, as I have read and realized the common challenges that some of us have; panic and worry - I've decided to soon do the whole Ich removal instead of management.



So, lucky me, I have a new tank ready for use. The stand arrives this week.



So, what I'm wanting to do is to start cycling this new tank, new rocks, substrate, etc etc.

And turn the DT into a QT.

SO... please advice on the following questions (do excuse me, being semi new, I may be asking really stupid questions but I want to be sure that I got every tiny corner covered. I don't want to fail this).

My steps:
1. Setup the new tank and leave to cycle.
Will be placed at least 5 metres from the DT. Won't touch on the same day I'm touching the QT.
I understand that I should throw in a shrimp to help with the cycling.
But I'd need buy the shrimp, which means I may be bringing in Ich with shrimp as carrier.
Advice please?

2. Remove my inverts and anemone into a small tank to follow through the Ich dropping off, etc. How long is this for? And when do I get to add these guys to the new DT?

3. I'm going to leave the substrate (fine sand), the rocks, etc etc in the DT turned QT. Of course, the fish.

I will be using coppersafe from fritz (it's what I have now).
How long is this for? And is there anyway to check that the fish are Ich free before moving to the new DT?
And what about the Ich (in all of their different stages) in the QT - will they remain active when they hatch, during the coppersafe period.


Also:

Am I missing anything that's related to the new tank, things I should take note of?


Ps. I won't be adding anymore fish or inverts, as I'm truly happy with my fishy and invert kids now. Daddy's so proud of them.

Also, I'm going for a week's trip to Vietnam (I'm in Singapore) for a week, and so during that time I will have a pet sitter come and feed/change water/ et. Twice a day.
Which means, all of the above will need to be done after I return.
Any idea on how, IF THE SCRATCHY happens to be Ich reanimated, we can withhold until I return in a week?
The food will remain. I'm trying to avoid using complicated medication whilst I'm away to avoid the sitter getting stressed out (or worse, kill my babies).

So, there you go.
Help, advice and tips would be absolutely amazing. I've got four days before my flight.
Hopefully get things sorted before I leave.

Thanks guys!

 

[Clarkjw2002]

This is how I'd approach it.

Set up new tank and move a few of your rocks and/or filter media to the new tank to help jumpstart cycling. Feed the tank a little bit of your normal fish food every day to feed the cycle and develop the capacity to handle the fish load (doesn't have to be a shrimp--can be anything that decomposes). Let this sit cycling for a few months. Any ich on your substrate will hatch and die since there are no fish, making it ich free. 4-5 months would guarantee you are ich free, 2-3 months probably 80-90% probability, and less would not be worth the effort.

Then I'd use the tank transfer method on all the fish to rid them of parasites over 10 days and put in the new tank.

Then leave the old tank with no fish and all inverts for 4-5 months while feeding. Then you can move everything into the new tank.

Will take a significant amount of time but better to do it right. Add new clean up crew to the new tank immediately after ammonia is gone. Feeding the tank every day will feed them. If you move some of your old rocks you can put them in immediately, or move some of the clean up crew you already have.

If fish are basically Healthy then you have time to do this.

Otherwise, move all inverts to the new tank for the 4-5 month fallow period and treat the old tank. If you do this you MUST move some of your rocks and/or substrate to immediately handle the bio load and not stress/kill your more sensitive inverts (anemone).

With only 4 days until your flight I would not do anything until your return. Quick changes and a different caretaker are sure to stress the fish.

 

[jamesb07]

1 just don’t use the shrimp, use ammonium chloride or any other fish food to get cycle started.

2 from my understanding, and mostly what I’ve read, once they shed yoy should be fine. Not sure as far as the anemone.

3 do not leave substrate or rock in treated aquarium as it absorbs copper and you will have a very very hard time (near impossible) maintaining proper copper levels. Coppersafe is to be dosed at 2.25ppm (2 doses split over 24hrs). Once you reach this concentration it takes 30 days maintaining this concentration. If it drops below 2.0ppm, the 30 day counter resets. (Hence why I said impossible to do with rock, as it absorbs copper and you will most likely not be able to maintain this concentration). Use the Hannah copper test kit. It is the most accurate. Api is absolutely junk (I learned this the hard way). Then once 30 days is over remove copper through water changes. As far as checking if they have ich, I suppose you could keep them in observation for a couple of week, but I suppose there would be no way of 100% guaranteeing this. (I’m not a professional don’t quote me on that part)

You might be okay holding for a week, but once ich starts it multiplies quickly and is harder on the fish. From my understanding it is best to start treatment ASAP.

 

[stageforkids]

Hey guys thanks a billion! I'm currently still traveling and will be doing this next week when I return.

I do have a question:
I'm doing coppersafe.


And I want to remove the substrate (white sand, bio sand) and rocks.
Could you guys please recommend things I could put in for the fish to hide?

And after removing the sand and rocks; can I put it in the new tank for cycling immediately, as this new tank will be left for 72-75 days fishless? Or put the sand and rocks somewhere else to dry for that period, to be safe?

Thank you!

 

[Clarkjw2002]

PVC pipe fittings.

You need to compensate for removing your biological filter material--rocks and sand. Monitor ammonia closely and use something like amquel (aquarium ammonia detoxifier) daily. If you already have other plastic filter media like bioballs in there then that will help. If adding new follow above.

72-75 days fishes should be enough, especially if the tank is on the warm side.