QT Tank?

[mcdonaldjosh7]

Alright, the 40b is up, heater is on, and cheap HOB filter is running. So know on to questions...

The main thing that drove me to this is ich infestation in my tank...although I should've had one for some time, i hadn't added any fish for like a year I think. So for the ich, what should I treat with? I have a reef safe ich treatment (or so it says) but will this work in the tank? Or is this just a bad formula? Keep in mind I won't be using it with anything other then fish....
If not, what should I go out and get?

Next: what else can be in the tank? Or should be? Substrate? snails to help with algae? hermit crabs? anything at all? Or just a glass box, fish and water?

And finally: When I am adding new fish, what should be the procedure?

Thanks ahead of time RF!

 

[lvsuckerfish]

glass box, fish, water, lighting reg florecent, PVC for them to hide in I have a bunch of 2 in if you need some. I believe I have a full stick on the side of the house. if you need some. will work great for fish only qt. tangs I leave in for atleast 2 months other fish I leave in not quite as long main thing for a qt is observing the fish tangs or fish prone to ich more so then other fish observe and feed alot of greens as in nori green's reds browns purples both fresh and store bought! sump and skimmer wont hurt either. for me I used a 55 cut and made a all in one tank with a over powered return for flow. I am now taking it down as I will not need it for a while not planning on any fish any time soon. water changes are a must if no skimmer is attached to the system forsale adds cheap crp or any hangon the back skimmer even the prizms are good for a qt well thats about all they are good for.

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

but you wouldn't recommend any snails, hermits, etc? or substrate?

is there anything other then ich i should be looking for?

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I would say no on all of the above as if you have to treat for something you will be in the tank diging them out. just clean the glass I also I think have a spare glass cleaner magnets I will have to hunt them down in the garage . but for all no as I read ich in is hibernation mode so to say will bond to substrate hermit and snails i may be going a little far but the shells are I would consider substrate as then grow and or grew from calcium. which I would say is a potential hiding spot. what ever you do if you decide to us copper make sure you mark your equipment as you probly will not want to use it for the reef.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

and for looking for anything else you want to observe all the fishes behaviour and over all apperence. anything that does not look normal photo it and post on the site which I would probly put under Lee's section he seems to be quite the fish guru. it may take a day for him to see it but he will give you an answer but posting something like that always post params and fish and what was last changed and or added to the tank the more info the better him or anyone can help

 

[NC2WA]

Might want to read the following sticky from Lee's forum:

Fish Stocking Limit
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29287

 

[thatguy559]

all you need is what has already been stated. if you do copper treatment then all your snails will die. and anything you put in that tank as far as equipment rocks and substrate can never be used in your reef tank if you go the copper route.

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

all you need is what has already been stated. if you do copper treatment then all your snails will die. and anything you put in that tank as far as equipment rocks and substrate can never be used in your reef tank if you go the copper route.

No I don't plan to use copper. I worry of its effects on the fish, plus it will be no good for the eel. Hyposalinity seems the best route for me in this situation...

So much work though :/

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

72 hours running, 50% water from the DT, 50% new RO/DI water...would you guys say I could move the tang now? He looks worse every day...

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I am not a fan of Hypo salinity on fish as it stress's them out more then what they already are qt and make them as confortable as possible and let them settle in the qt you really do not need to have a premade qt for cycling. you will need to fill it with your current tank water and thats all just have SW always ready as you will want to do alot of water changes over time. I never understood taking a sick fish dipping it in fresh blue rodi water. then placing it back in the tank somethings I wonder. when it is alot easier to just qt and moniter the fish. but it all goes for what works best for the situation you are in.

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

I am not a fan of Hypo salinity on fish as it stress's them out more then what they already are qt and make them as confortable as possible and let them settle in the qt you really do not need to have a premade qt for cycling. you will need to fill it with your current tank water and thats all just have SW always ready as you will want to do alot of water changes over time. I never understood taking a sick fish dipping it in fresh blue rodi water. then placing it back in the tank somethings I wonder. when it is alot easier to just qt and moniter the fish. but it all goes for what works best for the situation you are in.

Thats a little confusing, but the tang and 2 gobies are showing guaranteed signs of ich, so I need to treat them...if thats what your saying?

I am looking at attempting to leave the tank fishless for 8 weeks, maybe a little more (depends how soon I can turn this 55 gallon into a QT for the eel).

From what I have read, hyposalinty is the least stressful of all the methods...

 

[lvsuckerfish]

it is the least after of course qting I was more along the lines saying freshwater is not the best option even though you never mentioned it I have seen it done and seen fish live a few more days stressed out. and ebd up dieing. hypo in a qt is a good Idea for treat now start to a solution.

 

[mcdonaldjosh7]

Im looking at taking the salinity down to 1.009 right now...

I have to get all the fish into the Qt first...I managed to catch the gobies and they are in there right now. Still have to get the tang and the damsel (the hard ones).

My maroon clown will be easy, as he swam into the net out of curiosity when I was netting the gobies. It will suck to break him away from his anemone though

 

[noworries]

Really if this is a qt tank, use no substrate, pvc for the fish to "hide" in. Treat with copper. Ich usually generally runs its course and is gone (not needing a QT tank). A QT tank is meant to be simple. Don't be afraid of copper, you aren't QT corals or inverts in this tank. A lot of people stress the fish out more than needed when they see the first signs of ich by trying to capture them throw them in another tank, etc...A QT tanks' first rule should be KEEP IT SIMPLE. I googled marine ich and was bombarded by info...most was redundant.

 

[ReefLogic]

When I treat ich I raise the temp in my tank and fire up the UV Sterlizer....that's it. Hasn't failed me since adding the UV.