Quarantine tank

[mjs]

Last week we had a power outage, and the water temp dropped substantially.
It looks like my Hippo Tang may have come down with a touch of ich. He is acting fine, but clearly has white spots on the body and a few on the fins. No other fish show any signs. It is a 4 year old 75 gallon marine tank, w lots of live rock, snails and shrimp. There are 10 fish in it so, I cannot treat it.

My question is regarding setting up a quarntine. When I am getting new fish I usually run a quarantine for a few weeks, let it cycle, then introduce new fish to it. I have a 15 gallon w a bio ball filter for it.

This may be an emergency if it is ich. Can i start the tank w 15 gallons from the big tank w/o cycling and put the fish in at once after a fresh water bath?
Do i run the risk of a spike this way or is it safe since the water is already "seasoned"?

 

[NaH2O]

My question to you is are you looking to eradicate the ich? If you treat the tang in QT, then introduce it back to the display, then it won't be free of the parasite any longer. Just because the other fish don't show "symptoms" doesn't mean they are ich free.

What kind of treatment were you planning on for the tang? Just a FW dip, or hyposalinity treatment, or some other method?

 

[mjs]

My plan was to get all the fish out of the big tank and into Q, then use a copper solution in there for a few weeks. Mwanwhile, I would run the temp up and salinity down in the big tank for the same period. Hopefully, this will cure the fish, those with and without symptoms, and at the same time keep the live rock and inverts ok although it will be a hostile environment.

I did this the only other time i had ich, and it worked.

i am just hung up on whether i need to cycle my QT or can go right to it with the big tanks water.

 

[NaH2O]

Certainly you can use the water from your display, and use as much as possible, but you will still need to have a bunch of water handy to perform large water changes when any ammonia is detectable. Do you have any kind of sponge filter being seeded in your display right now?

Provided your display tank is fallow/fishless for 6-8 weeks, then there is no need to raise the temp and lower the salinity. This will only stress out the current inhabitants, so I will strongly encourage you not to change their environment. As long as there are no fish to complete the C. irritans life cycle in the display, then the parasite will die off.

As for the QT procedure goes, I would stick with hyposalinity for C. irritans treatment. It will take 6-8 weeks, but is the easiest way to go about treating the fish.

What species of fish besides the tang will be QTed? Any chance of adding another QT, so the 15 g tank isn't overloaded with fish? Even if it is a rubbermaid tub of some kind? or an extra tank you can borrow?

Quarantine supplies and acclimation procedures

 

[mjs]

2 clowns, 2 anthias, 1 yellow tang, 2 firefish, 1 coral beauty, 2 chromis, 1 six line wrasse. I was concerned about having them all in a 15 gallon as well. what is your opinion re: this population together in there?

So, based on the prior thread link you sent, you suggest using the 15-20 gallons from the display to set up the QT, and managing the cycle with water changes/ correct?
It also seems like you are suggesting to skip the bath and go right to the QT.

 

[NaH2O]

I don't think the bath will be beneficial, especially if you are willing to do hyposalinity treatment. Completeing the full treatment of hyposalinity will be your best bet. I think the population of fish will be too much for your 15 gallon tank. Any chance of getting your hands on a livestock/rubbermaid tub, or adding a few more smaller tanks?

Yes, according to what is in the other thread, use about 15 gallons or so from the display. Just make sure you have plenty of water ready to go on hand for water changes. And that means, water of the correct salinity, temp and pH.

 

[mjs]

thanks
wish me luck