Quarantining for lots of fish…..

[AquaKnight]

Well, it looks like my 125gal has come down with Ich. While I should have done this from the get go, I'm ready to quarantine them now. My question is that I already have so many fish, would hypo'ing the main tank be my best option?

Here are the fish; double whiptail bream 2.5", bridled bream 3", 2 porkfish 1.5".2", harlequin tusk 5", cuban hogfish 3", domino damsel 1.5", blue throat trigger 3", and panther grouper 3". All of the fish are smaller juvi's minus the Tusk, obviously.

As of right now the Tusk and Blue Throat are the only ones showing any signs. The Cuban Hogfish and Panther Grouper were the most recent additions from a 'hole-in-the-wall' LFS in Miami, were I think the Ich came from.

The main reason I am leaning towards just doing the main tank, is that most of it is dead. I used Lowes sand and collected some of the rock (construction sites). The other half of the rock is dried former live rock from a buddy's previous tank. So hypo-ing the tank wouldn't kill much, if anything off, right? Or if setting up hospital tanks is still the only route, how tanks/sizes/and fish combinations should I do? (I'd really like to avoid that if possible with just using the main tank).

 

[LakeEd]

I would think, as long as you understand that any corals and most likely coraline algae, wouldn't appreciate the Hypo... I don't see a problem doing that on your main display.

Don't take any shortcuts in your Hypo treatment. Take the time to do it correctly, especially after completion the very slow return of your Specific Gravity back up to normal levels.

I would, however, plan ahead now and start colletcting equipment so you have a dedicated QT tank ready for your next additions.

Just my two cents worth...

 

[AquaKnight]

Well, thankfully I haven't stocked any corals yet and there is no coraline. I definitely will be planning to take my time.

I guess now my questions are what should I do different then the hypo sticky? I imagine I should keep my sump and skimmer (EV-240) running? What about my phosban reactor with chemi-pure and carbon? My UV (only 15watt) probably should stay going? I will remove the couple of snails and hermits I have. I also will step up my weekly water changes, probably ten gallons bi weekly, Monday/Friday. I will get a fresh membrane and new DI for my RO/DI unit. Anything else? Kill the lighting, just the actnics for a couple hours?

 

[LakeEd]

I'll defer most of those questions for the knowledge Lee brings here... but I don't see any problems with running all of your normal equipment. The light idea is probably a good idea since your fish would do just fine under just Normal Output lighting, I guess you could save a few in your power bill for now, as well as extending the life of your bulbs.

 

[AquaKnight]

FWIW, my lighting is 2 175watt MH's that run from 6-11pm and 2 110watt VHO actnics that run from 12-12. The tank receives a lot of light from a big front window it's adjacent to. Flow is a Mag 18 return (valved off a lot though) and a Wave2k center unit.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Keep in mind that the live rock will stop doing much in the area of denitrification and you will need to perform water changes as if it was a simple QT. You will need to blow off the new detritus from dying algaes on the rocks too.

My QT has base rock in it, and I feel the fish appreciate it but this is against the norm and OMHO

Mike

 

[leebca]

Putting a display system through hypo will cause die-off of some of the micro and small organisms. Expect and be prepared for a water quality issue. Sometimes the bacteria will keep doing their things, sometimes they go into a metabolic freeze until they adjust to the new salinity. It can go either way.

I don't know exactly how much LR you have. You described it as being a bit on the barren side. If for any reason some of it seems 'lively' I'd remove it to a plastic tub with circulation and lighting to keep it going.

Don't run a skimmer with hypo. The sticky still applies on all the do's and don'ts with the substrate and left over rock. UV okay. Carbon is okay, but forgo any phosphate removers. You can switch over to chemical ammonia removing media if you want. However, you might want to save these costs. You will be doing water changes and that should keep organics in check. For the time being, you don't care about nuisance growth.

The inconvenience will be the frequent and large water changes. You'll be in the business of 'making water' more than anything.

You're main challenge will be maintaining the pH. Watch it closely and keep it in the right zone and steady. Ask if I missed any of your questions or if you have more.

Good luck!

 

[AquaKnight]

Any idea on a schedule of water changes? And the other would be what would I use to rise/lower the PH?

 

[leebca]

Those answers are here, along with other good information: A Fish Hyposalinity Treatment.

Good luck!

 

[AquaKnight]

Well, not good.

Most of the fish didn't not make it through the night. Only the Panther and the domino are left. Losing the Harlequin Tusk hurts the most. Not just the $ but he was the coolest fish, always out and sooo beautiful.

I am complemting stopping hypo-ing the main tank (only a couple gallons switched) and getting rubbermaid bins for the fish. Would this be okay? The larger ones work?

 

[LakeEd]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

The rubbermaid bins would work... however when I had my QT up and running, I found it most helpful to be able to actually look in and see how my fish was doing... where you would only be able to do a "top-down" look.

Like I said though, the rubbermaid bins will work, just have to adjust how you monitor your fish.

 

[leebca]

Like Ed wrote. . .It will work. You just will have difficulty in monitoring the condition of the fish. Monitoring the fish closely is what makes for a successful quarantine. I'd urge you to do it the best you can. Get that QT!

 

[mmkeeper]

Make sure after you remove your remaining fish that the tank remains fishless at least 6 weeks.

 

[AquaKnight]

Well, I got a 12gal Esclipe tank Friday for QT for the Panther. Set it up and let it get going for 2 days then added the Panther Sun night. Didn't make it 2 hours. He had got pretty bad by the time I caught him, didn't even flee from the net.

My question on the QT tank, are the filters done on the Eclipse (go buy new one)? Or can I just take then out, let them dry out and put them back in? The filters are a padded filter and a bio-wheel. I would have waited for the bio wheel to start kicking but the Panther looked pretty bad (fuzzy eyes, ich you could see even on his white body). Planning on draining the tank and scrubing it clean. There was a fake rock and plastic plant in there, planning on a scrubing them letting them dry out too. Would that kill the Ich?

 

[leebca]

Sorry to hear of the loss.

The bio filter should be cleaned and dried. Then if you want to have it ready in the future for the quarantine, you'll want to get it going again in either the main system sump or the QT. Only the biological filter needs to be functional and that can be kept going in the main display system after it is cleaned.

Follow the cleaning recommendations given here: Cleaning Procedures for your particular situation.

I hope you've gotten rid of the Marine Ich from the main system.

 

[AquaKnight]

Jeez, I know there are a bunch of stickies, but there's really one for all my questions lol.

Would the bio wheel be okay if I were to just submerge it in the sump somewhere? (Not having it spin) The filter assembly is incorparated to the top of the Eclispe tank so I really just can't throw on the filter on the other tank.

And by add it back to "the main tank" you mean my 29gal right? Not the 125gal which still has some weeks to go before the Ich is wiped out? Or will the filter not catch Ich? I'd like to stagger the tank fish, that way I have the tank sitting empty of fish for the 6 weeks and I plan on buying some fish for it to place into QT (probably get a couple more tanks for QT as well).

 

[mmkeeper]

You take either a new bio wheel or the one you have after you have cleaned it. You put it in sump or in your qt tank with a fish it, like a damsel or chormis to seed the biowheel. So when you need the qt it is already cycled.

 

[leebca]

I know the aquarium was a 'package' deal but I would toss the filter it came with. Buy the corner sponge filter and small air pump. That can be put into the main system (after the Marine Ich is gone) to seed for the biological filter. Then when you need the QT you can set it up and move the sponge filter over. The sponge filter does more than just a biological filter, it moves the water around just enough and not too much.

In order for the bio-wheel to be bacteriologically 'functional' it should be in operation either in the QT or the main system sump (after the Marine Ich is gone from the main system).

Getting more QTs is a good idea. Keep it simple. Not too many. A 10 or 15 each with corner sponge filter, a light just enough to see the fish and the fish can see its food, and some hiding pipe is about all you need. Get a K-Mart Special! It can sit on a sturdy table or inexpensive stand. It can be used or new, with a new filter.

You can begin to quarantine your next fish now while you wait for the main system to rid itself of Ich. Just go slowly.

 

[Snowboarda42]

If I were you, I would just get 9 10G tanks, one big air pump, split off the lines into each sponge filter, use the lighting from either a window, or a room's light, and use copper (cupramine is awesome!). That way you wouldn't have to fuss with lowering SG, plus, copper also treats Marine Velvet, which I almost mistook for Marine Ich.


Just my opinion though.

 

[AquaKnight]

Well in addition to the 12gal Eclipse, I'll probably be picking up a 29gal, 25gal, and 10gal standard tanks from a local. Figuring some of the fish I want, Banana Wrasse, Harlequin Tusk, will need something bigger then a 10gal for QT?

I thought about a damsel in QT, but wouldn't that almost be irrelevant? By that I mean, the QT would be established for a bio-load of a damsel, if I were to plop in a 4 or 5" lion, it wouldn't be too far off as to just tossing the lion in a fresh system?

Also, one more question. I know you say to seperate fish in QT, but what if they come from the same tank (even the same tiny holding tank) from the LFS? They would be exposed to each other and 'might as well be in the same tank' for QT? Or would it be a more stress type thing with the other fish in there? I wouldn't super crowd them in, but like a 5" or so Harlequin Tusk and a 3" trigger in a 29gal?