Quarantine advice

[AndrewRyan]

Just set up a 29 gallon QT tank and picked up two clownfish to begin the process of stocking my DT.  I have Copper Power, PraziPro, and General Cure available and a Hanna copper checker to be delivered tomorrow but I’m seeing a lot of different advice re: methodology.  I’d like the process to be as simple as is possible while remaining effective and reducing stress on the fish to the greatest extend feasible.  Appreciate any tips or tricks offered based on the collective experience here.

 

Does anything change considering these will be the first two fish in the DT? 

Edited January 22, 2023 by AndrewRyan

[WheresTheReef]

I always observe the fish for a week or two to ensure they are eating and have the strength to make it through the treatment. If something crops up sooner then you can treat earlier. This is where it matters that the fish come from a good source and not in bad shape to begin with.

The link below is a pretty good resource.
https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/quarantine.2/

 

It’s worth noting that copper doesn’t address brook or uronema. Below are a couple links worth reading.

https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/brooklynella.5/

https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/uronema.13/

 

I also like to keep metroplex, Kanaplex, furan 2 (which is no longer available), and seachem focus on hand.

 

Nothing really changes since these are your first fish. IMO it’s good you’re starting off with a treatment and quarantine protocol for your fish.

 

 

[AndrewRyan]

8 hours ago, WheresTheReef said:

The link below is a pretty good resource.
https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/quarantine.2/

Thanks.  I actually have initiated Humble Fish’s protocols already.  I have picked up another 10 gallon for an observation tank and am slowly raising copper levels in the 29 gallon. Once I have the levels at 2.5 ppm, I’ll add in some Metroplex (from my understanding covers Brook, which I want to be sure of considering these are clowns). I’m thinking I’ll go with the 14 days of therapeutic copper with Metro and then transfer to the observation tank and treat for flukes there with PraziPro.

 

When the clowns are in observation/treatment for flukes, I plan on picking up the next two fish to begin the copper/Metro therapy. The benefit in my mind of having a final fish stocking plan is I can work towards that end state, naturally allowing BB to grow to accommodate the stocking with natural 2-3 weeks increments.

 

What will need up being depressing to me is if I go through this whole process and introduce disease through inverts/corals later down the road, but I figure fish QT greatly reduces the chance of outbreak regardless.

 

Again, really appreciate you taking the time for response!

[WheresTheReef]

Sounds good. Monitor their eating as sometimes their appetite is decreased during treatment. I've experienced this more with Metro than with copper alone. I would extend treatment just a little beyond 14 days as this implies optimal temperature within the aquarium for the parasite life cycle.

 

I would hold off on immediately adding new fish to the hospital/ treatment tank as something may arise during observation of the fish. There may be a case that you might need to continue treatment on the fish, so it's best to leave the medicated tank in place.

 

There's always a chance of introducing a parasite via corals or other inverts. This can be greatly reduced by running a fishless QT. This is what I used to do. Now I just make sure to remove corals from the frag plugs and never introduce pieces of rock. There's still a chance of something coming in on a coral skeleton without any tissue though.

[howaboutme]

I think inverts or other non-fish items that we place in our tanks are still a big risk for hobbyist. I got burned once w/ what I believe were diseases on snail shells. Short of doing the full 45 day invert QT, our only other option to mitigate that risk is to buy from stores that you know have fishless invert systems.  While it may be difficult to find an online retailer that does this, we do have at least 1 store (Reefescape) that does have a fishless invert system and that is the only place I get inverts. I'd love to know if any other place has a confirmed fishless invert system. Of course, this only takes care of inverts, not corals.

[AndrewRyan]

Thanks for the suggestion! I have heard nothing but goods things about Reefescape and will have to check them out.  The challenge is I live in Fredericksburg and with 95 the way it is, trips to LFS north can be quite painful. I think I’m pretty clear eyed that I can’t completely eliminate risk, so for me it’s about cost/benefit.

 

I have assumed too much risk in the past and it has always derailed me eventually, so I’m hoping to give myself the best shot at long term success and enjoyment.

[cpeguero]

Glad you’re already following humblefish’s approach. I personally do modified TTM but instead of copper, but do have copper power on hand just in case.

TSM aquatics does quarantined fish as well, and I’ve had good luck with them as well as Reef Escape.

All my inverts go through 76 day fishless QT. I tried the higher temp shorter QT, but I think it was contributing to coral losses, so put the temp back down.


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[AndrewRyan]

2 hours ago, cpeguero said:

Glad you’re already following humblefish’s approach. I personally do modified TTM but instead of copper, but do have copper power on hand just in case.

TSM aquatics does quarantined fish as well, and I’ve had good luck with them as well as Reef Escape.

All my inverts go through 76 day fishless QT. I tried the higher temp shorter QT, but I think it was contributing to coral losses, so put the temp back down.


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When you do the fishless QT for inverts what does that system look like? Size, filtration, etc? And I’m guessing you have to feed them during that time.  Are you just dropping in some Nori or algae wafers every so often?

 

76 days is aggressive (though I’m not arguing that it is warranted).  I better get on it soon if I go that route or I’m going to be staring at Diatoms w/o a CuC here in the next month or two.

[cpeguero]

The 76 days is 72 days to ensure no ich free swimmers are getting released + 4 days to make sure any free swimmer released on day 72 is dead (they can survive for 3 days). If you’re going for the shorter duration, you need to be above 80.6 degrees at all times.

The fishless QT is a 40 breeder with an mp10, hob filter with sponge (sometimes I toss polyfilter in), heater, and a chiller (needed that to get it down to 76 during the summer).

I have a black box led and an ai prime for light (because I QT corals too) and an auto feeder that feeds once per day, just a little. I’m currently quarantining some cleaner shrimp, so they need the food more.

My AWC “waste” from the display goes into this tank, so it gets 2 gallon water changes daily. I have it rigged so the overflow of water from the AWC goes straight down the drain. Also helps keep parameters stable.

The tank has a couple of frag racks and some random rocks in it too.

Non-coral invert qt you can get away with a simple setup. If you’re QT-ing coral, you need to watch the parameters carefully (or change water a lot more). I also dose kalk.


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