Guest Bethesda_Jim January 9, 2007 Share January 9, 2007 Howdy Folks, I was hoping some of you might be willing to share with me your secrets to your pre-tank preperations (freshwater? Homemade? Store-bought?). I now have two fish in my tank and a few corals and i would like to keep them alive if at all possible. Greatly appreciate It. Bethesda_Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dell2go January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 Howdy Folks, I was hoping some of you might be willing to share with me your secrets to your pre-tank preperations (freshwater? Homemade? Store-bought?). I now have two fish in my tank and a few corals and i would like to keep them alive if at all possible. Greatly appreciate It. Bethesda_Jim Well, I don't know about coral FW dip. But I do know about fish FW dip. Get about 2-4 gallons buck of fresh water (fw), set temp and pH the same as the main tank, put the fish in fw for about 4 mins. That's how I did mine. HTH, Huy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 Be sure to inspect all new corals for possible predatory hitchhikers like heliacus snails, predatory aeolid nudibranchs, sea spiders...etc. I dip new corals in a coral disifectant - can't remember if it's a Kent or Seachem product. Lugol's would work too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 I dip every coral in a strong solution of Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure. It is iodine based and proven killer of just about every parasite except redbugs. Fish all get hypo in quarantene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bethesda_Jim January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 Sweet. What's Hypo? I dip every coral in a strong solution of Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure. It is iodine based and proven killer of just about every parasite except redbugs. Fish all get hypo in quarantene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 Hyposalinity. You set up your quarantine tank with normal salinity. 1.025. Add your new fish. Slowly over 2-3 weeks lower the salinity to 1.009. Leave it there for a week. Then slowly over 3 weeks bring it back up to 1.025. This will kill marine ick. It is a lot more reliable and effective than fresh water dips. It kinda sucks b/c you want to see your new friend in your display. But its worth the wait to know your fish isn't carrying something. We also dip our corals with lugol's and inspect everything going in for possible hitchhikers and/or damage. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 Jenny, This equals out to about a QT time of hypo. for about 4-6 weeks, right? Just wanted to clarify. It really does help w/ ich and I've left mine in QT for 6-8 weeks just to be really sure. I 've read of others main tanks being infested as a result of not QTing or not doing it long enough. Take care of it at the start and the rewards are good and worth it in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 January 10, 2007 Share January 10, 2007 Actually fish can tolerate lowering the salinity rather quickly it is raising it that you need to go slow on. My prceedure is lower from 1.026 to 1.009 over 2 days ( I have done it in a day though) and hold for 4 weeks. Over the next week bring back up to 1.026 and observe for a week. Still 5-6 week process for adding new fish. During this time they get fat and I learn a little bit about their personality so it is a fun thing for me rather than a chore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveM January 11, 2007 Share January 11, 2007 I dip every coral in a strong solution of Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure. It is iodine based and proven killer of just about every parasite except redbugs. Fish all get hypo in quarantene. So what would you dip it in if it had red bugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dell2go January 11, 2007 Share January 11, 2007 Can you all elaborate more about how you dip your new coral? Like what is step by step, the set up etc... please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 January 11, 2007 Share January 11, 2007 So what would you dip it in if it had red bugs? interceptor....shhhhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny January 11, 2007 Share January 11, 2007 (edited) Dandy do you really? I wonder if HeartGuard would work... hbh. Quarantine for minimum of 6 weeks. Longer if they show any signs of illness. Dell2go. For dips you mix new water. Check pH, temp, salinity(if you are doing freshwater obviously 0.000). Then add the medication following the dosing instructions on the bottle. Then just put the fish in and set a timer. For Fish: dewormers: praziquantel, fenbendazole (panacur), piperazine (in that order of preference) give orally external parasites: Formalin, copper - cupramine, methylene blue (good to use with freshwater dips). 30-60 minute dip antibiotics: Nitrofurans, kanamycn, minocycline (maracyn-2), neomycin 60 minute dip if they are not eating otherwise give orally We also do 30 minute freshwater dips for clams and zoas. HTH Jenny Edited January 11, 2007 by Jenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kngfisher January 11, 2007 Share January 11, 2007 Is Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure safe for all coral....SPS/LPS/Softies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 January 12, 2007 Share January 12, 2007 (edited) Is Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure safe for all coral....SPS/LPS/Softies? yup, I've even dipped macro algae..... Edited January 12, 2007 by dandy7200 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh January 16, 2007 Share January 16, 2007 Dandy, ( or any one else) Why dip Macroalgae? Would a quick rinse under tap water w/ a dip in RO/DI also be effective for why you've dipped it? Hav you ever QTed it? BTW, what are "red bugs". Hope I never get them.... which is why QT is Good. I agree w/ 6 weeks plus. esp. for ich (!) but is this timeframe true across the board for all corals and inverts too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny January 16, 2007 Share January 16, 2007 hbh, Everything has the possibility of caring unwanted goodies into your tank. And its really a lot easier and less stress if you take preventative measures rather than reactionary. Fresh water dips (dips 30 minutes not just a rinse) can kill some of these things but not all. Thats why its good to use the iodine type solutions, they kill more. See here for info on red bugs link QT all fish minimum 6 weeks. No matter if they show signs of illness or not. As far as coral goes I don't QT. I should but I don't have correct lights on my QT to keep the corals happy and healthy for 6 weeks. So I do preventative dips and inspect for hitchhikers and hope for the best. Same goes for noncoral inverts with light requirements. For inverts that don't have heavy light requirements and live rock they get the QT. Snails have been reported to carry parasites. I'm not sure how often this happens. But I figure better safe than sorry ya know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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