Quarantine Tank and MelaFix

[mling]

I have never had a quarantine tank, QT, for treating diseases before now. I need some general QT advise.

 

I have a Lion in a 10 Gal QT for treatment of Cloudy Eye with Melafix. It has been there for 4 days and the eyes are a lot clearer. However it is still not as active as before and has only eaten 1 krill. While this may be normal for most Lion it is not for this one since it was always begging for food before this.

 

The instructions for Melafix says to continue dosing for 7 days with NO water change. With no skimmer on the QT, is this not too much medication for a fish ? Also, since there is no skimmer what do you do about water quality in the QT ?

 

How long do you leave a fish is QT before water changes ? Do you need to have a power head running ? I have 3 LF in the tank and turn the power head on now and then.

[jnguyen4007]

I haven't treated my salt water fish yet, but I've done it countless time with my fresh water. Hopefully my advice will work for salt water as well. I got my advice from other folks so they're not my own, but they worked. Get a sponge filter and hook it up to an air pump. Oxygen gets rapidly depleted when fish is medicating so you need to increase oxygen in the water to help them breathe better. the sponge filter will also increase water movement. Follow the instruction for the medication. After 7 days, do a big water change and I would continue treatment for another 7 days to make sure your fish is cured. Do another water change. At this point, run your filter and keep an eye on your fish for a few more days before you return it to your main tank.

 

James

[yauger]

dude I would keep the power heads on constantly, do you have a skimmer on your QT tank? if not then I would do a water change on the system, I think that med your using is directions for using it in your main system and not an isolated smaller tank with zero circulation and not other means of filtration.

[AndrewB]

Test the ammonia and nitrite levels. If they are coming up, do the water change and re-treat with Melafix.

[dhoch]

1) You definitly want power heads or some kind of motion in there (and to create surface turbulance) You need to create oxygen exchange between the air and water or the fish will suffocate

 

2) I would not add a skimmer (just a power head or two).

 

3) If you can add something in so ti's not a bare tank (large pvc pipes work well) so the fish(s) have somewhere to hide

 

4) Watch nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia carefully.... if levels start to rise (as andrew allready said) do a water change.

 

Dave

[Sugar Magnolia]

Definitely no skimmer. Melafix makes the skimmer go crazy.

[jnguyen4007]

I wouldn't even use an HOB filter as the medication will kill off any bacteria that's on the filter. Once you take your fish off of medication and do a massive water change for at least couple of times, then run your filter and or skimmer at that point. It's normal for your fish to lose interest in eating during treatment. An increase in temperature can get them to eat. But I'd advise you not to do that until you know they are healthy again and are off of medication first.