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Looking for information on QT process

MBVette

By MBVette,
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MBVette Uber Reefer

MBVette

So I am going to be setting up a QT system and would like to read up on the whole process such as how to tell when to medicate and so on. Can you point me to any good sites or books?

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Jan Oracle Reefer

Jan

(edited)

This should keep you busy for a little while :) . There's also "Marine Fish Disease" Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment by Edward Noga. I haven't gotten it yet but my understanding is that it is a great book to have. $$$

 

 

http://www.wetwebmed...arantine.htmess

 

http://www.wetwebmed...arMarFishes.htm

 

http://www.wetwebmed...x/fishdisho.htm

 

http://www.chucksadd...om/disease.html

 

http://forums.saltwa...d-fish-pictures

 

http://www.saltwater...treatments.html

 

http://www.liveaquar...eral_pagesid=83

 

http://www.fishlore....e_Saltwater.htm

Edited by Jan's Reef Foods
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Jan Oracle Reefer

Jan

You will only get better from it.;) It really pays off, especially the pictures. Identifying the problem early on is key! It starts when you go to purchase your fish.

 

darn Im going to be reading for awhile.

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PotomacBoater Reefer

PotomacBoater

I guess there is always more to learn out there.

(I've never read about the "transfer" method before)

 

So are the general QT options ...

 

 

a) Treat everything when it goes into QT (does this stress the fish with all the medications?)

 

b) Treat nothing unless your see signs of disease (I assume this process requires a longer QT period)

 

c) Transfer method - doesn't require medication, but more of a manual process (is this common in WAMAS?)

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Ryan S Oracle Reefer

Ryan S

a) Treat everything when it goes into QT (does this stress the fish with all the medications?)

 

b) Treat nothing unless your see signs of disease (I assume this process requires a longer QT period)

 

c) Transfer method - doesn't require medication, but more of a manual process (is this common in WAMAS?)

 

a) yes it does. not recommended.

b) this is the best way to QT.

c) no, it's not. and I am skeptical that it works myself.

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MBVette Uber Reefer

MBVette

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Ryan you say don't dose anything until you see something. But the link you gave me earlier says do use 2 medications everytime you get a new fish. Which way is the better way to go?

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Ryan S Oracle Reefer

Ryan S

Ryan you say don't dose anything until you see something. But the link you gave me earlier says do use 2 medications everytime you get a new fish. Which way is the better way to go?

I think you'll get a different answer from every other person here on that one.

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zygote2k Neptune Reefer

zygote2k

This is our QT system and process:

 

4) 20g petsmart tanks plumbed together with a 30g sump. 80w UV, bio-pellet reactor, CS-1 skimmer.

We get anywhere from 15-30 fish at a time and acclimate them to the system. Salinity usually at 1.023.

We observe fish for 30 days for signs of disease. If no signs or symptoms, then they will be placed into customer tanks.

If diseased, then treat entire system accordingly. We don't medicate unless needed.

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smallreef Oracle Reefer

smallreef

Another options (as i did not read all links) but has been mentioned on many occasions is running your QT system in hypo...most of our LFS keep their tanks salinity lower than we normally do...

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MBVette Uber Reefer

MBVette

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so question about starting up the qt.

 

So obviously i dont want to use the water from my display aince there was some disease in there. So how do i go about starting up a qt w/o a whole cycle?

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davelin315 Neptune Reefer

davelin315

First, I'd like to (once again) clarify that a QT is not the same as a hospital tank. Do not medicate a QT tank as it's purpose is merely to watch a fish. A hospital tank, on the other hand, is designed to medicate and treat a fish. It's just nomenclature, but it's important to differentiate (at least in my opinion) as it can lead to misunderstandings.

 

In regards to the authority on identification of maladies, Ed Noga is the authority on that. His book is often found in veterinary offices that treat fish as the definitive resource. We had him out years back and he was a wonderful resource to the club in his talk (witnessed by about a dozen volunteers and about 15 club members - what a shame no one came to that symposium where we had a TON of FANTASTIC speakers!).

 

As far as treatment, it's never advisable to use prophylactic treatment with multiple medications. There are some that don't do any harm and are useful to do, but I would venture a guess that there are very few of us that take the time to scrape a fish, look at it under a microscope, and truly diagnose what is ailing a fish before we treat. When you simply dump medication into a tank you're creating a situation where you could possibly do more harm than you are preventing. Side effects of medications can lead to as much or more death than allowing the fish to deal with a disease.

 

I typically will do a brief freshwater dip on new additions that can handle it and then QT in a holding system attached to my tank (I will change this for future livestock since I wiped out my tank by doing it this way - instead of attached I will have one that is attached but that can be "detached" during QT). Many put animals through QT in stressful environments - a barren tank with pipes and lots of medicines and lower salinity - that can cause as much stress to a fish as fighting a disease.

 

Of course, this is just my opinion and I don't really believe that those who treat regardless of appearance are wrong, I just believe that my way works best for me (even if it failed me the last time I did this).

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Fishie Grandmaster Reefer

Fishie

(edited)

i use 2 tanks atm for qt...a 8g biocube and 10g from petsmart

 

usually when the fish come in depending on the source lfs vs online i do different things...if its online i beleive the fish is stressed out enough so i acclimate and just put it in a qt tank until it looks like it is over the trauma of travel..this usually happens for me in 1-2 days.

 

then I tend use the same tank for Prazi pro if the fish shows any sign of internal parasite like stringy poop...or in some cases like if its a wrasse i would treat regardlesss cuz they get internal parasites more often (the sand borrowing ones).. i do a 3-5 day prazi treatment ( its recomended usually to do 5-7 but i am all to excited by then to see it go sooner in my dt and justify that by saying it will be happier in a dt and hence healtheir ) ...anyways moving on...

 

then i do a meth blue freshwater dip..i beleive i use 10 drops of meth blue per gallon of freshwater...the freshwater must be same temp and close enough in ph to where they are coming from.

for the dip i take a bucket pour out 1 g of freshwater /mix the meth blue (Not the one on breaking bad =D) and take another bucket with little freshwater to rinse off the fish after the meth blue dip before going into the 2nd qt tank. I like to dip the fish for 1-3 min ...then if its acting normal i have gone as much as 20 min recently....please keep an eye on the fish here...look at the lungs breathing etc...if its looking really bad i stop the dip immendiately... after the 1-3 min dip i put it the 2nd freshwater...rinse off ..then toss it in the 2nd qt tank which like the first uses freshly made saltwater...basically dont use old water from ur tank...cuz it contans pathogens that the fish is not used to yet...also never toss ur fish from here into the DT...cuz without its slime coat it will be exposed to those pathogens and may pick something up that u think u dont have in ur tank like ich

 

anyways once it is in the 2nd qt...i monitor for atleast 1 day...i am assuming that the slime coat should build up by then...and if its looking good i move it to my DT...if its not good leave in place...monitor treat etc with w.e symptoms it is showing

 

things to note:- do not treat with copper unless it has external parasites, dont mix medications...keep an eye on ammonia if the tank isnt cycled...keep things like amquel plus on standby if u need to provide

 

thats all that comes to mind atm...gl!

 

so my QT period overall has been sometimes as little as 3-4 days and can go up a lot more ...all depends on the fish ..i just treat each one differently

Edited by Fishie
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