Beginners Guide to Acclimation and Quarantine

[Susan Edwards]

I'm still fairly new but wouldn't it be better to wait until you start to get at least diatoms before adding a cuc? And pods as well? From what I understand, pods also help as part of a cuc. You can feed the tank the phyto (sp?) stuff from algae barn but I'd think the pods would survive better once the tank had been up and going for a while. Pods are expensive! Dragon's breath is a very hardy macro.

 

[Chris Wells]

I'm still fairly new but wouldn't it be better to wait until you start to get at least diatoms before adding a cuc? And pods as well? From what I understand, pods also help as part of a cuc. You can feed the tank the phyto (sp?) stuff from algae barn but I'd think the pods would survive better once the tank had been up and going for a while. Pods are expensive! Dragon's breath is a very hardy macro.

I certainly can wait..If my ammonia consumption test goes well, I will turn on the lights and would imagine that any diatoms will show themselves. I kind of think they are already there at the micro-level. Since using dry rock and sand, I have read in articles that is is even more important for me to add the microfauna early, to try and establish some sort of "bio-diversity" as soon as possible.

Besides, to me... this is the fun part. But to your point, I don't want to rush it.

Thanks Susan for the input.

 

[Brew12]

I certainly can wait..If my ammonia consumption test goes well, I will turn on the lights and would imagine that any diatoms will show themselves. I kind of think they are already there at the micro-level. Since using dry rock and sand, I have read in articles that is is even more important for me to add the microfauna early, to try and establish some sort of "bio-diversity" as soon as possible.

Besides, to me... this is the fun part. But to your point, I don't want to rush it.

Thanks Susan for the input.

You can add your CuC as soon as your water parameters say you are ready. You just may need to feed them since you won't have much for them to clean up. Sinking algae wafers work great for this. Feeding the tank a small portion of frozen food such as LRS or Rod's is a good idea, also. If you are willing to feed the tank you can add a CuC any time imo.

 

[Chris Wells]

You can add your CuC as soon as your water parameters say you are ready. You just may need to feed them since you won't have much for them to clean up. Sinking algae wafers work great for this. Feeding the tank a small portion of frozen food such as LRS or Rod's is a good idea, also. If you are willing to feed the tank you can add a CuC any time imo.

Awesome, Thanks Again.

I will quit hi-jacking this thread now and move over to the invert thread.

 

[75galOCD]

This is really good info! My guess all fish that haven't been QTed are compromised.
When we do the FW dip is it just a few seconds in a container of temp appropriate RO & what exactly am I looking for I never seen flukes?
I am getting the rest of the process right up to the end, I think the water is still copper rich in the QT tank before you transfer to the DT if I only have 1 QT tank, is this right? I follow the strainer transfer method so if the QT tank water is copper rich & the only copper transferred to the DT will be in the water on the fish? And why is it we don't want copper in the DT?
Thank you!

 

[._Z_.]

Excellent discussion. Can you provide more information on fresh water dipping? How do you do it, what are the risks, what do you specifically look for to decide if the fish has flukes?

 

[Brew12]

This is really good info!

Glad you liked it!

When we do the FW dip is it just a few seconds in a container of temp appropriate RO & what exactly am I looking for I never seen flukes?

Excellent discussion. Can you provide more information on fresh water dipping? How do you do it, what are the risks, what do you specifically look for to decide if the fish has flukes?

Meredith put together this awesome video on how to do a FW dip. This couldn't make doing one any easier!
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.214/

I am getting the rest of the process right up to the end, I think the water is still copper rich in the QT tank before you transfer to the DT if I only have 1 QT tank, is this right?

Yes, for this to work the tank must have full level of copper for at least 9 days and then remove the fish prior letting it drop.

I follow the strainer transfer method so if the QT tank water is copper rich & the only copper transferred to the DT will be in the water on the fish?

If you notice, I take the fish out of the QT using a net or strainer and put it into a smaller container of fresh DT water. I then dump this water through the strainer again prior to adding to the DT. The small container acts like a rinse to help keep copper out of the DT

And why is it we don't want copper in the DT?

Copper works because it is a toxin. The fish can just survive longer in it (typically) than the parasites. Your corals and inverts will be very sensitive to copper so it is important to keep as much copper out of the system as possible.

 

[jtl]

I am on my 3rd ttm transfer with a midas blenny, a vroliks wrasse and a purple ff. They are doing fine, eating and no obvious stress. I prophylactically treated them with prazipro on the second transfer and intend to do again on the last one. My question is should I give them a formalin bath? I am sure there are some that will disagree but I think I am going to put them directly into my DT after this process and skip the observation period in a qt so this may give me a little more protection.

I am also going to get a mandarin and think I will skip the ttm and chemicals on that fish because of their thick slime coat and because they are such finicky eaters. There is no way I can supply sufficient pods in a qt or get them to eat prepared food. Thoughts?

 

[Susan Edwards]

I tried qt with my first 2 mandarins, even added pods and had a sand bed. They didn't make it. Next two went right into the DT. Sometimes you have to weigh the risks and I wanted those mandarins to survive. And they have--4 weeks this week

 

[Brew12]

I am on my 3rd ttm transfer with a midas blenny, a vroliks wrasse and a purple ff. They are doing fine, eating and no obvious stress. I prophylactically treated them with prazipro on the second transfer and intend to do again on the last one. My question is should I give them a formalin bath? I am sure there are some that will disagree but I think I am going to put them directly into my DT after this process and skip the observation period in a qt so this may give me a little more protection.

I am also going to get a mandarin and think I will skip the ttm and chemicals on that fish because of their thick slime coat and because they are such finicky eaters. There is no way I can supply sufficient pods in a qt or get them to eat prepared food. Thoughts?

I'm not a fan of TTM because it only removes Ich, not velvet. I've had multiple fish with velvet that I QT'd this past year. TTM can work, but you would have to do the transfers around every 24 to 36 hours. That is just too much work for me. Again, this is just my personal preference.

I would not do a formalin bath unless treating specific symptoms. Formalin is a very harsh chemical which I would avoid using unless absolutely necessary. I would prefer to put the fish directly into the DT without the bath.

As for Mandarins, I'm probably not the best person to ask for advice. I haven't tried to put one through QT because of the challenges the propose. I hope to try when I get my new system up and established. I just want to remind you that you don't QT fish to protect them from parasites. You QT fish to protect your DT from parasites. The Mandarin will do quite well in a system with Ich because of its slime coat. The risk is that it can act as a carrier of Ich and infect your DT.

 

[BettyC]

Need a little clarification after 14 days copper. If I cannot move to a new, clean QT, they stay in original tank to 30 days at therapeutic levels? Then what? If all ok, move them directly to DT or do WC and run carbon for a few days first?

Correct?
Treat Praziquantel at day 3 and day 10; 3-4 days to reach therapeutic copper level; therapeutic copper for 14-30 days.

 

[Maritimer]

Sounds pretty close to it.

By preference, Praziquantel, wait about five to seven days, Praziquantel again. Prazi doesn't kill eggs, but by about that five-to-seven day mark, all the eggs should have hatched - but not yet begun to lay eggs of their own.

Copper, ramp it up slowly over several days - I'll take a week or so, if I'm not seeing symptoms, 3-4 days if I'm seeing ich ... 48 hours, if I suspect velvet. If a fish has a bad reaction to it, back off and try again, more slowly - some fish don't tolerate the stuff.

If you can move to a new, clean QT at least ten feet from the current one, 14 days is probably going to be just fine. If not, after 30 days, the copper should have damaged even the encysted tomonts scattered around your QT to the point where they can't infect your fish any more. Ideally (in a perfect world, if you know anyone who lives in a place like that), you'd clean the copper out with water-changes and carbon (though carbon is less effective at removing copper than it is with some other things) and take some time to observe the fish before moving to the display. In the world I live in, that's not always possible, and I'll admit having moved fish directly after copper treatment, as long as they show no sign of illness.

~Bruce

 

[Brew12]

In the world I live in, that's not always possible, and I'll admit having moved fish directly after copper treatment, as long as they show no sign of illness.

Agree with everything but wanted to expand on this. In my opinion the viability of moving into the DT immediately after copper is determined by the fish you have. If you have a peaceful fish going into an aggressive tank, or have a fish that may be prone to aggression issues with other DT inhabitants, then giving the fish time to recover away from copper is very important.

 

[CurtnStac]

Thanks for this right up! I'll will be QTing my first tang soon. Question... Is it necessary to copper treat if there were no signs of illness? Do you just do anyway as a precautionary measure?

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for this right up! I'll will be QTing my first tang soon. Question... Is it necessary to copper treat if there were no signs of illness? Do you just do anyway as a precautionary measure?

I always copper treat.

Without long periods of very detailed observation you will not be able to tell if a fish is clean or has an immunity to a parasite. Another possibility is that your fish supplier used low levels of copper to reduce parasite populations that may mask symptoms for a few weeks.

I don't take that chance.

 

[Luna]

I will start QTing since I bought a yellow goby during the spring & it must of had something cause all my fish got velvet & died except the goby[emoji24]. Two weeks ago I bought a hippo tang who was doing fine & eating, then like a week later he had white spots all over. When I came home from work it was dead[emoji31]. Now I’m worried bout my favorite clowns.

 

[Maritimer]

At this point, if the hippo was in your display tank, (and especially if the clowns are the only fish in there) I would take the clownfish out, treat them for the disease the hippo brought in, and leave the display "fallow" - no fish - for 76 days to allow any parasites that may be lurking to die out.

That way, you start clean - healthy fish and a healthy tank.

~Bruce

 

[Brew12]

I will start QTing since I bought a yellow goby during the spring & it must of had something cause all my fish got velvet & died except the goby[emoji24]. Two weeks ago I bought a hippo tang who was doing fine & eating, then like a week later he had white spots all over. When I came home from work it was dead[emoji31]. Now I’m worried bout my favorite clowns.

It sounds like the Goby brought in Velvet. The velvet would have been able to continue reproducing in your tank because of the clownfish, it would only be limited by the clowns immune system. Once the Hippo was added the velvet had an easier target and reproduced rapidly.

At this point, if the hippo was in your display tank, (and especially if the clowns are the only fish in there) I would take the clownfish out, treat them for the disease the hippo brought in, and leave the display "fallow" - no fish - for 76 days to allow any parasites that may be lurking to die out.

That way, you start clean - healthy fish and a healthy tank.

~Bruce

This is the best way forward imo. Without leaving the tank without fish for 6 weeks to 76 days it will always have velvet and/or ich.

 

[mdd1986]

quick question if I prophylactically treat with CP, do I still need to use prazi pro? I'm assuming prazi pro will kill different things than CP?

 

[Brew12]

quick question if I prophylactically treat with CP, do I still need to use prazi pro? I'm assuming prazi pro will kill different things than CP?

I would. I haven't seen where CP is effective against flukes which is what we typically target with Prazipro. However, if you treat with CP for 30 days you could do a fresh water dip at that point to check for flukes. If none show up you can skip the Prazipro treatment imo.