Help with quarantine

[RobB'z Reef]

The hypo treatment causes the ick parasite to “explode” because the lack of salt disrupts their ability to process the water. It’s like us drinking water forever.

IMO I wouldn't recommend this method, I think you've just been lucky to date. I've read that this has proven to not work effectively in all cases.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

What do you think the size of the quarantine tank should be? Keep in my mind 3 tangs, 8 fish in total. I know people say a 10-30 gallon but I am pretty sure it will be a blood bath with that many fish in a 30 for an eventual 70 days.

If you can manage the ammonia near zero, a 30 gallon should be o.k. for the 75+ days time frame.

Jay

 

[RobB'z Reef]

What do you think the size of the quarantine tank should be? Keep in my mind 3 tangs, 8 fish in total. I know people say a 10-30 gallon but I am pretty sure it will be a blood bath with that many fish in a 30 for an eventual 70 days.

Many ways you can approach this. Each method had it's own headaches. Medicated levels have to be on point the entire time and the cost of them along with lowered fish immunities etc... With TTM it's extra space and tanks and the headache of letting a time schedule and sterilizing tanks etc. You just have to decide for yourself what you want to do and why.

I'm going with very small tanks and several of them so I can process multiple fish at the same time with only one in each tank (6 and 3 gallons in size). If I find it necessary I'll use prime but I'm thinking I won't need to with the setup I'm building. It all comes down to the size and number of fish you want to process at the same time.

I just finished treating 5 fish through prazi and copper in a 20gal (I wasn't set up for TTM when I got hit) and they are all getting along fine. A chromis, hippo tang, wrasse, Firefish and a clown. I can send a link to show what I'm working towards if interested. Interested.

 

[Zbutcher]

Heck yeah you can use a tote. Rubbermaids tend to be the sturdiest I've found, and don't seem to leech any nastiness into the water. Totes work great for TTM. Make sure to have 3 to allow adequate cleaning and drying time between transfers. 3 heaters as well, and replace the airline and air stone between transfers, don't even try to sterilize them.

I will say about using totes, I would recommend cutting holes in the lid and then using the lid to reinforce the upper rim, if that makes sense. Otherwise the plastic can bulge out on the sides.

I did TTM with totes on a Hippo Tang. Worked great, until I discovered I already had ich in my display.

Would it be beneficial to just have 3 powerheads instead of the airstone and hob filter? To move water and get oxygenation. I got my powerheads from a company off Amazon and they have all been working great and they costed me like 20 bucks.

Sounds good! Yeah I know there are some real heavy duty totes at home Depot that are 40 gallon and by husky so I think those will hold lid or not but I'll use the lid anyways

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Yeah but I love my fish like I love my dog if I'm being honest. I know some people say they are just fish and corals etc but idk I really do love my fish so I don't want to risk the meds if I don't have too because I don't want to kill them or potentially do so. And yes I understand that irony considering the ICH management.

So I am definitely going to use TTM especially considering when I returned an open bottle of prime (came shipped that way) and ask for a replacement they sent me a full shipping box of prime so I have prime for years now lol. But I am confused. So if it's TTM I CAN use already cycled media? Or no media at all in both tanks it just need to be fresh media or no media?

Bare tank, no media, not cycled. Include a pvc fitting or two for hiding places, heater and air stone. They'll only be in there for 72 hours at a time.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Yeah you got a good point

Can you answer this for me because I'm very curious given the cost this project will be. Would I be able to use a big heavy duty tote from home Depot to hold them? Or is a glass tank the only option?

Use a 5 gallon bucket from home depot... Good enough.

 

[Zbutcher]

Yes, the 76 day fallow period still holds true, at least this is what current wisdom is telling us. In the case of the tank transfer you are essentially outrunning the life cycle of the parasites. Leaving them behind each time in the previous tank. I myself still need to wrap my head around why the time frame is so much longer for the fallow period. I think it has to do with the accumulated maximum duration the encysted tomants can survive between several life cycles. With the TTM this doesn't accumulate because you sterilize the previous tank between each transfer. So for ich that transfer time is 72 hours, for velvet it's 36.

Gotcha. So I think what I will do is buy 2 or 3 totes then have one at the ready while the other is drying. Then after the last 14 say transfer after 72 hours I'll transfer them into the 75 where they can live for then 3 months hopefully.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Would it be beneficial to just have 3 powerheads instead of the airstone and hob filter? To move water and get oxygenation. I got my powerheads from a company off Amazon and they have all been working great and they costed me like 20 bucks.

Sounds good! Yeah I know there are some real heavy duty totes at home Depot that are 40 gallon and by husky so I think those will hold lid or not but I'll use the lid anyways

For ttm I recommend using simple air stones. You can support multiple tanks with dual outputs and manifolds etc..

 

[Zbutcher]

If you can manage the ammonia near zero, a 30 gallon should be o.k. for the 75+ days time frame.

Jay

I would just do a ton of water changes in that case but I think what I will do is pick up 3 totes. Having one at the ready at all times. Then use my spare 75 gallon tank for their final place to live in the meantime. I will always sanitize the 75 gallon. Any tips of sanitizing it?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Gotcha. So I think what I will do is buy 2 or 3 totes then have one at the ready while the other is drying. Then after the last 14 say transfer after 72 hours I'll transfer them into the 75 where they can live for then 3 months hopefully.

Also keep in mind, typical protocol is to move to an observation tank for at least two weeks after the last transfer to watch and observe to ensure the treatment was successful and there are no other ailments present. You'll see this when you read through the recommended resource (humblefish)

 

[Zbutcher]

Many ways you can approach this. Each method had it's own headaches. Medicated levels have to be on point the entire time and the cost of them along with lowered fish immunities etc... With TTM it's extra space and tanks and the headache of letting a time schedule and sterilizing tanks etc. You just have to decide for yourself what you want to do and why.

I'm going with very small tanks and several of them so I can process multiple fish at the same time with only one in each tank (6 and 3 gallons in size). If I find it necessary I'll use prime but I'm thinking I won't need to with the setup I'm building. It all comes down to the size and number of fish you want to process at the same time.

I just finished treating 5 fish through prazi and copper in a 20gal (I wasn't set up for TTM when I got hit) and they are all getting along fine. A chromis, hippo tang, wrasse, Firefish and a clown. I can send a link to show what I'm working towards if interested. Interested.

Many ways you can approach this. Each method had it's own headaches. Medicated levels have to be on point the entire time and the cost of them along with lowered fish immunities etc... With TTM it's extra space and tanks and the headache of letting a time schedule and sterilizing tanks etc. You just have to decide for yourself what you want to do and why.

I'm going with very small tanks and several of them so I can process multiple fish at the same time with only one in each tank (6 and 3 gallons in size). If I find it necessary I'll use prime but I'm thinking I won't need to with the setup I'm building. It all comes down to the size and number of fish you want to process at the same time.

I just finished treating 5 fish through prazi and copper in a 20gal (I wasn't set up for TTM when I got hit) and they are all getting along fine. A chromis, hippo tang, wrasse, Firefish and a clown. I can send a link to show what I'm working towards if interested. Interested.

Many ways you can approach this. Each method had it's own headaches. Medicated levels have to be on point the entire time and the cost of them along with lowered fish immunities etc... With TTM it's extra space and tanks and the headache of letting a time schedule and sterilizing tanks etc. You just have to decide for yourself what you want to do and why.

I'm going with very small tanks and several of them so I can process multiple fish at the same time with only one in each tank (6 and 3 gallons in size). If I find it necessary I'll use prime but I'm thinking I won't need to with the setup I'm building. It all comes down to the size and number of fish you want to process at the same time.

I just finished treating 5 fish through prazi and copper in a 20gal (I wasn't set up for TTM when I got hit) and they are all getting along fine. A chromis, hippo tang, wrasse, Firefish and a clown. I can send a link to show what I'm working towards if interested. Interested.

I am interested in seeing that if you don't mind.

Hmmm I never thought of it like that. Do you think many buckets is better then a couple big ones for TTM? If you go with buckets what do you for heaters and filters and pumps and all that?

 

[Zbutcher]

IMO I wouldn't recommend this method, I think you've just been lucky to date. I've read that this has proven to not work effectively in all cases.

I was likely wasnt going to use that anyways. Its basically TTM is my only option

 

[Zbutcher]

Bare tank, no media, not cycled. Include a pvc fitting or two for hiding places, heater and air stone. They'll only be in there for 72 hours at a time.

Okay so ill need a few heaters and air pumps and stuff like that one for each "holding tank" do I sanitize the equipment after each transfer as well?

 

[Zbutcher]

Use a 5 gallon bucket from home depot... Good enough.

fair enough I will do that and that would work in the sense of each fish is fine on their own. except ill leave the clowns together since they are paired. So I will need a heater and air stone for each bucket then? also do I sanitize the equipment after each transfer?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I am interested in seeing that if you don't mind.

Hmmm I never thought of it like that. Do you think many buckets is better then a couple big ones for TTM? If you go with buckets what do you for heaters and filters and pumps and all that?

As far as the setup, I think you can be successful either way. Comes down to preference, cost, needs with regards to how many and how large etc. I'm using smaller tanks to minimize water usage and as such going with small cheap preset heaters (50w), you don't need filters at all because 72 hours... For gas exchange air stones or if you're using larger totes a pump aimed at the surface can't hurt. I have a friend (local reefer) that uses 5 gallon buckets and air stones with great success. There's a lot of latitude here with which you can did this well.

 

[Zbutcher]

For ttm I recommend using simple air stones. You can support multiple tanks with dual outputs and manifolds etc..

Oh I gotcha, so you mean use one or 2 air pumps but use some splitters etc to attach multiple airlines for each bucket so i am not blowing the bank on powerheads or tons of air pumps?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

fair enough I will do that and that would work in the sense of each fish is fine on their own. except ill leave the clowns together since they are paired. So I will need a heater and air stone for each bucket then? also do I sanitize the equipment after each transfer?

I think there are two ways, first is bleach solution (I can't recall what the concentration is right now) out you can simply dry it out under a fan for 48 hours. As for the latter, the simpler your setup is, the easier it is to dry out.

 

[Zbutcher]

Also keep in mind, typical protocol is to move to an observation tank for at least two weeks after the last transfer to watch and observe to ensure the treatment was successful and there are no other ailments present. You'll see this when you read through the recommended resource (humblefish)

Yeah for sure, I am going to use my old 75 gallon as the final place for them to be while waiting to return to the display?

Also when it comes to the "DO NOT EXCEED 72 HOURS" whats a safe range to do it for? like should i move the fish over at 65 hours? or 70? what do u recommend

 

[Zbutcher]

As far as the setup, I think you can be successful either way. Comes down to preference, cost, needs with regards to how many and how large etc. I'm using smaller tanks to minimize water usage and as such going with small cheap preset heaters (50w), you don't need filters at all because 72 hours... For gas exchange air stones or if you're using larger totes a pump aimed at the surface can't hurt. I have a friend (local reefer) that uses 5 gallon buckets and air stones with great success. There's a lot of latitude here with which you can did this well.

that is awesome that any way will work. and with my tangs being about 2 inches i think itll be okay. any recommendation on those heaters?

 

[Zbutcher]

I think there are two ways, first is bleach solution (I can't recall what the concentration is right now) out you can simply dry it out under a fan for 48 hours. As for the latter, the simpler your setup is, the easier it is to dry out.

Okay so if I will look for the bleach to water concentration. Also if I have 8 fish does that mean I would need 16 buckets? or would I need 24 buckets to have one "one extra on the ready while the others are drying" like another user mentiond?