I messed up... how do I fix it...

[iamacat]

Personally I hate dealing with fish disease because no matter what I do I feel like it always sneaks it’s way in so I try to focus on fish health so that way their immune system can always fight off whatever is thrown at them. Firm believer in feeding well with a good nutrient export system

This is often overlooked by many people and relates to us humans right now so much. The best prevention to disease is good health. If you support your tank inhabitants with a good diet and water conditions as well as a balanced stock, you will have a system that can handle stress. I personally have never QTd in 10+ Years, never had fish disease. Maybe I got lucky but it probably has to do with the health of the system.

 

[Brady4000]

Probably mixed with wild. Here are your choices. Each must choose their own way of fighting disease in the tank. It sounds like you want a clean environment and will be pretty vigilant. But, here they are:

1) Remove the fish and use a qt to house them for the next 76 days and keep the tank fallow (fishless) with no new additions of anything! Then, treat the fish with at least a metronidazole/prazzipro drug. Then, from now on, qt everything. Fish, coral, inverts, rock.

2) Let it ride. If the fish become ill then remove them and treat and go fallow. Same then as number one.

3) Let nature happen. If they die, wait to add more and just make sure every fish is healthy enough to fight disease when added.

Or some variation of any of those. Sometimes there is no right answer. We all run our systems different. These are just some of the choices I see. Although, I know what I would do and probably you too.

Good luck!

Thanks. This really helps.

If I just left the tank with the two clowns, how long would it take before I know that I didn’t add anything bad to the tank?

I know thats the long way, if they end up getting something two months down the road, but it might be the short way if it turns out good right? Bad logic?

 

[Brady4000]

Personally I hate dealing with fish disease because no matter what I do I feel like it always sneaks it’s way in so I try to focus on fish health so that way their immune system can always fight off whatever is thrown at them. Firm believer in feeding well with a good nutrient export system

Thanks for the advice. I plan doing both. I am an over thinker, and very new. As in never had a fish growing up new.

I have dogs, they get class A treatment, I am responsible for them, so I literally do my best.

Looking at the fish, and the whole reason I got into this hobby is because I like the little guys lol. The coral is just a bonus.

But again I feel responsible for their health, so I want to do the right thing. I only plan on having 5 fish in the tank. It would be awful if I killed my first two.

Edit: Just trying to figure out what the right thing is lol.

 

[Reef.]

Thanks for the advice. I plan doing both. I am an over thinker, and very new. As in never had a fish growing up new.

I have dogs, they get class A treatment, I am responsible for them, so I literally do my best.

Looking at the fish, and the whole reason I got into this hobby is because I like the little guys lol. The coral is just a bonus.

But again I feel responsible for their health, so I want to do the right thing. I only plan on having 5 fish in the tank. It would be awful if I killed my first two.

Edit: Just trying to figure out what the right thing is lol.

sounds good but 5 fish is probably too many, I suggest you aim for 3 and if in a years time you are ok with 3, your tank parameters are good then think about 4.

It’s not just the tank parameters you need to worry about, many fish need they own territory to swim about in and sleep and hide, if another fish goes into that area they can fight, get stressed or kill each other. 5 fish would be very hard to do for both that reason and your tank parameters, 4 might be possible if your tank has excellent parameters and you go for small fish but as said aim for 3 and go from there.

 

[sam2110]

Ok thanks, could I have added something that hurts coral?

You have more chance of bringing something in on a coral frag than LFS water. I would run carbon just in case the LFS uses medication in their system.

 

[Brady4000]

Off subject question, (to not post another thread).

what small light do you recommend for the coral QT? I won’t be going into sps. the biocube light won’t handle it. Going to use a 5.5g for the coral QT.
Edit: and not looking to break the bank.

sounds good but 5 fish is probably too many, I suggest you aim for 3 and if in a years time you are ok with 3, your tank parameters are good then think about 4.

It’s not just the tank parameters you need to worry about, many fish need they own territory to swim about in and sleep and hide, if another fish goes into that area they can fight, get stressed or kill each other. 5 fish would be very hard to do for both that reason and your tank parameters, 4 might be possible if your tank has excellent parameters and you go for small fish but as said aim for 3 and go from there.

Thanks, was thinking of getting a lawnmower fish.. not any time soon. But I’ll definitely heed this advice.

You have more chance of bringing something in on a coral frag than LFS water. I would run carbon just in case the LFS uses medication in their system.

Will do. Thanks

 

[Reef.]

Off subject question, (to not post another thread).

what small light do you recommend for the coral QT? I won’t be going into sps. the biocube light won’t handle it. Going to use a 5.5g for the coral QT.

Thanks, was thinking of getting a lawnmower fish.. not any time soon. But I’ll definitely heed this advice.

Will do. Thanks

budget? The Kessil A80 would be excellent for this job.

 

[Brady4000]

budget? The Kessil A80 would be excellent for this job.

Enough to keep them happy, but cheapest route. I am also setting up a 60g mantis tank at the same time. So this is starting to get expensive, well expensive for me lol.

Edit: and I also set up a 55g saltwater mixing reservoir, with heat and a pump. For easy water changes.

 

[Reef.]

Enough to keep them happy, but cheapest route. I am also setting up a 60g mantis tank at the same time. So this is starting to get expensive, well expensive for me lol.

Good you want a qt for corals but many don’t qt corals, they buy from a good source and dip and inspect well then add to display, you can go down any route you choose, remember corals can be temperamental so going from the shop to your qt and then to your display is a risk in itself.

If you want to go down the qt route you need to do it correctly as said it’s a stressful process anyway.

The Kessil is an excellent choice, you can get slightly cheaper but not on its level.

 

[iamacat]

A 5g coral QT is not advised. Too small of volume to be successful unless you want to spend more time in your QT than your display. Just dip and monitor your corals before placing them in the final spot. If you absolutely want a coral QT I advise a much larger but even then I would use it as a frag tank.

 

[Reef.]

A 5g coral QT is not advised. Too small of volume to be successful unless you want to spend more time in your QT than your display. Just dip and monitor your corals before placing them in the final spot. If you absolutely want a coral QT I advise a much larger but even then I would use it as a frag tank.

I agree, I was too timid to say as a qt is a holy grail in this hobby but if you don’t do it 100% then you will probably do more harm than good.

Save your money on the qt and buy some inspection glasses from Amazon for $20 and inspect those frags to an inch of their lives

 

[sam2110]

I agree, I was too timid to say as a qt is a holy grail in this hobby but if you don’t do it 100% then you will probably do more harm than good.

Save your money on the qt and buy some inspection glasses from Amazon for $20 and inspect those frags to an inch of their lives

And dont forget the coral RX

 

[Reef.]

And dont forget the coral RX

or dettol...did I say that out loud

 

[DeniseAndy]

I do qt corals and inverts, but I have had this system running over 5 years for my lps corals and other such things. I now have a grow out frag tank attached to it. Had that for a long time too. This is a qt in the way that nothing is allowed into my main tank without being here for at least a month.

Before that, I did just dipping really well and inspecting too. I also removed frag plugs when able to. Those carry more of the nasties than the coral.

If you are not going to have a nice size qt up and running full time for corals, I would do the dip and remove plugs method.