My new quarantine procedure

[re76]

Hey everyone, based on my experiences in this thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/clownfish-breathing-rapidly-looking-for-advice.271128/

I am reflecting on what I have learned and am trying to come up with a new quarantine procedure. I think I am going to forego TTM for now. While it sounds great, it is a lot of work and what I found was that it was a pain to have to switch to Copper treatment from a TTM tank when we decided that I might be dealing with Velvet. The extra steps and stress were not worth it, at least in this case.

The equipment I have is:

• 10 gallon tank A with heater, ammonia alert, thermometer, and airstone
• 10 gallon tank B with heater, ammonia alert, thermometer, and airstone
• 30 gallon tank C with heater, ammonia alert, thermometer, 250gph powerhead, and sponge filter

I think I want to switch out the sponge filter for a cheap HOB filter mainly for the ease of running media such as cuprisorb or carbon. As well as just being able to pull seeded sponges from my DT.

So that is what I have to work with, here is my plan:

1. Do my best to acquire healthy fish from store.
2. Set up 10g tank A as acclimation tank. When fish comes home, he/she is floated in 10g acclimation tank for 20 minutes and SG and PH are matched with water in bag.
3. Add fish to tank.
4. Observe initially for signs of stress. If everything looks ok, turn off lights and leave alone for 24hrs.
5. Next day turn on lights. After lights have been on for at least 1+hrs try feeding mysis soaked in Selcon. If fish doesn't eat, remove any excess food , turn off lights
6. Repeat step 5 next day, hopefully fish is eating at this point. If not try adding Garlic Extreme to the mysis+selcon mixture.
7. Once fish is eating reliably for at least 48 hours. Prepare bath using Ruby Reef Rally, leave fish in bath for 75-90 minutes. Remove fish early if showing distress.
8. From Reef Rally bath transfer fish to 30 gal tank C which has HOB filter.
9. As long as fish is still acting healthy, dose Prazipro.
10. Wait 5-7 days, do a 20-25% water change and then repeat dosage.
    
11. Wait 5-7 days, do a 20-25% water change.
    
12. Run activated carbon for 24 hours.
13. Slowly dose copper level in tank to therapeutic dose over 72 hours, unless more urgency is needed, such as if I suspect velvet or ich.
14. Maintain therapeutic dose for 30 days.
15. After 30 days, run cuprisorb or carbon for 24 hours.
16. Move fish to 10 gallon Tank B as observation tank.
17. Ensure fish is still eating well, be sure to feed same food that is fed in DT. After 48 hours of observation and successful eating. Transfer fish to DT.

This is mostly the same steps that HumbleFish outlines in his Option A quarantine plan. I am just writing it down in a bit more detail and adding a chemical bath in Ruby Reef Rally as a prophylactic measure. Is that an unnecessary step? My thought is that if the fish does have velvet, flukes, or ich, that would buy the fish a little relief before going into treatment.

Also the prazi and copper could be switched if needed. Especially if I suspect external parasites.

Right now the meds I have on hand are:

• Kanaplex
• Cupramine
• Ruby Reef Rally
• Focus

Is there anything else I should add to this list?

 

[Humblefish]

I don't feel acriflavine (Rally) provides much benefit for prophylactic use. It's more of a 1-2 punch when done after performing a FW dip for temporary relief of velvet. A 5 min FW dip will dislodge 80-90% of the trophonts, while a 90 min bath in acriflavine will help heal the tiny bite marks and ward off infection. The fish now stands a reasonable chance of survival once placed in a QT, and treated with either copper or CP. I cannot explain scientifically why/how acriflavine works against Brooklynella; that is just anecdotal experience on my part.

I definitely would deworm using Prazipro, and treating with copper is a good idea if you suspect ich/velvet. However, I would switch over to a chelated copper product (exs. Coppersafe, Copper Power) in lieu of Cupramine. Most fish just seem to have an easier time with chelated copper.

 

[Empress]

Hey everyone, based on my experiences in this thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/clownfish-breathing-rapidly-looking-for-advice.271128/

I am reflecting on what I have learned and am trying to come up with a new quarantine procedure. I think I am going to forego TTM for now. While it sounds great, it is a lot of work and what I found was that it was a pain to have to switch to Copper treatment from a TTM tank when we decided that I might be dealing with Velvet. The extra steps and stress were not worth it, at least in this case.

The equipment I have is:

• 10 gallon tank A with heater, ammonia alert, thermometer, and airstone
• 10 gallon tank B with heater, ammonia alert, thermometer, and airstone
• 30 gallon tank C with heater, ammonia alert, thermometer, 250gph powerhead, and sponge filter

I think I want to switch out the sponge filter for a cheap HOB filter mainly for the ease of running media such as cuprisorb or carbon. As well as just being able to pull seeded sponges from my DT.

So that is what I have to work with, here is my plan:

1. Do my best to acquire healthy fish from store.
2. Set up 10g tank A as acclimation tank. When fish comes home, he/she is floated in 10g acclimation tank for 20 minutes and SG and PH are matched with water in bag.
3. Add fish to tank.
4. Observe initially for signs of stress. If everything looks ok, turn off lights and leave alone for 24hrs.
5. Next day turn on lights. After lights have been on for at least 1+hrs try feeding mysis soaked in Selcon. If fish doesn't eat, remove any excess food , turn off lights
6. Repeat step 5 next day, hopefully fish is eating at this point. If not try adding Garlic Extreme to the mysis+selcon mixture.
7. Once fish is eating reliably for at least 48 hours. Prepare bath using Ruby Reef Rally, leave fish in bath for 75-90 minutes. Remove fish early if showing distress.
8. From Reef Rally bath transfer fish to 30 gal tank C which has HOB filter.
9. As long as fish is still acting healthy, dose Prazipro.
10. Wait 5-7 days, do a 20-25% water change and then repeat dosage.
    
11. Wait 5-7 days, do a 20-25% water change.
    
12. Run activated carbon for 24 hours.
13. Slowly dose copper level in tank to therapeutic dose over 72 hours, unless more urgency is needed, such as if I suspect velvet or ich.
14. Maintain therapeutic dose for 30 days.
15. After 30 days, run cuprisorb or carbon for 24 hours.
16. Move fish to 10 gallon Tank B as observation tank.
17. Ensure fish is still eating well, be sure to feed same food that is fed in DT. After 48 hours of observation and successful eating. Transfer fish to DT.

This is mostly the same steps that HumbleFish outlines in his Option A quarantine plan. I am just writing it down in a bit more detail and adding a chemical bath in Ruby Reef Rally as a prophylactic measure. Is that an unnecessary step? My thought is that if the fish does have velvet, flukes, or ich, that would buy the fish a little relief before going into treatment.

Also the prazi and copper could be switched if needed. Especially if I suspect external parasites.

Right now the meds I have on hand are:

• Kanaplex
• Cupramine
• Ruby Reef Rally
• Focus

Is there anything else I should add to this list?

Don't forget the copper test kit. Use Seachem Copper test kit if you use Cupermine. Use API copper test kit if you use Coppersafe or other chelated copper.

 

[Brew12]

I like the basics of the game plan. Two concerns. One, your plan doesn't get the fish into copper for over 2 weeks. My biggest fear is Velvet, so I try to get my fish in copper much sooner. Two, your plan involves a lot of work. I think that is going to make it harder for you to follow. At the very least I would try to do most of your quarantine work in a 10g tank to make cleaning and water changes easier. This will also substantially reduce the amount of meds/salt you need to use. Maybe use your 30g only for the final observation stage unless you need it for larger fish or groups of fish.

 

[Triggreef]

Seems like that's more work than just tank transfer method in my opinion. I would just use tank transfer method and signs of velvet will either show or they won't in that time. And you can also treat with prazi Pro during tank transfer method and cover all your bases. if you're really worried about it you could do tank transfer method and then move them to the 30 gallon for an observation afterwards, knowing ich and flukes should be taken care of up to that point.

Ime, flukes is most common followed by ich. Everything else including velvet and brook are not as common but still need to be thought about and planned for.

Another option is to always keep the 30g cycled and running. Then you can do ttm first and always use the 30 for observation before the display. As long as nothing else is noticed in the 30 you won't have to do anything to it in between fish.

 

[Empress]

Once the fish are healthy and eating, I would put them in the 30g for observation. Having that extra swimming space would help alleviate any stress until it's time to go into the display.

 

[re76]

Once the fish are healthy and eating, I would put them in the 30g for observation. Having that extra swimming space would help alleviate any stress until it's time to go into the display.

Alright you guys are convincing me to give TTM another chance.

What you described was my original plan. Use the 30gal, which is cycled already, as the observation tank for after TTM.

 

[melypr1985]

Alright you guys are convincing me to give TTM another chance.

What you described was my original plan. Use the 30gal, which is cycled already, as the observation tank for after TTM.

TTM takes some practice to get used to. There is always the chance that you will have to abandon it for copper since velvet is rampant through suppliers right now. Best bet is to be sure you're getting the healthiest specimen possible from the LFS. Make sure they are not displaying any physical or behavioral symptoms of ick or velvet. Observe for infections and flukes. Make sure they eat at the LFS before you purchase as well. No matter what, make sure they feed the fish in front of you as that's a big indicator right there. Then go through with your QT procedures. I hope this helps. don't give up!

 

[Brew12]

Alright you guys are convincing me to give TTM another chance.

What you described was my original plan. Use the 30gal, which is cycled already, as the observation tank for after TTM.

Best advice I can give you is to learn what methods work, why they work, and then use the one that works best for you. The only bad method is not using a method at all.