Preparing for the worst

[Mavric]

So I started cycling about 4 days ago and have been doing nothing but reading and watching YouTube videos since. One thing that has been a commonly shared discussion throughout is dealing with parasites and how to keep a quarantine in case things get ugly. This leaves me in a bit of a pickle because due to my apartment restrictions, more than one aquarium is not allowed. I’ve been doing some research on things you can dose that will help kill off the ugly stuff and found Ruby Reef, which is copper-free and claims to not harm corals and inverts.

Is this a viable option to consider in my situation? Should I be dosing it now during my cycle before I add livestock? If so, does doing this have any consequences in the long term?

 

[mfinn]

So I started cycling about 4 days ago and have been doing nothing but reading and watching YouTube videos since. One thing that has been a commonly shared discussion throughout is dealing with parasites and how to keep a quarantine in case things get ugly. This leaves me in a bit of a pickle because due to my apartment restrictions, more than one aquarium is not allowed. I’ve been doing some research on things you can dose that will help kill off the ugly stuff and found Ruby Reef, which is copper-free and claims to not harm corals and inverts.

Is this a viable option to consider in my situation? Should I be dosing it now during my cycle before I add livestock? If so, does doing this have any consequences in the long term?

No it is not.
You could use a temporary quarantine tank.
Using a 15-20 gallon tank with a seeded sponge filter, heater, small powerhead.
Use it when it's needed, then take it down.

 

[scott11106]

as stated i would not worry about the 1 tank rule, small QT is a must, setup , QT for 30 days, drain clean and store in closet then repeat when adding more fish. make sure you get something that will allow for what size fish you are going to add in the future and the smaller the QT the smaller bio-load (amount of fish or size of fish) you can have at one time and watch the ammonia as it will increase fast in small QT's

 

[lapin]

I would try to get 2 small 5 gallons tanks. You can QT smaller fish in them. Do the TTM method to get rid of any chance of Ich and dose prazi pro 2 times, sometime in the 14 days to rid of flukes. That will help with most of your concerns, without going to too much trouble or time. Not 100% perfect but will rid fish of 2 of the common ones.

 

[scott11106]

So I started cycling about 4 days ago and have been doing nothing but reading and watching YouTube videos since. One thing that has been a commonly shared discussion throughout is dealing with parasites and how to keep a quarantine in case things get ugly. This leaves me in a bit of a pickle because due to my apartment restrictions, more than one aquarium is not allowed. I’ve been doing some research on things you can dose that will help kill off the ugly stuff and found Ruby Reef, which is copper-free and claims to not harm corals and inverts.

Is this a viable option to consider in my situation? Should I be dosing it now during my cycle before I add livestock? If so, does doing this have any consequences in the long term?

i am not sure about that product but adding any product could have consequences i assume, it is always better to QT and make sure all is clean first

 

[mitch91175]

Absolutely setup a QT/hospital tank. I am currently got through a fallow period because I wasn't QTing my fish/coral and am paying the price for it now. I have lost a Chevron Tang, Powder Blue Tang, Labouti Wrasse, 2 - Female Pintale Wrasse, and a Flame Angel. My only option to catch all my fish was to break down my tank, catch the fish, and put them into a QT system. I also setup a makeshift hospital tank using a 100 gallon brute container. Luckily I had everything needed to get it going.

From this point forward, I will NEVER introduce any fish into my system until it has gone through a proper QT protocol. I had been extremely lucky without QTing my fish until recently when I purchase a Powder Blue tang from a guy starting to sell fish. Worse mistake I ever made. I only put the fish that showed signs of ich/velvet into copper treatment and will begin dropping the salinity to get to 1.009 to run hypo and monitor everything. If anything else shows signs of velvet, they will immediately go into copper hospital tank.

Marine velvet can and will wipe out all of you fish.

FYI, the only way to cure velvet is to use copper (hypo salinity doesn't do anything; neither does freshwater dipping the fish either)

 

[Mavric]

Thank you guys very much! I am running a nano setup so I'll have a little 5 gallon setup for QT. Won't have any fish that will need any bigger I suspect.

 

[mfinn]

Thank you guys very much! I am running a nano setup so I'll have a little 5 gallon setup for QT. Won't have any fish that will need any bigger I suspect.

I use my sump on my 233 to cycle sponge filters, but it doesn't look like you will be able to do something similar.
Finding a way to have a fully seed bio-filter in your quarantine tank will vastly improve your success rate quarantining fish.
Maybe using one of the bacteria in a bottle products?

 

[Redleg]

You can always just use a 5 gallon bucket and one of those cheap sponge filters with an airstone. Just drop the sponge in your display for a few days and fill your bucket with used tank water.

 

[FF419]

I'd set up another small QT tank. Apartments have all sorts of basic rules like that. Just don't strike up a convo with the landlord or building manager and nobody will ever be the wiser anyways.

 

[Mavric]

I'd set up another small QT tank. Apartments have all sorts of basic rules like that. Just don't strike up a convo with the landlord or building manager and nobody will ever be the wiser anyways.

I hate the complex I'm currently at. 6 months left on the lease and I'm out. The maintenance guys here are salty and rat on everyone. My fiancé and I brought a puppy home on a Friday, they came to change the air filter on Saturday, and I got a nastygram from the office saying I needed to pay $250 that following Monday before I even had a chance to go register her. They were reluctant on me even having a smaller 13.5 gallon in there even though I'm on the bottom floor on top of a solid concrete foundation with laminate flooring. Just an overall poor experience.

 

[4FordFamily]

Welcome home, you will love it here!

I agree, QT a must!

 

[Bdrake]

I've been through the same situation a handful of times. I kept my QT in my master bedroom closet and kept the door shut unless inspecting or treating. At times it can feel like you're harboring a fugitive though