Quarantine conditions and medication list for clownfish

Kasey · Feb 22, 2019

My husband and I are about to get our first saltwater fish after patiently cycling my tank the right way. It’s a two hour drive for us, but we’ve got 6 fish stores we can visit to select our pair. I guess I’m curious

1.) Best way to keep water temp up on the 2 hour drive home

2.) I’ve got a 10 gallon bare bottom quarantine with an Aquatech 70 (carbon removed, foam filter and biomedia ran in my main tank for about 2 weeks to build up bacteria) some pvc piping for hiding spots, and a reliable heater and thermometer. I’ll have 7 days of dosing with Seachem Stability before my fish are added. Anything else I should stock?

3.) The medicines I have in stock:

Methylene Blue
Prazipro
Cupramine
Seachem Vitality
Furan-2
Metroplex
Focus
Kanaplex
Ruby Reef Rally

Is this enough variety, and is there anything I’m missing?

4.) What signs of illness should I look for in my clownfish?

5.) What should I begin dosing with? I’ve got to do major research over the next couple days for the appropriate dosing measures to take for clownfish.

I’d also love some recommendations on what fish to add next. These are the fish I’ve narrowed down to future possibilities (not all of them, I’m very aware of the dangers of a overstocked tank.)

Royal Gramma
Chromis
Yellow Prawn Gobi
Pink Spotted Gobi
Yellowhead Jawfish
Blue Dot Jawfish
Black Cap Basslet
Yellow Candy Hogfish
Zebra Barred Dartfish
Exquisite Fish

Flippers4pups · Feb 22, 2019

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fish-diseases-101.189284/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/treatment-options-102.189658/

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/how-to-quarantine.232/

Looks like you have just about all your bases covered with meds.

DLHDesign · Feb 22, 2019

Woo-hoo! Fish time!

1) Let the store know you've got a bit of a drive ahead of you. They should be able to give you a larger bag of water (and air) to help keep the temps and conditions stable. But I wouldn't worry about it; fish get shipped in bags and that takes longer than 2hrs. The temp change will be gradual, and in the "less dangerous" direction (warmer == higher metabolic rate, which means problems happen faster. colder == everything slows down, which is okay so long as it doesn't go too far). Just don't drive home in a blizzard with your windows down and you'll be fine.

2) For any QT, you'll want an Ammonia Alert. Far better than having to measure by hand all the time, and won't have issues if/when you need to add copper or the like. One badge works for months, so it's well worth the cost (though I use a new one with each tank just to be sure I'm getting good readings).

3) Cupramine is okay - it's better than nothing for sure. But it's an ionic copper, not a chelated copper. The latter (chelated) is generally easier and safer to use because it's a more "gentle" version of copper. I prefer to use CopperSafe, as I find it to be much easier to use.

4) The most common urgent concern with new clowns is going to be Brook. You have the Ruby Reef Rally to treat this, so you should be ready for that. Other common issues are intestinal problems or - more recently - uronema. When picking out your fish, look for signs of any of these, and avoid buying those. Doesn't mean you won't encounter them anyways (signs aren't always obvious in the store), but it's worth looking for indicators. Take your time watching the fish you like - don't be afraid to ask the stores to feed the fish you are serious about buying (if they don't eat, that's not a full-stop, but it might help you avoid problems).

5) Assuming the fish look good before you get them home, it's best to give them a few days (at least) before starting any treatments. Give them time to recover from the shock of the move, settle into their temporary home, and make sure that they are eating. Use the first few days to get a feel for how the QT tank is doing in terms of ammonia reduction - keep the meds out if you can until you have this under control (Seachem Prime is good to have on-hand just in case, but frequent water changes can also help).

Lots to unpack there already; I'll let others help with the stocking list as it's not really an area I'm strong at.

ShaunRobinson · Feb 22, 2019

Kasey said:
My husband and I are about to get our first saltwater fish after patiently cycling my tank the right way. It’s a two hour drive for us, but we’ve got 6 fish stores we can visit to select our pair. I guess I’m curious

1.) Best way to keep water temp up on the 2 hour drive home

2.) I’ve got a 10 gallon bare bottom quarantine with an Aquatech 70 (carbon removed, foam filter and biomedia ran in my main tank for about 2 weeks to build up bacteria) some pvc piping for hiding spots, and a reliable heater and thermometer. I’ll have 7 days of dosing with Seachem Stability before my fish are added. Anything else I should stock?

3.) The medicines I have in stock:

Methylene Blue
Prazipro
Cupramine
Seachem Vitality
Furan-2
Metroplex
Focus
Kanaplex
Ruby Reef Rally

Is this enough variety, and is there anything I’m missing?

4.) What signs of illness should I look for in my clownfish?

5.) What should I begin dosing with? I’ve got to do major research over the next couple days for the appropriate dosing measures to take for clownfish.

I’d also love some recommendations on what fish to add next. These are the fish I’ve narrowed down to future possibilities (not all of them, I’m very aware of the dangers of a overstocked tank.)

Royal Gramma
Chromis
Yellow Prawn Gobi
Pink Spotted Gobi
Yellowhead Jawfish
Blue Dot Jawfish
Black Cap Basslet
Yellow Candy Hogfish
Zebra Barred Dartfish
Exquisite Fish

Sorry I’m just about to head out to work and don’t have time for a full reply, I’m sure somebody will be along soon. Just a quick I’m on using Seachem Stability. You add the fish in during the 7 day Stability course. This gives the bacteria a chance to get established with an ammonia source.

‘Shake well before use. Turn off UV/ozone. Use 1 capful (5 mL) for each 40 L (10 US gallons) on the first day with a new aquarium. Then use 1 capful for each 80 L (20 US gallons) daily for 7 days. Fish and other aquatic species may be introduced at any time as long as dosage is maintained for 7 days’

If you are using Stability without fish then you will need to put a small pinch of food in to establish an ammonia source.

Shaun.