Questions on quarantine

[GR00VY]

Going to be buying a pair of clowns that have been in the lfs for the past month. My lfs treats everything coming in for 1.5 weeks with copper treatment. Then they go on display where they are monitored and treated if necessary. These two clowns I am going to buy have been there for a month with no sign of disease or parasites. These fish are plump and eating well. When I quarantine these fish at home can I shorten the time? I was going to do 4 weeks copper and another week or two with Prazipro. However, can I shorten it since they have been fine at the shop for a month?

Also I know not to run carbon on job filter but can i run zeolite crystals to reduce ammonia levels? Thanks

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I would consider just placing them in QT for observation. They may not need any meds. However I would keep them in for at least 4 weeks. If they show no signs of anything your good to go.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I’m going to also recommend you get some copper power, and a Hanna copper test kit with an extra order of reagent. Just Incase they need it.

 

[GR00VY]

Thanks for the reply. I have cupramine ready go if necessary. And the Seachem copper test kit.

If I observe them, should I treat for things like internal parasites? I have health aid bifuran, Seachem focus and health aid. I also have Prazipro for external worms and api general cure because I have heard it is easier in the fish. Would you reccomend any of these treatments if I forego the copper treatment since they have been healthy with no signs of ice or velvet for 3 weeks at the shop? I want to make sure the fish are healthy before putting them in DT. However, I also don’t want to stress them out by dosing them with stuff they don’t need.

 

[Idoc]

I'd treat for ther internal parasites/worms with food soaked in the General Cure + Focus. Also, clowns are very susceptible and can carry Brooklynella... treating the water column with General Cure as well will help with this and also attack any external parasites.

 

[GR00VY]

Thanks for the reply. What kind of media can I run on the job filter? Carbon, ammonia remover, etc? Does it matter? Also, can I treat with the Seachem focus and metro along with the general cure?

 

[Cheche]

Quarantine the right amount of time .. don’t short cut.. even if they look good in the lfs . And in my opinion 1.5 week in copper is not long enough

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

It’s up to you to treat and not a bad idea. I’m old school so I observe daily, then treat if needed.

 

[GR00VY]

I saw this treatment schedule listed on this site.

Day 1 - Dose General Cure
Day 3 - Dose metro
Day 5 - Dose metro
Day 7 - Dose General Cure
Day 9 - Dose metro (probably optional at this point)

Adding cupramine to this as well.

This should do parasites, velvet, ice and brook, correct?

 

[tgrick]

What everyone above said. I will add you can do the tank transfer method and be done with it in a few days instead of a month. Now then, these are clowns and I really worry about Brook with clowns. Do you have Chloroquine Phosphate? The odds are they will not have Brook but I always prepare for the worst.

The problem/issue with LFS's and copper is that many times the levels are not kept above where they need to be and the parasite survives. It's not an issue in the LFS system because a certain copper level keeps things in check. However, when you get home you might find that they get sick because the parasite was never fully eradicated...it was just controlled. So I'm a firm believer in treating fish from ANY AND ALL LFS's as if they are sick and need treatment. I have been fooled too many times thinking a fish was clean only to come back a few days later and find them infested.

 

[living_tribunal]

Going to be buying a pair of clowns that have been in the lfs for the past month. My lfs treats everything coming in for 1.5 weeks with copper treatment. Then they go on display where they are monitored and treated if necessary. These two clowns I am going to buy have been there for a month with no sign of disease or parasites. These fish are plump and eating well. When I quarantine these fish at home can I shorten the time? I was going to do 4 weeks copper and another week or two with Prazipro. However, can I shorten it since they have been fine at the shop for a month?

Also I know not to run carbon on job filter but can i run zeolite crystals to reduce ammonia levels? Thanks

That’s up to you and your tolerance of risk. While it seems the lfs has decent quarantine protocols, you still have no idea where these fish have been, for how long, or what the other fish in the dt have.

My ifs has pretty good quarantine protocols, all tanks are ran with 1.65ppm copper, dosed with prazipro once weekly with water changes. I still quarantine my new fish from them at a full month with copper and prazi at the same time and maybe a fifth week of observation with no medication.

It’s the only way to be certain that I’m no introducing anything to my dt.

 

[GR00VY]

I am not familiar with tank transfer method but I only have one qt tank at this time.

The meds I have (some might be redundant) are cupramine, Prazipro, bifuran, Seachem focus and metro, api general cure and app ich medicine.

I bought the api stuff because it treats multiple things and from what I have read may be easier on a small qt tank. My tank is 10 gallons.

I appreciate the help so far. Just trying to come up with a dosing regime and medicine needed to treat a wide spectrum of diseases and parasites. The fish look fine but I want to make sure I am not infecting my tank that is why I am trying to find a good qt method.

 

[GR00VY]

If anyone wants to look at the list I added above and help me come up with a dosing regime, I’d really appreciate it.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

Any fish that enters my aquarium goes through the same 4 step quarantine process. The link to my article below.

Best Practices: 4 Step Process to Help Prevent Fish Disease Outbreaks

This article highlights on establishing a 4-step streamlined process that in my experience has proven to be beneficial in preventing fish disease outbreaks.

www.reef2reef.com

However, I don't have clowns but in your case I'd treat two rounds of General Cure as it contains metro on step 4 instead of Prazipro.

 

[tgrick]

What I do with new fish is simple.

1) Treat with prazipro for flukes. It's an 8 days treatment.
2) I then use either copper or Chloroquine Phosphate for parasites. I use copper for wrasses and CP for all other fish. I do not keep fish in copper/CP for 30 days. I treat them for 15 days and then they are moved to ANOTHER tank that is sterile. I observe for 2 or 3 weeks and then add them to display. If no other tank is available, then they stay with the meds for 30 days!

The above list is EXCELLENT! Let's hope you never need to use it. The meds you have, with the exception of copper and prazipro are for sick fish. So lets take it one step at a time. Prazi for flukes and then copper for ick/velvet. You should be good after that.

 

[tgrick]

I like general cure. I worry about bacterial blooms with the added antibiotics so I choose prazi as I feel it more gentle and happens early allowing time for acclimation. When using copper it's CRITICAL to have the right levels and even more critical to raise copper levels OVER DAYS VERY SLOWLY! I use a hanna copper checker to ensure I have the correct amount of copper for successful treatment.

 

[GR00VY]

Any fish that enters my aquarium goes through the same 4 step quarantine process. The link to my article below.

Best Practices: 4 Step Process to Help Prevent Fish Disease Outbreaks

This article highlights on establishing a 4-step streamlined process that in my experience has proven to be beneficial in preventing fish disease outbreaks.

www.reef2reef.com

However, I don't have clowns but in your case I'd treat two rounds of General Cure as it contains metro on step 4 instead of Prazipro.

Is the copper a 4 week treatment?

 

[GR00VY]

What I do with new fish is simple.

1) Treat with prazipro for flukes. It's an 8 days treatment.
2) I then use either copper or Chloroquine Phosphate for parasites. I use copper for wrasses and CP for all other fish. I do not keep fish in copper/CP for 30 days. I treat them for 15 days and then they are moved to ANOTHER tank that is sterile. I observe for 2 or 3 weeks and then add them to display. If no other tank is available, then they stay with the meds for 30 days!

The above list is EXCELLENT! Let's hope you never need to use it. The meds you have, with the exception of copper and prazipro are for sick fish. So lets take it one step at a time. Prazi for flukes and then copper for ick/velvet. You should be good after that.

When you say stay with medicine for 30 days. I assume you mean the copper in the tank at proper levels for 30 days, correct? If I was transferring to another 10 g tank I would add no medicine and just observe for 2 weeks, right?

 

[Dom]

Personally, I don't care what the LFS SAYS they do. I will not risk disease to my DTs by putting in fish that were allegedly placed in QT at the LFS and treated prophylactically.

Let's suppose for a moment that you buy these fish. And it turns that the QT and treatment was inadequate. You now have disease in your DT.

Now you are faced with the expense of purchasing a QT setup, cycling the QT, medicating the fish while in QT.

The LFS will sell you bottled solutions and hand out tons of free advice. But ultimately, YOU will have to absorb the cost and countless hours associated with the eradication of the disease. This hobby is expensive enough, don't you think?

Many of us have seen this before; the hobbyist that trusted the LFS and now they have emergency posts because their fish are breathing heavy and look like they have been dipped in powdered sugar.

PLEASE don't rely on the LFS.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Dom

 

[living_tribunal]

I like general cure. I worry about bacterial blooms with the added antibiotics so I choose prazi as I feel it more gentle and happens early allowing time for acclimation. When using copper it's CRITICAL to have the right levels and even more critical to raise copper levels OVER DAYS VERY SLOWLY! I use a hanna copper checker to ensure I have the correct amount of copper for successful treatment.

This is very important! I would read this advise closely. If you’re running something like copper safe, you need to make sure your copper is between 1.5-2. If it’s not over 1.5, the copper won’t kill all of the parasites. If it’s over 2, you’re doing harm to the fish.

I don’t have hannas copper tests but I really wish I did because getting copper smack dab in the middle is a bit of a challenge.