@Miami Reef
In your situation using NSW, already have a QT tank and a three-week preparation period I would suggest like follow.
Set up the QT. Put a small internal foam filter in the DT´s sump. Prepare the QT water with 50% new mixed and 50% water from the DT. At least one more hiding place than total number of fishes. 1 or 2 days before the arrival of the new fish – move the internal foam filter into the QT and do a 10 % WC from the DT. Ask the supplier about the salinity at delivery – adjust you QT to that. Do not add any medication into the water of QT.
However be sure you have proper medication on hand – if…….
When you get the fish – take down the light in the receiving room as much as possible. Shout of the light in the QT
If your transport time is more than 24 hours or around that – adjust your pH in the QT to around 7 with help of bubbling some CO2 into the water (you can do that with carbonated water too – but to pH 7 or just below). When fish arrive – inspect them – if any one show issues – just take a bucket of water from your QT (with pH around 7), open the bag and directly lift over the fish to the bucket – cover the bucket and let it be for a while. If the fishes (or the rest of them) look fine – just check that the temperature not differ to much (3-4 degree C is acceptable) – if it differs to much – let the bags float in the QT for 10 – 15 minutes. Open the bags – take the fish out and put it directly into the QT with lower pH – try to not have any of the water in your bags coming into your QT water – some drops – nema problema – but as less as possible. After all fish are int the QT just let the circulation, skimmer and so on work – the excess CO2 will leave the QT and pH slowly rise to your normal levels
Now the hardest part - try to avoid stirring on your new fish and do not use any flashlight in order to see how they looks like. The inspection should be in the bags – after they have left the bags and into the DT – let them calm down to the next morning.
Next morning inspect if anything looks good – if it does look good – leave it and just observe for a while. Try to have them to eat asap, use frozen food. Very good starting food is – IMO – black mosquito larvae, cyclops, adult artemia and sometimes even blood worms for very tricky fish. However, blood worms should only be used in the start. After a while you can give them the food you prefer. Some people soak the food in garlic – I do not,
Run this inspecting QT as long as you feel sure that these fish do not have anything with them. If the show signs of serve diseases – treat immediately with proper medication.
During this period of observing – do your WC int the QT with help of your DT water – first in low quantities but in the end (1 or 2 days before the introduction in the DT) it should be more or less the same water. The reason for this is mainly vaccination and an option to treat if they can´t stand the new fauna of microorganisms) but IMO this will also lead to lesser aggression when they are introduced into the DT. My very personal opinion is that it is the smell that differ. This is a trick I have used many times with very aggressive cichlids like Tropheus and mbunas
Sincerely Lasse
