Transferring fish from QT to DT

[WIReefer]

Okay I will be setting up a one tank QT today and will be treating all my fish with copper due to them having ich my question is once I’m done with the treatment and my DT has ran fallow for 76 days what would be the safest way to transfer fish back into my DT tank? I don’t want to be cross contaminating anything. Help would be great guys thank you!

 

[Spar]

Okay I will be setting up a one tank QT today and will be treating all my fish with copper due to them having ich my question is once I’m done with the treatment and my DT has ran fallow for 76 days what would be the safest way to transfer fish back into my DT tank? I don’t want to be cross contaminating anything. Help would be great guys thank you!

Once you have treated the tank with copper and GC (or similar), cross contaminating shouldn't be an issue. I use a small plastic strainer to move my fish over, that way as little water as possible transfers with it. You will have already wanted to remove copper from the water for your fish observation period anyway, so you shouldn't have any/much residual copper in the water.

In case you aren't already considering this, strongly consider only treating the fish at 2ppm copper for 10-14 days, then do a single TTM to a copperless QT tank for your observation. That way at that point you have parasiteless fish in fresh water.

Edit: clarification, re: 2ppm copper, that assumes chelated copper (ex. copper power); ionic copper like cupramine would be .5ppm (not recommended over chelated though)

 

[WIReefer]

Once you have treated the tank with copper and GC (or similar), cross contaminating shouldn't be an issue. I use a small plastic strainer to move my fish over, that way as little water as possible transfers with it. You will have already wanted to remove copper from the water for your fish observation period anyway, so you shouldn't have any/much residual copper in the water.

In case you aren't already considering this, strongly consider only treating the fish at 2ppm copper for 10-14 days, then do a single TTM to a copperless QT tank for your observation. That way at that point you have parasiteless fish in fresh water.

Edit: clarification, re: 2ppm copper, that assumes chelated copper (ex. copper power); ionic copper like cupramine would be .5ppm (not recommended over chelated though)

SO when the fish are cured do I just do frequent water changes to eliminate the copper? Or do I need to sterilize the tank first?

 

[WIReefer]

Oh and what about my pump and hose I use when doing water changes on my DT are those contaminated as well?

 

[Spar]

Sorry for the late responses, busy weekend!

SO when the fish are cured do I just do frequent water changes to eliminate the copper? Or do I need to sterilize the tank first?

One of two options here:
1-after 14 days of copper treatment, do the complete transfer of the fish to a new tank with completely new equipment -- literally nothing wet transfers over, including pumps, hiding places, air stones, air tubes, etc, etc, etc... only the fish. There will now no longer be copper in the water.
2-after 30 days of copper treatment, do as large of a water change as possible, generally 80-90%. Then run activated carbon in the water to absorb any leftover copper. Option 1 above is really the best option all around, but understandable if you don't have 2 of everything in your fish supply pile.

Oh and what about my pump and hose I use when doing water changes on my DT are those contaminated as well?

re: hose: As long as you completely drained it out each time (i.e. didn't leave pockets of salt water in the line), then you are fine as long as 24 hours has passed between water changes. Tomont/Timites die after 24 hours exposed to air. For extra comfort, rinse the hose with tapwater. The tomont/timites die within a few hours of soaking in 0ppt water.

re: pump: be careful with this as little pockets of saltwater can reside in the pump nooks and crannies that keeps a tomont/tomite. seems unlikely but why risk it. you could run the pump through a bucket of tap water for a minute or so and that should be plenty of comfort IMO.