★Need Help★ Prized Fish Ordered (Want to setup Proper 2nd Quarentine Tank)

[Wally.B]

★Need Help★ Prized Fish Ordered (Want to setup Proper 2nd Quarentine Tank)

Hello,

I've been waiting for over a year for a Black Cap Basslet.

No luck at all, as I looked everywhere in the local fish stores. One arrived few months ago, but was DOA.

Just a few days ago I gave up, so bought two other fish, which I placed in a sump I'm building that has a small quarantine Tank section.

I have my hands full hoping I can get the Leopard Wrase to eat (but I have a live food farm for my Madarin, so hopes are high).

Then just tonight I was surfing, and I found the Basslet that I've really wanted (Near by store).
So I Just placed the order for a pickup After weekend at a LFS a reasonable drive away. (So I have the weekend to set things up).

The Sump I am building is as below.

The detailed thread (FOR THIS SUMP) with test run on YouTube is here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2570553


The current Quarantine area is the far right section , so I can make the rest of the sump a 2nd quarantine area for the Basslet.

I don't want to place it in the same quarantine tank since (since those two new wrasses could have diseases), so my option is to use the remaining area of the sump. However I really want to make sure this fish survives (so need help to setup a perfect Quarantine)

So I could just fill sump with Fresh Made Saltwater? I worry that it will cycle, and possibly kill the fish.

I could do water changes from my tank, and mix in some fresh salt water to top it up.

I could run the DB8i skimmer (new, never used), but that takes care of nutrients and but not a cycle. (Perhaps a cycle won't happen, if I change water weekly from my other tank and change the Quarentine tank, or possibly no cycle will happen due to such a small fish). I have no idea.

ABVIOUSLY I'll place a heater in the separate section, the fish could either go into the Return Area (pretty small), or I place the skimmer into the Return area, and fish goes into the main area. THE SKIMMER WILL PROVIDE AREATION,and I'll be running a small pump between the two sections for circulation.

Please provide any advice on how to setup a fresh quarantine and keep it stable for a fish that I really want to survive. (I figure 6-8 weeks is good enough for a quarantine).

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[TangingOut]

That's an orange back fairy wrasse.

This is a black cap basslet:

Did you see a picture of the fish you ordered? You could be getting the wrong fish.

 

[ThRoewer]

Yep, Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis), not Black Cap Basslet (Gramma melacara)

And the "7 Stripe Wrasse" is actually a Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia).

 

[Wally.B]

Oooops. I was in a hurry and snagged the wrong photo off the sales web site.

What I bought is a BlackCap Basslet like the pictures two photos above.

Yeah and thanks for the correction on the 6 line. I'm not the best with remembering names. You should hear the names I've come up with for corals ☺

Sorry.

 

[ThRoewer]

BlackCap Basslet aren't really rare around here or online (LA has them right now).
My issue with them is that the specimen you find in the stores are all quite large already, so pairing them is much more tricky.
I personally prefer Gramma loreto for it's brighter colors.

 

[OrionN]

the other wrasses are fine but your Leopard wrasse is not likely make it. They need sand bed to sleep in and plenty life food to eat at least at the beginning. The Sixline wrasse is going to kill the Leopard wrasse

 

[Wally.B]

Thanks for the info so far.

I do have two tanks, so fish can be split up.

I do cultivate live food for my Mandarin and it's survived over 18 months, and healthy. I will do my best to get the Leopard fish best environment, and food.

If fish get too large or aggressive, LFS does buy fish back, so that's an option.

** However nobody so far has given me any advice on the Quarentine setup *

So the plan I have is I'm going to go with new water for the start, and over the many weeks, mix in water from my tank during water changes.

 

[PatW]

I have a black capped basslet. Nice fish. It eats flakes, pellets, brine shrimp, mysis, and pods. It is not very aggressive. In my tank, it's rich purple colors look really good.

 

[MikeyAl]

Thanks for the info so far.



I do have two tanks, so fish can be split up.



I do cultivate live food for my Mandarin and it's survived over 18 months, and healthy. I will do my best to get the Leopard fish best environment, and food.



If fish get too large or aggressive, LFS does buy fish back, so that's an option.



** However nobody so far has given me any advice on the Quarentine setup *



So the plan I have is I'm going to go with new water for the start, and over the many weeks, mix in water from my tank during water changes.

Can you get your hands on on dr trims nitrifying bacteria or bio-spira before he gets to you? Or do you have anything in your tank that has collected bacteria like a sponge or bio balls?
Use those with the new saltwater and some water from DT and follow proper qT protocols.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wally.B]

Setup Clarification and Plan for New Fish

Some background needed.

I have 2 Tanks (1x 15+ year old, and 1x 2 year old). Very established. Loaded with Copepods, Amphipod.
- Two established Sumps with Live Rock, Ceramic Bio Balls, Live Sand in 1 Tank.

I have a Tigger Copepod Farm that I breed Live food for Madarin, and sometimes cultivate Live Brine Shrimp.

So the way I'm thinking SHORT TERM, after Quarentine is this.

- I'll keep all 3 fish. Better me who cares and will try, than sold to someone with no experience.

- The Six Line Wrasse will go into the 90 Gallon Tank (with HawkFish, and Chromis). Those fish should be able to handle him in that space.
- The Black Cap will go as always planned into my 65 Gallon (with Tang, Angel and Madarin)
- The Leopard will stay in the QT Section of the Sump. I am preparing to setup a 3 inch sandbed right away. (If I manage to keep him alive thru QT, for 8 weeks, and eating, he might go into a Tank, or stay as in QT when it becomes a Refuge).

This PHOTO Should give you the Idea of the Planned Fish Distribution
(As where FISH will go).

I'll adjust things as I observe. (Last Resort is to return fish to LFS).

Still a Bad Idea?

 

[MikeyAl]

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wally.B]

Improved the QT for Leopard Wrasse

This should make the Leopoard Wrase a bit more comfortable.

- Some Live Rock from Display Tank Sump (Loaded with Encrustations/Ampipods)
- Thick 3" Layer of Aragonite Sand (Seeded from Display Tank)

- Dumped in some Live Copepods, with PhtytoPlankton.
- Couple of Hermits to keep things tidy
- 1 Snail to clean Glass

Took off Zoa Frags from Tray for now. By Accident, broke the tray gluing.

Hoping things go well.

Now to prepare the rest of the sump for the Black Cap Basslet. (Something similar, but no SandBed)

 

[Wally.B]

For the Records SUMP QT-Tank-"Leo" [ NO3=2.5ppm, Salinity=1.025 ] May 01,2016

I don't think I need to check anything else. Don't have a Nitrite, or Ammonia kit.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Might be a good idea to get all of the necessary test kits.

 

[OrionN]

IME, Leopard like finer sand and likely deeper. If you can do that I think he will like it better. Finer sand is better fir him, he dive into the sand just like swimming into it full speed.

 

[Wally.B]

IME, Leopard like finer sand and likely deeper. If you can do that I think he will like it better. Finer sand is better fir him, he dive into the sand just like swimming into it full speed.

Yeah, I was looking for finer sand, but they didn't have any. Plus this is Temp during QT. He'll go into the Display tank in a few weeks.

Plus I hate super fine sand, since it's dusts up in strong circulation.

He did retreat and sleep in this sand overnight. Just came out. Looks well rested, and relaxed.
I did see the 6 Line peck at him a couple of times. He might have to go back to the store.

QT also cleared up overnight.

Not bad looking for a small Sump QT.

 

[Wally.B]

Might be a good idea to get all of the necessary test kits.

I have all but Ammonia, and Nitrite.

Was thinking of one of those "Ammonia ALERT" Color Changing Tags.

If I do water changes from Display Tank (which I do weekly), I should be fine.
My 10 Gallon Water change is more than enough to re-fill think tank completely each time.

All I need to do , dump the water in, and it will automatically drain into the Pump Return Section, which I can just suck out with a ShopVac. (REMEMBER this is a Sump, building built, not in use yet.).

 

[OrionN]

I had a Sixline pair and a Mandarin pair in my 450 gal. They did great for 1+ year. Then the Sixline pair decided to eliminate the competitor. They attack the female Mandarin. A few seconds was what it took I witness the whole thing and cannot do anything about it. The Sixline pair dive at my female Mandarin a peck her eyes out. One attacked one eye and the other attacked the other eye. No more than 3 seconds and they got what they wanted, no more competitor. The totally ignored the Mandarin after they blinded her.

 

[Wally.B]

I had a Sixline pair and a Mandarin pair in my 450 gal. They did great for 1+ year. Then the Sixline pair decided to eliminate the competitor. They attack the female Mandarin. A few seconds was what it took I witness the whole thing and cannot do anything about it. The Sixline pair dive at my female Mandarin a peck her eyes out. One attacked one eye and the other attacked the other eye. No more than 3 seconds and they got what they wanted, no more competitor. The totally ignored the Mandarin after they blinded her.

OK!!! You're not the only one warning me about the Sixline Wrasse (bad kid behavior).

It goes back to store, or will remain as a future Sump occupant.

THANKS for the confirmation.

 

[Wally.B]

2nd Quarantine Built (For BlackCap Basslet):

So I got an idea how to make the Skimmer Section of the sump useful.

- Had some left over sand, but too thin for the whole section.
- Added a small Baffle to keep Sand in a corner.
- Keep skimmer in it's own area for bubbles but works the whole section.
- The Shelf I built for Bio-Media, works great for raising the heater (which no longer fits below (due to baffle).
- I can even run a small pump to circulate thru he BioShelf with some kind of media.

This should work for the next 8 weeks for both QT.

- I can still work on completing Algae Scrubber Area since it's isolated.
- The Return Section stays empty.