falconut
New member
I've been running a QT tank for a while now. All of my fish go through it for a month to make sure they're healthy and eatting properly.
I used to use a 10 gallon tank with an empty hang on the back filter filled with some LR rubble as the filtration.
A few months ago, I got rid of the tank. I had a 5 gal tank setup in it's place with only a SeaClone 100 for filtration. I added a small Lamarck Angel and the next day it had ich (or at least that's what it looked like). I added a scoop of SeaChem Metronidazole as directed on the bottle to the water. The next day all of the spots were gone. Unfortunely, the fish died 4 days later.
I decided to empty all of the water and added another 5 gallon tank. So, I now had (2) 5 gallon tanks, one behind the other. I put the internal portion of an overflow box in the display portion. I then stuck a 'U' tube between the 2. In the back tank, there was a piece of acrylic glued in the tank making a chamber, so if the level dropped in the rear tank the 'U' tube would stay primed. I then put an old Mag-7 in the back tank and it pumped into the front tank. I figured this should handle the flow duties. I filled the tanks with fresh water to test. After the tests (about 15 - 30 minutes) I started to add salt until it reached 1.023. I have about 3 - 4 small pieces of LR rubble and some sand on the bottom.
I added a Green Chromis and it refused to eat and hid whenever I came in the room and was dead in 3 days. It didn't look bad, just died (assumed from never eatting). So, I went and got a Yellow tail Blue Damsel the next day. He was eatting from day 1. He is still doing great. I checked the levels and Am. = 0.25, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 10.
After a few weeks, I checked the levels and Am. = 0, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 15.
Later that week I added a Yellowheaded Jawfish that the LFS had for over a week. It was in a tank with about 2" of sand and it made a cave under a rock. I stacked the rocks, so it could do the same. But it managed to jump out through the eggscrate and landed into the rear tank. I put it back in the front tank. I glued another eggcrate on top so the holes were smaller. It seamed so skittish and never ate. Again, about three days later it was dead. Didn't look bad just dead. Assumed it was just because it was so spastic and it wasn't eatting. I again checked the levels and they were Am. = 0, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 15. I did a 2 gallon water change.
About a week and a half later I added a 3" Black & White Heniochus. It was eatting great at the LFS and looked prefect. All fins were clear, body was bright and colorful and it was very alert. The next day, the edges of it's fins looked hazy white. I checked the levels and they were Am. = 0, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 10. So, I figured since it was eatting it would be fine. The next day, it was covered with tiny dust sized white dots. It was still eatting really good and not breathing hard. I decided to dose with Metronidazole as directed. That night it still looked the same. In the morning it was dead. The Yellow tail Blue Damsel is still looking great.
So, I'm beginning to believe that the 5 gallon tank is just too small and causing the fish to stress out and break out. And I won't be using the Metronidazole again, even though I had some good results in the past.
What's the concensus. I can get a 10 gallon to replace the front 5 gallon and keep using the rear 5 gallon as the equipment tank or just remove the rear 5 gallon and add the hang on filter with the rubble. Either would allow to reconnect the skimmer. I don't believe I would go with anything larger, I am limited with space. Plus, a 15 gallon isn't much bigger but costs 3 times the price of a 10 gallon.
I used to use a 10 gallon tank with an empty hang on the back filter filled with some LR rubble as the filtration.
A few months ago, I got rid of the tank. I had a 5 gal tank setup in it's place with only a SeaClone 100 for filtration. I added a small Lamarck Angel and the next day it had ich (or at least that's what it looked like). I added a scoop of SeaChem Metronidazole as directed on the bottle to the water. The next day all of the spots were gone. Unfortunely, the fish died 4 days later.
I decided to empty all of the water and added another 5 gallon tank. So, I now had (2) 5 gallon tanks, one behind the other. I put the internal portion of an overflow box in the display portion. I then stuck a 'U' tube between the 2. In the back tank, there was a piece of acrylic glued in the tank making a chamber, so if the level dropped in the rear tank the 'U' tube would stay primed. I then put an old Mag-7 in the back tank and it pumped into the front tank. I figured this should handle the flow duties. I filled the tanks with fresh water to test. After the tests (about 15 - 30 minutes) I started to add salt until it reached 1.023. I have about 3 - 4 small pieces of LR rubble and some sand on the bottom.
I added a Green Chromis and it refused to eat and hid whenever I came in the room and was dead in 3 days. It didn't look bad, just died (assumed from never eatting). So, I went and got a Yellow tail Blue Damsel the next day. He was eatting from day 1. He is still doing great. I checked the levels and Am. = 0.25, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 10.
After a few weeks, I checked the levels and Am. = 0, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 15.
Later that week I added a Yellowheaded Jawfish that the LFS had for over a week. It was in a tank with about 2" of sand and it made a cave under a rock. I stacked the rocks, so it could do the same. But it managed to jump out through the eggscrate and landed into the rear tank. I put it back in the front tank. I glued another eggcrate on top so the holes were smaller. It seamed so skittish and never ate. Again, about three days later it was dead. Didn't look bad just dead. Assumed it was just because it was so spastic and it wasn't eatting. I again checked the levels and they were Am. = 0, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 15. I did a 2 gallon water change.
About a week and a half later I added a 3" Black & White Heniochus. It was eatting great at the LFS and looked prefect. All fins were clear, body was bright and colorful and it was very alert. The next day, the edges of it's fins looked hazy white. I checked the levels and they were Am. = 0, NO2 = 0 and NO3 = 10. So, I figured since it was eatting it would be fine. The next day, it was covered with tiny dust sized white dots. It was still eatting really good and not breathing hard. I decided to dose with Metronidazole as directed. That night it still looked the same. In the morning it was dead. The Yellow tail Blue Damsel is still looking great.
So, I'm beginning to believe that the 5 gallon tank is just too small and causing the fish to stress out and break out. And I won't be using the Metronidazole again, even though I had some good results in the past.
What's the concensus. I can get a 10 gallon to replace the front 5 gallon and keep using the rear 5 gallon as the equipment tank or just remove the rear 5 gallon and add the hang on filter with the rubble. Either would allow to reconnect the skimmer. I don't believe I would go with anything larger, I am limited with space. Plus, a 15 gallon isn't much bigger but costs 3 times the price of a 10 gallon.
