Another lesson learned

[wooden_reefer]

Many intrenal parasites, fungus, and bacteria are lurking inside a fish waiting for immunity to be impaired to take over.

Exposure to ammonia is one such situation. Even if a fish may seem to have survived ammonia exposure initially, it may not live long.

 

[scuzy]

i don't have any other container to cycle in, my only other choice is to throw them al lback in the dt and cycle the QT

 

[wooden_reefer]

i don't have any other container to cycle in, my only other choice is to throw them al lback in the dt and cycle the QT

You should go to Walmart and pay the $15 or so needed for a 30 or so gal rectangular plastic container for storage. make sure it does not have plastic smell to it. Put your nose very close to it.

You should have gotten two already, instead of the 100 gal tank, IMO.

 

[wooden_reefer]

i don't have any other container to cycle in, my only other choice is to throw them al lback in the dt and cycle the QT

Yes, you can do this, but take a few days of treatment to make sure that ich is no longer acute, but accept that ich is still not eradicated. You have to suffer these few days at least of massive WC if you want to come out of this calamity without major losses.

 

[scuzy]

Ok couldn't take the risk so placed all of them back into display tank until qt is cycled and ready for treatment

 

[wooden_reefer]

Ok couldn't take the risk so placed all of them back into display tank until qt is cycled and ready for treatment

Ok if they are not at risk of dying from ich.

I suggest that you learn to make a simple DIY biological filter of enough capacity to handle all the fish when the time comes.

Or you may actually want to use such a filter to cycle in the QT, if you can make it quickly.

Otherwise, you need a couple of large canister filters or a few HOT power boxes. Can add up to over $100.

 

[scuzy]

How do I know what's enough capacity? I have only a Hagen aqua clear 70 right now on it running with carbon and ceramic rings from fluval

 

[wooden_reefer]

How do I know what's enough capacity? I have only a Hagen aqua clear 70 right now on it running with carbon and ceramic rings from fluval

What is the approximate volume of the filter chamber?

 

[wooden_reefer]

Carbon!

Did you just add the carbon just now?

Make sure you do not have any chemical filter for the brief few days of treatment against ich using any copper formulation; otherwise your effort would have been wasted.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I will tell you what kind of DYI filter I would use.

All you need is a 5-gal bucket with a drain hole big enough drill at the bottom. Some PVC connection at the drain hole is better for more splash free setup. You can use a bulkhead but any PVC coupler and pipe setup will help prevent splashing. The water is to return to the tank by gravity.

Another hole on the side high near the top will help. This will allow a hose to be inserted. or use a spring clamp if you will not pinch on the hose. You use a powerhead or a pump to pump water up a couple of feet of pressure head. Flow rate need not be very high, just 200 gph will do. This simple wet-dry setup is very powerful in nitritfication.

All you have to do is to pump water into the bucket and allow the water to flow and drip back into the tank.

You can put a rather high volume of medium into the bucket. a 5 -gal bucket only one-third filled will be a very good filter.

You have to be good at making sure that everything is mechanically sturdy; the bucket will not fall etc.

Inside the bucket you can put sacks of crushed coral, or loosely placed polyester floss weighted only by its own weight, but make sure nothing clogs to drain hole. The water from QT will drip onto the medium and cascade down and finally drains back into the tank.

You can save money by DIY. Those whole thing can be very cheap.

 

[scuzy]

Thanks for all the help. I'll wait for the qt to cycled before moving all of them in for treatment.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Do not make the error in either direction.

That is, do not let them die from ich and do not let them die from ammonia suddenly or slowly.

The volume in the makeshift biological filter has to be high enough. One HOT filter box as designed is not going to work.

One HOT filter box may work if there is DIY elements in it. You can build a large and tall filter chamber with slits at the bottom and have the intake tube of the filter inside and water sucked thru it.

 

[scuzy]

I am going to dig up my old global 304 and punt ceramic rings in all three chambers to add additional bacteria surface area

 

[scuzy]

Fluval 304 stupid autocorrect

Would that be enou surface area for nitrifying bacteria if all 3 chambers is full of ceramic rings?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[wooden_reefer]

Fluval 304 stupid autocorrect

Would that be enou surface area for nitrifying bacteria if all 3 chambers is full of ceramic rings?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I am afraid I have never used ceramic rings except that I know they work in general and are known to be more efficient per unit volume, just how efficient per unit volume compared to cheaper stuffs I don't know.

I always opt for the cheapest stuffs.

I can say that for entirely submerged setup one gal in volume of finer grade crushed coral is enough for you. For coarser grade add 50%. This is just gut feeling likely good recommendation with some margin. If you set up wet-dry and drip onto the medium, you will need less.

Often a filter is weak not because all sites for bacteria have been taken up but because the cycle was not robust enough, not enough ammonia has been processed in short enough time.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Just one Fluval 304 is likely not enough. I think I know what it is. It is the second largest in the series of Fluval canister filter.

Use this canister filter also as the pump is a surer way.

Use a 5 gal bucket as the additional filter chamber. Drill large drain hole on the bottom not in the center but at the edge. You can put just a few handfuls of polyester floss and have it lean against one side opposite to the drain hole of the bucket and drip water over it. make sure the drain hole is never clogged. This is a very easy DIY additional filter chamber.

Or you can use a large PVC pipe section or a tall plastic jar as the additional filter chamber. It has to be rather tall, taller than the water level. Make slits at the bottom and have the intake of the fluval suck water thru it. You might use two identical one gal milk jars. one cut bottom and the other in the middle. Adjust to the proper height. Fill with crushed coral.

 

[scuzy]

So my tank is finally ready and cycled and the fishes are in the qt now. Checked ammonia in the tank after a day at 0 right now so the bacteria is doing its job. I dosed 1st dose of cupramine and its at 0.25mg/l will bring it up to 0.40 by end of week gradually. Then they will be in there for 4-5 weeks in cupramine and i will be doing some water changes as params changes. After the treatment i will remove the copper with cuprisorb/carbon and will let them stay there another 5 weeks ready to be transfer back to display tank.

 

[wooden_reefer]

So my tank is finally ready and cycled and the fishes are in the qt now. Checked ammonia in the tank after a day at 0 right now so the bacteria is doing its job. I dosed 1st dose of cupramine and its at 0.25mg/l will bring it up to 0.40 by end of week gradually. Then they will be in there for 4-5 weeks in cupramine and i will be doing some water changes as params changes. After the treatment i will remove the copper with cuprisorb/carbon and will let them stay there another 5 weeks ready to be transfer back to display tank.

Since the fallow period in DT is about 10-12 weeks, it is best to also actively treat against ich for about the same duration in QT.

Do not make the mistake of quitting active treatment in QT after only 4 weeks with 6-8 weeks of no treatment in QT while you wait for the fallow period in DT to expire.

 

[scuzy]

Can i lower the dosage to say 0.30 then i dont want to actively harm them for so long.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Can i lower the dosage to say 0.30 then i dont want to actively harm them for so long.

Sorry, I use straight copper and keep it at 0.15 to 0.3 thru-out.

Some one who uses cheleated copper can give better advice on this.