divers den 8 1/2 achilles

[SMOOTHIE]

Very nice!! The sohal is not going to get better, Most likely get worse as he grows. IMO
I'd pull him,

+1 and only 1/4 the size

 

[michealprater]

It happened to me. I used to QT all fish and give them hyposalinity treatment at 1.009 for 8-weeks, just to be safe. I would dip all coral and do my best to acclimate shrimp/snails/crabs and rinse them off before adding them to my tank. My tank still broke out with Ich.
Now my new approach is, get a big skimmer and feed heavily with a wide variety of food which is sometimes soaked in garlic,selcon and vita-chem, to build up the fishes own immune system to fight off disease. I also am very selective on where I buy new fish from and I do a Freshwater Dip with Methylene Blue.
This technique has worked out better for me so far. I now have 17-fish with my Achilles being the last one. Luckily still no signs of Ich and I am done adding fish.
It was discouraging when I was so careful with QT before to end up with ich anyways. So much less of a pain to do it my new way.

I still QT to get the fish eating well in a stress free enviroment, but I definately agree with this as my display has ich in it. "Now my new approach is, get a big skimmer and feed heavily with a wide variety of food which is sometimes soaked in garlic,selcon and vita-chem, to build up the fishes own immune system to fight off disease."

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I agree with this, if every thing that is wet is properly qt'd then it is possible to have an ich free tank. I used to qt fish and not corals, snails, shrimp etc and although rare I still got ich in my old system this way. It was such a pain qt'ing and profilactically treating all new fish and I still got ich from adding inverts without qt'ing them.
Now I don't qt fish anymore, I just give them a freshwater/methelyne blue dip and put them into the display. And I am more selective of where I buy fish from. I have had better result this way so far.

If you are ONLY using QT to prevent ick, you are missing a HUGE number of benefits for QT, including acclimitization to your water parameters, your food, your photoperiod, your routine- all without the stress of other fish harassing them. Im not even gonna mention other infectiosn or parasites. People who dont QT, will have success, until they fail. Look in the large tank forums, at Chinchai's huge tank. He didnt QT, for argument that "clean water is key", and everyone applauded and backed him. Then he lost almost EVERY fish. Guess who Qt's now?

 

[stunreefer]

^^^ :thumbsup: ^^^

 

[jmccown]

Water parameters are hard to match when you are comparing a QT to a DT, also with the photoperiod. Unless systems are all tied together the params are going to be different. I think the big thing with QT is to get the fish eating normal in a QT.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Water parameters are hard to match when you are comparing a QT to a DT, also with the photoperiod. Unless systems are all tied together the params are going to be different. I think the big thing with QT is to get the fish eating normal in a QT.

I disagree. My water parameters are EXACT between them. I use water from my display in my QT. They are not connected, but my water change water goes from display to QT. And the lighting is on the same time frame.

I know everyone has their own opinion and procedure, but I personally cannot believe there are still people who not only refuse to QT, but can try to argue how it isnt necessary/bad/etc.

 

[michealprater]

When I have my QT up, my WC policy is this. Drain QT, fill it with DT tank water, fill DT with fresh saltwater. Repeat as necassary. Keeps the water the same as long as you do not let ammonia/nitrite/nitrate build up in the QT. Works great for me. Then acclimating into the DT is a snap.

I agree, there are tons of benefits to QTing fish outside of just ich.

 

[vegaskid11]

I have my litermeter set for auto water changes on my system and it dumps the waste display water into my QT and the QT overflows to a drain. Its set for about 10 gallons a day on my display so the 55 gallon QT gets a near 25 percent daily water change with display water.

 

[michealprater]

I have my litermeter set for auto water changes on my system and it dumps the waste display water into my QT and the QT overflows to a drain. Its set for about 10 gallons a day on my display so the 55 gallon QT gets a near 25 percent daily water change with display water.

Wow, great idea.

 

[ryshark]

If you are ONLY using QT to prevent ick, you are missing a HUGE number of benefits for QT, including acclimitization to your water parameters, your food, your photoperiod, your routine- all without the stress of other fish harassing them. Im not even gonna mention other infectiosn or parasites. People who dont QT, will have success, until they fail. Look in the large tank forums, at Chinchai's huge tank. He didnt QT, for argument that "clean water is key", and everyone applauded and backed him. Then he lost almost EVERY fish. Guess who Qt's now?

I should have used the word parasite instead of "ich." For Achilles Tangs most people have too small of QT tanks which will be more stressful on the fish. I used to QT all fish until it failed me. In my experience my new way works better for me and it makes it feel much more like a hobby and less like a job. I also think if you have a fish list in mind and strategically add the fish in a certain order that will drastically cut down on other fish harassing new fish. I am not against other people using QT as I mentioned I used to diligently QT too. I just prefer my new ways of selecting fish from only certain vendors and freshwater/methylene blue dipping.
I don't recall ever saying that QTing was "bad." When done correctly there is noting bad about it.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I should have used the word parasite instead of "ich." For Achilles Tangs most people have too small of QT tanks which will be more stressful on the fish. I used to QT all fish until it failed me. In my experience my new way works better for me and it makes it feel much more like a hobby and less like a job. I also think if you have a fish list in mind and strategically add the fish in a certain order that will drastically cut down on other fish harassing new fish. I am not against other people using QT as I mentioned I used to diligently QT too. I just prefer my new ways of selecting fish from only certain vendors and freshwater/methylene blue dipping.
I don't recall ever saying that QTing was "bad." When done correctly there is noting bad about it.

First and foremost, I am not singling you out. I apologize if you felt this way. There are a TON of people that will argue against QT, and it is a step backwarsd for the hobby IMO. And I just cant understand why they refuse to do it, except for laziness, frankly.

I disagree, again, respectfully. QT are NOT too small for any but the giant fish, if they are properly set up. I have seen 6+ inch Achilles and powder blues in 29 gallon tanks with PVC and fake plants for a LONG time. Furthermore, more stressful on the fish than what? Disease? Really? You think that 3-4 weeks in a smaller tank with clean water and treatment for disease is MORE stressful than parasites and disease themselves? We will have to agree to disagree in this matter, then.

I understand that it may be "harder" to QT fish than dip them, but I honestly feel that is a pretty poor excuse for skipping a health step. Because you dont "feel like doing it". If this were a dog, and you said, "I dont want it to feel like work, so I didnt vaccinate or deworm him", you would be neglecting the dog. If you KNOW QT is a good solution to the problem, but just dont feel like doing the work, that si dissapointing. Let be honest here, too- its not THAT hard to set up a QT. It can be had cheap and easy.

Finally, ick, isnt a real killer in our fish. Fish get it, and can easily survive it. However, if something like brookynella or Amyloodinium or uronema gets into your tank, you'll have a new outlook on not QTing.

 

[NSteinbrook]

Amazing Achilles!!! Makes a great new addition to your collection. Now you have me wondering what your stocking method has been along the way with so many large and species aggressive fish??? Could be hard to remember exactly but I'd be interested in your technique. One week ago I added a 3" AT and Purple to my 150 seperated from my 8" Hippo and 6" Salfin with eggcrate. So far so great! Both new tangs eating everything and no signs of ich so far. I will be rehoming my Sailfin and Hippo to a friend who recently set up a 8' 300g before I remove the eggcrate. Hard to give up but will see them often and I know they will strive in 150 more gallon of water. Question is more suited for my friend who will in time add many more species aggressive fish. Sorry for the off topic all................ Congrats on new addition!

 

[mtbiker41]

tank

tank

Amazing Achilles!!! Makes a great new addition to your collection. Now you have me wondering what your stocking method has been along the way with so many large and species aggressive fish??? Could be hard to remember exactly but I'd be interested in your technique. One week ago I added a 3" AT and Purple to my 150 seperated from my 8" Hippo and 6" Salfin with eggcrate. So far so great! Both new tangs eating everything and no signs of ich so far. I will be rehoming my Sailfin and Hippo to a friend who recently set up a 8' 300g before I remove the eggcrate. Hard to give up but will see them often and I know they will strive in 150 more gallon of water. Question is more suited for my friend who will in time add many more species aggressive fish. Sorry for the off topic all................ Congrats on new addition!

the purple tang,leopard wrasse,maroon clown and rabbit fish all were first out of the 90 that caught on fire.the dussi was next with a large pinktail and blue throat pair mag foxface and a large naso then a flood caused power outage and lost a few .later added sailfin and then twin spot,sohal,,hawaiiain and vlamingi.recently queen angel and wrasses.seems like if I add more than one fish at time there is less aggression.but honestly the only aggression has been from a 5" pinktail after my hawaiiain repeatededly.the hawaiiain finally got tired of being chased and fought back and there was war luckily no injuries so pinktail went to my office tank 155 with 12" lionfish.the sohal chases almost anyone of them every now and even the big achilles.but for what I have they get along really well.I once had a passer that was half the size of lionfish and would go after him saw him stung several times but didn't faze him.after 3 or 4 times of me putting him in time out "blocking him in behind some rockwork " for a few days he never picked on another fish.so you can always try that.