dt while quarantining fish and other questions

[jeffisme]

I have reason to believe my dt has been infected with either ich or velvet and will as soon as possible remove the fish and use the transfer method.

in the meantime, I have a dt with lots of live rock, a cleanup crew, a couple of cleaner shrimp. am I right to assume that if I don't treat the tank, that the parasites will die off even if the invertebrates are still in there or do I have to remove them and the few pieces of hard coral as well.

I have a lawnmower blenny and a mandarin dragonet. since the blenny eats algae, what's the best way to feed him in the qt? the same question goes for the dragonet, which doesn't eat brine and prefers copopods and whatever else he gets from the substrate.

and finally, no substrate in the qt, right? just some pvc pipe and fake plants for hiding?

thanks for any info,

jeff

 

[jerpa]

You can leave all the inverts in the tank during the fallow period, just no fish. The blenny and dragonet are going to be difficult to feed. If you have a substantial refugium you may be able to harvest pods and algae to feed them. You can also buy pods online to supplement. It won't be ideal but hopefully you can get them enough to survive the treatment period. Tank transfer will work for Ich but not velvet I believe. You are correct, no substrate, just PVC for hiding places.

 

[MrTuskfish]

You can leave all the inverts in the tank during the fallow period, just no fish. The blenny and dragonet are going to be difficult to feed. If you have a substantial refugium you may be able to harvest pods and algae to feed them. You can also buy pods online to supplement. It won't be ideal but hopefully you can get them enough to survive the treatment period. Tank transfer will work for Ich but not velvet I believe. You are correct, no substrate, just PVC for hiding places.

+1
You must decide if this is velvet or ich. Tank-transfer is great for ich, but not velvet. If you suspect velvet, act ASAP wit formalin baths and copper treatment. Velvet is extremely deadly, contagious. and can kill a tank full of fish overnight.

 

[jeffisme]

velvet or ich

velvet or ich

i'm not seeing any coating on the fish, although maybe I'm just not seeing it. I'm trying to find clear images of it. I have had two fish die quickly. both got lethargic and then went right up to the surface and hung out there breathing hard and then died.

I have a yellow wrasse that was formally very active, now just hanging out on a coral near my return pipe breathing hard. his color is a little darker, that's about the most I can see.

 

[snorvich]

i'm not seeing any coating on the fish, although maybe I'm just not seeing it. I'm trying to find clear images of it. I have had two fish die quickly. both got lethargic and then went right up to the surface and hung out there breathing hard and then died.

I have a yellow wrasse that was formally very active, now just hanging out on a coral near my return pipe breathing hard. his color is a little darker, that's about the most I can see.

Based on the timeline (two fish died quickly) and the behavior, it sounds more like velvet to me. Mr.Tuskfish offers the appropriate treatment protocol. I personally advocate a fresh water dip for all fish on the way to further treatment. While it does not cure velvet, it provides relief for the gills.

And thanks for posting here versus PM.

 

[jeffisme]

photo of ill fish

photo of ill fish

he's breathing pretty hard too. He's in there until I can set up the qt tank.

 

[MrTuskfish]

he's breathing pretty hard too. He's in there until I can set up the qt tank.

This sure isn't a way to keep a sick fish for more than a few mins. Ammonia problems and low oxygen will result----at a time when they need lots of oxygen and are less likely to handle ammonia.

 

[jeffisme]

of course not, but I had to go out and race around to set up a hospital tank, and if he was infected, I didn't want to leave him in the main tank. I was just doing the best I could.

 

[MrTuskfish]

of course not, but I had to go out and race around to set up a hospital tank, and if he was infected, I didn't want to leave him in the main tank. I was just doing the best I could.

I guess I did sound a little off, sorry. Was he in the main tank? If so, the entire tank has been infected.

 

[jeffisme]

If it turns out that's what it was. A knowledgeable fellow at our LFS took a look and isn't so sure. I lost a coral beauty the other night but he had been in a fight with a yellow tang, and the gaping white spot under his mouth that caused him so much stress might have been a result of that.

the midas has only been here about a week or so, and at my lfs, they had one that was swimming perfectly parallel to the bottom, while mine was always swimming somewhat vertically. it's possible he was sick or stressed from something else. He hadn't been at that lfs for that long. I'm watching the tank very carefully and will pull the fish at the first indication of any stress or sign that there is velvet. so far I'm not seeing any.