Hippo Tang QT Question

[Oiva]

Hey Guys

I have a quick question for you guys. I have a 3 day old Mandarin in the QT tank with Cupramine since it has itch.

My GF just picked up a complete Elos Mini aquarium with fish for a dirty cheap price. One of them is a Tiny Hippo Tang. I know this tank is way to small for a Tang and i have a 140gallon that will fit him better.

So here is my question. Should i put him in the QT now? or should i just let him be in the Mini and wait for the mandarin to be done in the QT, and then start Fresh with the Hippo?

Mandarin is the first fish i QT, so i am a little new to this process. The Hippo did not have any itch when it got picked up, all the fish were healthy and doing great before. But it's still best to QT it before i drop him in the big tank?

Thanks

 

[Alberta-newb]

You will probably get lots of different opinions. Ich and QT are hot topics around here lately. Personally I would put the hippo in with the mandarin to QT together if the mandarin isn't to far into the process. It also depends on what and how much you are medicating.

Remember your QT clock starts over for everything when another fish goes in. How big is your QT and how long do you QT for? (I QT a minimum of 6 weeks as an example).

 

[EllieSuz]

If your Mandarin already has Ich symptoms, I wouldn't put another fish in there. Keep the tang in the small tank. If he's that little, it shouldn't bother him. Now, how will you keep the Mandarin fed during his recovery? Is he eating frozen foods? Even if he is, you will have to feed him small amounts many, many times a day to keep him nourished. I hope you'll keep us posted.

 

[Rea17]

Keep in mind that mandarins don't fare well in copper. They are also highly resistant to ich, are you sure that he has it? I would consider a different treatment route for the mandy, tank transfer would be good.

I agree with the above though that you should keep them separate for now.

 

[Oiva]

You will probably get lots of different opinions. Ich and QT are hot topics around here lately. Personally I would put the hippo in with the mandarin to QT together if the mandarin isn't to far into the process. It also depends on what and how much you are medicating.

Remember your QT clock starts over for everything when another fish goes in. How big is your QT and how long do you QT for? (I QT a minimum of 6 weeks as an example).

I have a 30g tank with heater, powerhead and hang on filter. This is the first time i quarantine a fish, so i am not completely sure on how long i will keep him there. From what i read its 2-12 weeks.

If your Mandarin already has Ich symptoms, I wouldn't put another fish in there. Keep the tang in the small tank. If he's that little, it shouldn't bother him. Now, how will you keep the Mandarin fed during his recovery? Is he eating frozen foods? Even if he is, you will have to feed him small amounts many, many times a day to keep him nourished. I hope you'll keep us posted.

Thats what i am thinking, why stress the fish out when nothing is wrong with him? Hippo is smaller then the juvi clownfish that came with the tank also.

About the mandarin, he is not eating any frozen food, i have tried with and without garlic and different types of frozen food. I have ordered some copepods and will start culturing some as well. Just to keep him well fed until he starts eating frozen as well.

So what i am thinking, put the hippo in the Elos tank, and wait before i move him to my "main" tank? or should i put him in quarantine before i move him to the "main" tank.

 

[Rea17]

You will want to quarantine the hippo and treat him preventatively before putting him in your main tank. Hippo tangs are notorious ich factories and are often carrying the parasite even if they aren't showing symptoms.

The mandarin would do well if you could keep it in a small refugium like setup with macroalgae and pods, for his observation period that is. Getting mandarins to accept frozen is really a training process, it may take time. About his ich though, does he have it or are you treating him "just in case" he's carrying?

 

[EllieSuz]

There is a frozen food called Nutramar Ova that most Mandarins really love. It would be a good first food to use in training him to take frozen because it's really small enough for them to easily eat. See if you can find some and give it a try. Make a little DIY feeder tube so you can target the food directly to him. Attach a length of rigid airline tube to the sort of syringe you get for feeding medicine to infants by connecting the two parts with a short piece of soft airline tube. I put a piece of soft tube on the other end too, just to soften it when I use it to feed corals. You just thaw the food in a cup and draw it up into the syringe. Here's a picture of what I mean.

 

[Oiva]

You will want to quarantine the hippo and treat him preventatively before putting him in your main tank. Hippo tangs are notorious ich factories and are often carrying the parasite even if they aren't showing symptoms.

The mandarin would do well if you could keep it in a small refugium like setup with macroalgae and pods, for his observation period that is. Getting mandarins to accept frozen is really a training process, it may take time. About his ich though, does he have it or are you treating him "just in case" he's carrying?

I will put him in the QT when the mandarin is done. The Mandarin has ich. On the second day i noticed some white spots on his body. And i know it will take time before he eats frozen food, thats why i will be culturing some pods to feed him.

There is a frozen food called Nutramar Ova that most Mandarins really love. It would be a good first food to use in training him to take frozen because it's really small enough for them to easily eat. See if you can find some and give it a try. Make a little DIY feeder tube so you can target the food directly to him. Attach a length of rigid airline tube to the sort of syringe you get for feeding medicine to infants by connecting the two parts with a short piece of soft airline tube. I put a piece of soft tube on the other end too, just to soften it when I use it to feed corals. You just thaw the food in a cup and draw it up into the syringe. Here's a picture of what I mean.

I put the frozen food in a cup, with some saltwater from the tank and wait a couple of minutes. Then i use a pipette that i place in front of his face. But still nothing. Will try a bit later today, and see if he has changed his mind.

I will check for that food, not sure if i can get it here in Europe/Norway.

Thanks for all the help guys. Much better to ask you guys for advice then my dog.

 

[Oiva]

So new tank with the Hippo is up, he looks healthy and eats.

Mandarin has fewer white spots then yesterday, so it looks like he is getting better as well.
I just hope my order of pods get here this week, so i can feed him some live food.

 

[Deinonych]

How are you treating the mandarin? Fewer spots just means the parasite is just going through its lifecycle and dropping off the fish.

 

[Oiva]

How are you treating the mandarin? Fewer spots just means the parasite is just going through its lifecycle and dropping off the fish.

I am using Cupramine.

 

[Deinonych]

I guess it would help if I actually read the initial post...sorry about that.