Meds in my QT

[DJPB]

My QT is setup and running. I just brought a fish home. I have Mardel CopperSafe and Formalin 3. Can I use these together, or just use one of them. Thanks.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Formalin has far greater impact on nitrification than copper.

Sometimes, diseases that calls for treatment with formalin have shorter duration of treatment than those by copper (ich, velvet etc).

If so, it is wise to treat with copper for most of the duration and then use formalin in the last phase of the QT.

Why are you using formalin? Brooks?

Have you already taken step to rid the QT of ammonia? Have you already cycled the medium of filtration for the QT?

 

[DJPB]

My QT is filled 100% with water from my DT (waterchange) so it's 100% cycled. The fish I have in QT, a Lineteus Wrasse and 2 Randall's Gobies, are not sick at all. Just using preventative measures. I did dose the coppersafe product in the QT. Holding off on the formalin product for now until if it's really needed.

Thanks for your input w.r.

 

[wooden_reefer]

My QT is filled 100% with water from my DT (waterchange) so it's 100% cycled.

How is that cycled?

You may have just started a cycle if you added a source of ammonia.

The medium for the QT is not cycled by just using DT water.

have you cycled the medium intended for QT?

If you do not have nitrification in QT, formalin should not have a chance to kill nitrification bacteria that is few and far between, but it will be a lot of work with WC and more costly.

 

[Chris27]

How is that cycled?

You may have just started a cycle if you added a source of ammonia.

The medium for the QT is not cycled by just using DT water.

have you cycled the medium intended for QT?

If you do not have nitrification in QT, formalin should not have a chance to kill nitrification bacteria that is few and far between, but it will be a lot of work with WC and more costly.

Too add - using water from the DT for QT is generally not a good idea when treating for Crypt, if the lifecycle of the parasite is in the free swimming stage you can just re-introduce it again in the QT. Fresh SW should always be used in QT...

 

[wooden_reefer]

Too add - using water from the DT for QT is generally not a good idea when treating for Crypt,...

For the first batch of water in QT it matters less. You have to get some bacteria seed to cycle somewhere, even the ich infested DT.

Subsequent WC for QT must not be from DT if you are fighting an infestation in DT.

Few WC should be needed if you have cycled the medium for QT (especially if there is no concurrent bacterial infection)

 

[DJPB]

OK. SO I've had a reef tank for at least 10 years, and know quite a bit, but this is my first QT ever. In the past, I never used a QT, but recently I had an ich outbreak in the DT, treated it in the DT (with Herbtana), and decided to QT all new additions.

That being said, maybe you can tell me if I'm doing this right or wrong. My QT is just a 35g black rubbermaid tub with a minijet 404, heater, and a small piece of LR (will never go back into DT). This QT will not be running all the time, only when I aquire a new fish. I filled the QT with 15g of water from the DT, and am doing about 3-4g water changes a day. There is no medium, unless you consider the LR one. No carbon, just coppersafe and formalin if needed. Now, when doing waterchanges on the QT, should I use freshly mixed SW or water from the DT?

Currently, there are 3 fish in QT, a Liniteus Wrasse and 2 Randall's gobies, none of which appear sick, all of which are eating. I keep the QT dark 24/7, unless I'm feeding or looking in with a flashlight. The QT is presently just being used as a preventative measure.

Thanks in advance..

 

[Chris27]

Welcome to the QT club bro - coolest club around if you ask me....

As for the WC, in the absence of an established bio-filter, doing your water changes with SW from the display could re-introduce the parasite into the QT, essentially nixing all your hard work, so it's much safer to use fresh SW. I don't use RO/DI in QT, just dechlorinated tap water, so it keeps things simple, after all algae doesn't really grow in my QT.

With the couple of fish in there and the rock, you can get an established filter going so that the next round will be easier on you. I like to use the Hagen Aquaclear's, they have a very large sponge and user configurable tray, so you can tailor it to your needs with different mediums like carbon, biomax, or whatever else. After a couple weeks of QT'ing your fish, the filter will be good to go for the next round.

 

[wooden_reefer]

My QT is just a 35g black rubbermaid tub with a minijet 404, heater, and a small piece of LR (will never go back into DT). This QT will not be running all the time, only when I aquire a new fish. I filled the QT with 15g of water from the DT, and am doing about 3-4g water changes a day. There is no medium, unless you consider the LR one. No carbon, just coppersafe and formalin if needed. Now, when doing waterchanges on the QT, should I use freshly mixed SW or water from the DT?

Currently, there are 3 fish in QT, a Liniteus Wrasse and 2 Randall's gobies, none of which appear sick, all of which are eating. I keep the QT dark 24/7, unless I'm feeding or looking in with a flashlight. The QT is presently just being used as a preventative measure.

Thanks in advance..

You likely will have some ammonia in this setup, which is a bad one if you had time to have a better one. The piece of cycled LR is likely not enough.

You will have to change water often. may be 50% every 48 hours more of less depending on whether you succeed in removing all poops and uneaten food.

You should have cycled the medium as copper in general does not affect nitrification much. You could have used copper for a long time without much WC in QT.

Formalin is different. It hurts nitrification bacteria, in general, but is often used as a dip when nitrification matters little.

Think heavily about whether formalin is needed. Why do you think of using it? Do you have brook?

You are not in the best situation because you have not cycled a medium for use in QT in advance.

For the medium, you could have used sponges or polyester floss in a power filter. I use crushed coral or oyster shell. Any medium has to be cycled in advance.