New fish with intent to QT

[tonyreef]

Starting the reef fish community and I'm at the LFS and the fish I wanted to buy had a couple ich like spots, a coral beauty so I ask them to hold it for a week and I'll see.
I'm going to QT but I really want to avoid copper so I was thinking has anyone ever QTed with some form of a symbiotic treatment? I'm wondering if I put a cleaner wrasse or cleaner shrimp in with the new fish that presents with parasites and letting them do their thing.
Would this do anything or not?

 

[64Ivy]

Doubtful. It WOULD be nice though, wouldn't it, if we could just toss a cleaner wrasse or shrimp into our QT's and be done with it? It would also be nice if we could just throw in a Roomba, have it clean up our substrate then crawl under a rock to put itself away but I'm afraid the chances of either happening are rather dismal. More than likely, in a space as small as most QT's, a cleaner wrasse will either harrass the other fish or, more likely, ignore them, not eat at all, and eventually starve to death. I'd suggest a more 'traditional' QT methodology; if you'd like to avoid copper, maybe try CP or tank transfer. Hthal (a little).

 

[zooman72]

Yeah, I would be amazed if it would work. I am also not a big fan of copper, but have used freshwater dips, praziquantel, and chloroquine phosphate successfully for quite a while now, as have many others...

 

[tonyreef]

Yea Thanks
It did sound too easy!
So I'm trying to find chloroquine phosphate which sounds effective without the down side but cant seem to find it. What I did find is Cupramine I get the impression its more similar to copper?

 

[homer1475]

For ich have a look at the stickies on TTM(Tank transfer method) treatment. While it only works for ich, it requires no medication and is rather easy.

Most treat for flukes with prazipro during TTM, and observe for other things for a few weeks in a separate QT tank if using TTM.

 

[zooman72]

Yea Thanks
It did sound too easy!
So I'm trying to find chloroquine phosphate which sounds effective without the down side but cant seem to find it. What I did find is Cupramine I get the impression its more similar to copper?

Google: "New Life Spectrum Ick Shield Powder" - New life also makes an impregnated food with the same stuff, and having used it, it actually works (at least for me it did), but there are certain precautions one must take, and it does not eliminate the need to quarantine.

Yes, Cupramine is "buffered" copper, and will work if used correctly - I just find that copper is problematic in many cases.

As noted above, the "tank transfer method" will also work, but again not everyone "enjoys" it, and it can be a lot of work if working with multiple fish.

 

[tonyreef]

Great tip zooman72
I'm going to try the sinking pellets while the fish are in QT and if they eat well I'm good otherwise I'll get the powder.

Thank you, your advice really makes me more comfortable about buying fish.