QT preventative for Anthias?

[kelp47]

I posted this in another forum here last night, but it might be better here.

I had a little miscommunication with my lfs, and he has a Fathead / Sunburst Anthias waiting for me at the store, which I will be picking up tomorrow. (I requested it, but it thought he would check with me before he ordered.) That issue aside...

I will pick up the fish tomorrow and place it in QT. The problem is that I am leaving for vacation in 4 1/2 weeks, so I need to take extra precautions to be sure that this fish is healthy and can go into the display before I leave for vacation--hopefully a little earlier than my usual 30 days so I will have time to observe the fish in the display.

Usually, I just treat quarantine as an observation period and only treat when necessary, but is there any particular disease that anthias tend to pick up, that I should treat preventatively?

 

[snorvich]

Does the LFS run a low level of copper in their system?

 

[kelp47]

I don't believe they do. I've asked before, and he just does Paraguard dips on all new livestock.

 

[snorvich]

If it were me, I would never go below 5 total weeks of TTM + observation.

 

[kelp47]

I know the situation is less than ideal. I actually went by the store yesterday after he told me the fish was in. I considered asking him to hold it for me until after vacation, but there are three anthias in a crowded tank. I feel it would fare better with me in a quick QT than to be held there. Plus, the lfs owner admitted he doesn't know much about anthias because he never carries them. But the fish looks healthy and I saw it eat yesterday at the store.

I completely respect your advice (I've read a lot of your posts), and agree with a longer QT time. But given the scenario, I feel like the right thing to do here is to take the fish since he ordered it specifically for me.

If you had to choose one preventative measure for an anthias, what would it be?

 

[snorvich]

If you had to choose one preventative measure for an anthias, what would it be?

Tank Transfer method which is 12 days. The remaining quarantine time for observation is to insure one of the deadlier parasites does not come in. But if he has chromis in his fish system, I would definitely not shorten observation time.

 

[kelp47]

Okay, thanks!

 

[kelp47]

My main QT is a 10 gallon tank, and I bought a 5.5 gallon tank not long ago for a couple of clowns (for TTM). Do you think a Fathead Anthias will be okay in tanks this size for TTM?

 

[m0nkie]

I've done TTM for fathead anthias in 5 gallon buckets. worked fine. put a few huge PVCs, they like to hide and very shy at first. in summer days, make sure the room temperature is cool.

I also use PraziPro on the 2nd and 4th transfer.

 

[kelp47]

Thanks, mOnkie. A first-hand account is the best! So TTM didn't stress the fish out too much? I've had the impression that these are not the hardiest fish, so that had me a little worried.

Do you always pretreat with PraziPro, or are anthias especially prone to flukes? I really don't want to treat with chemicals if not necessary, but I'm considering it in this case since I won't be able to QT as long as I'd like.

 

[snorvich]

I don't like chemicals either, but prazi is fine.

 

[m0nkie]

I didn't QT my first year and disaster hit.. so now my procedure includes Prazi with TTM. It's pretty easy doing Prazi with TTM since you can toss the entire water out. Prazi is only effective for a few days.

Some wrasse are more delicate and Prazi lowers their appetite. Anthias have no problem with Prazi to me. I have a few different anthias including the fathead and borb. Fathead is hardy. Just very shy at first. That's why i think you should make sure he's comfortable with your food and aggressive at eating. Other fish will scare him into hiding. you may need to target feed him a little at first.

I use Prazi to fight against internal parasites. my Borbs all had white stringy poop during QT.

 

[kelp47]

Good information. I think I'll do TTM and Prazi. Then I'll likely transfer to the display a little early so I can be sure he's eating well here before I leave for vacation. I'll have an auto-feeder running twice day, and my mom will come by every 2-3 days and feed frozen food. My display currently contains a seaweed blenny, pajama cardinal and a pair of ocellaris. Not a large group, but a few eager eaters.

 

[Deinonych]

How long will you be on vacation? 4.5 weeks is cutting it too close, IMO, as it doesn't allow for any complications that could arise in QT. If it were me, I would do my standard QT protocol (Prazi x2, TTM), then keep the fish in QT for observation until I returned from vacation. I don't like to force my QT period to be truncated, so I always allow an 8 week window to accommodate any unforeseen complications. For example, we are going on vacation in 7 weeks, so I'm not even thinking about getting any new livestock until we return.

 

[kelp47]

Yeah, I didn't plan to get any livestock now, but the miscommunication kind of forced it. I know I don't have to take the fish, but I think it's the right thing to do here.

I'll be gone on vacation for 8 days. I thought about leaving the fish in QT, but I don't want to ask anyone to come by and feed everyday, nor would I expect anyone to hang around to removed uneaten food and waste from the QT, do a water change, etc.

I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation, and I understand that it's a very big risk because there is always a chance the fish is not ready to go in the display in 4 weeks.

I guess I can consider putting together some instructs for QT care while I'm gone in the worst case scenario. That's the only other option I can think of. My mom is the best and would be glad to do it; I just hate to put the responsibility on her--she's never been a fishkeeper.

 

[Deinonych]

Understand. In the end, it comes down to the level of risk you are comfortable with - both for the new acquisition and the fish you already keep. To your point, you don't have to take the fish given the LFS's poor communication. But, I sympathize with the desire to do the right thing for the animal. I'm pretty sure I'd be torn if I were in your situation as well. I'd probably err on the side of caution and not take possession of the fish, but I have a nearly fully-stocked tank with a couple of years of hard work invested.

 

[kelp47]

This Fathead is extremely shy. He cowers in a corner or in the pvc anytime I approach the tank. But once I sit still for a bit, he comes out. I've started TTM and did the first transfer yesterday (day 4). I also went ahead and dosed PraziPro this time since he had eaten very well since day one. So I will dose PraziPro on transfers 1 and 3 instead of 2 and 4. I saw him scratch his head once, which is why I went ahead and started treatment. But I haven't seen him do it again, so it was likely just a random irritation or stress.

I noticed this morning--after the first transfer and Prazi--that he seems to be breathing a bit heavily. Other than that, he seems okay. He didn't eat as well, which was expected, but I think he did take a few bites. My SG is currently at 1.022, and I have set up a drip to lower it to 1.018. Hopefully that will help raise the oxygen level in the tank. I currently just have an airstone running since I'm doing TTM.

 

[kelp47]

After about 18 hours of lowered SG, the fish is still breathing heavily. So I put the HOB in. I know this kind of works against TTM... but so does an oxygen-deprived fish. That's my best guess at what's going on since this just started after the transfer and Prazi, and there are no other visible queues. Does anyone else have another idea?