QT questions

[chwcdw]

Hey Guys

I also posted this in the reef discussion thread, but thought this would be the better place.

How do you maintain your QT tank and its live stock?

I use a 10 gallon QT with and inexpensive hang on filter system that I purchase from Wallie World when I set up my tank (Money was tight due to all the purchases that had to be made. Also, space is at a premium.) I have been keeping the bio filter in the sump of my main tank when not in use to try and keep some bactiera growing on it between uses. Even doing this, and using water from my main tank when doing a QT, my ammonia, nitrites and nitrates have always been dangerously high requiring water changes every other day just to keep it somewhat bearable for the fish.

Well, the last addion to my tank was my Pinstripe Wrasse, and low and behold he is the only fish that I have had to treat with copper. He had a fairly large white spot on his side that looked as if it might be the start of ich, so I did a treatment in the QT tank. Having to change the water as offten as I have, I'm sure this has diluted the treatment, and was wondering how effective it has been. The spot is just about gone now after being in QT for a little over a week. I was hoping to keep him in QT for at least 2-3 weeks, but really don't want to over stress him with bad water parameters.

What should I do?

 

[kevin2000]

My 02

Ich naturally falls off the fish within a week and if often referred to as "salt like". If your spot is large and has stayed on the fish in the same spot for more than a week you may not be dealing with ich. Large white spots that stay on the fish in one spot may be lymphocytes (sp?) - a viral disease which is basically un-treatable, seldom fatal, and often goes away on its own .. lots of info/pics on the web concerning lympho.

When you use copper its important that you use the correct concentration .. that requires a copper test kit that works with the particular copper brand that you selected. Also .. some copper naturally comes out of solution over time so testing a couple of times a day is also recommended. If you have to do water changes to maintain water quality then you need to adjust the copper concentration after each water change.

Maintaining good water parameters in a 10 gallon QT is very simple. Just make up a large batch of replacement water when you setup the tank and make whatever water changes are necessary to keep ammonia levels at zero (you don't need to test for nitrite or nitrate). A $7 ammonia alert badge does a decent job monitoring ammonia. If you run a bare bottom QT and siphon out any uneaten food or fish debris it will make a significant impact on maintaining water quality.

Hope this helps.