Quarantine tank advice from LFS

[vinnytan]

Hi everyone:

I have a 90gallon tank currently with 2 clownfish, 2 chromis and a few coral frags. I've never quarantined the fish and have yet to have any problems. The tank has been running with the fish for over 6 months. I want to add more fish but this time with a QT just in case my luck runs out.

When I went to the LFS, a sales rep told me that if i buy AquaClear Powerfilter for a 10G QT, I would not need to buy a powerhead or an air pump. Is that true or will i still need to buy those items?

 

[MondoBongo]

depends on how you're planning to set up your QT.

for example, when i am using Tank Transfer Method (TTM) i prefer an air pump with air stones, so that i can pitch them each transfer.

however if you're setting up a long term, cycled, QT tank, a HOB filter should work just fine.

 

[vinnytan]

depends on how you're planning to set up your QT.

for example, when i am using Tank Transfer Method (TTM) i prefer an air pump with air stones, so that i can pitch them each transfer.

however if you're setting up a long term, cycled, QT tank, a HOB filter should work just fine.

Is the TTM used when the fish already has ich or can it be used for new fish to be checked for any diseases before going into the display tank?

I"m a bit confused by what you mean long term, cycled QT tank. Do you mean a QT that will always be running or can it be used temporarily when adding new fish. I was planning on just adding water from the display tank into the QT and run the HOB filter for 1-2 weeks before adding the new fish in the QT.

 

[A.Astore]

TTM can be used when no symptoms are actually present. The benefit of the TTM is that should the fish have ICH you are outrunning the cycle of ICH to remove it from infecting the fish. As long as you have the two tanks you will also still be able to monitor for other issues that fish can come with and not be noticeable from low levels of copper being run in the store's system. A lot of people add in the Prazipro treatment as well into the TTM because it is not nearly as rough on the fish as some other meds but removes internal parasites and flukes (which seems to be a very common yet undetected issue). There is a great sticky with information about TTM as well as ICH in general.

Once you follow through with the TTM it would still be smart to allow the fish to stay for a couple more weeks in the last tank to make sure nothing else comes to light. Being preventative with the ICH before it is even noticed is a good thing. I would definitely suggest you follow through with it if you can. The tank transfer doesn't require much equipment and completely avoids truly NEEDING major water changes so long as you don't over feed because of moving them to new water before 72 hours hits.

I have both the HOB filter and the air stone in my tank with the heater. I worry about the filter not causing enough water/air exchange so I also added the air stone. If you have the water so that it actually drops a bit rather than being level with the surface I think it would be okay in terms of keeping the surface exchange. The nice thing about having the filter in place is that you have the ability to use filter media much easier once you reach the post TTM point and are simply holding for a couple weeks to reduce water changes a little.

From the sounds of it though you are looking for something that is not permanent so you could just as easily get a small air pump with airline and air stones rather than a powerhead. Either approach will achieve the same need it is actually placed for.

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask about TTM because people will be happy to hear your decision!

 

[Dmorty217]

The short answer what you were told is correct. Some do it with only a airstone and foam filter block

 

[kmbyrnes]

TTM is a short duration process. QT should be 4 - 8 weeks or longer. This means you have to have a fully cycled QT tank that is always running, or have some way to quickly cycle a tank and do more frequent water changes. Many reefers keep sponge filters or filter for an HOB in their sump. These can be be used to set up a cycled QT.
When I was in acquisition mode last year I had 2 sets of TTM and a fully cycled 40B QT running full time.
When I get my last few fish, I will grab a set to TM tanks and just set up the 40B using filters from my sump.

 

[vinnytan]

TTM can be used when no symptoms are actually present. The benefit of the TTM is that should the fish have ICH you are outrunning the cycle of ICH to remove it from infecting the fish. As long as you have the two tanks you will also still be able to monitor for other issues that fish can come with and not be noticeable from low levels of copper being run in the store's system. A lot of people add in the Prazipro treatment as well into the TTM because it is not nearly as rough on the fish as some other meds but removes internal parasites and flukes (which seems to be a very common yet undetected issue). There is a great sticky with information about TTM as well as ICH in general.

Once you follow through with the TTM it would still be smart to allow the fish to stay for a couple more weeks in the last tank to make sure nothing else comes to light. Being preventative with the ICH before it is even noticed is a good thing. I would definitely suggest you follow through with it if you can. The tank transfer doesn't require much equipment and completely avoids truly NEEDING major water changes so long as you don't over feed because of moving them to new water before 72 hours hits.

I have both the HOB filter and the air stone in my tank with the heater. I worry about the filter not causing enough water/air exchange so I also added the air stone. If you have the water so that it actually drops a bit rather than being level with the surface I think it would be okay in terms of keeping the surface exchange. The nice thing about having the filter in place is that you have the ability to use filter media much easier once you reach the post TTM point and are simply holding for a couple weeks to reduce water changes a little.

From the sounds of it though you are looking for something that is not permanent so you could just as easily get a small air pump with airline and air stones rather than a powerhead. Either approach will achieve the same need it is actually placed for.

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask about TTM because people will be happy to hear your decision!

Thanks for the advice. Just a few questions.

I just want to confirm if its recommended to TTM only if Ich/other diseases are present or i should do this method from the jump even if the fish are healthy?

Wont the constant move from one tank to another cause more stress on the fish?

In the TTM sticky, it says "If powerheads/HOB filters are to be used, a thorough (24-hour) soak in bleach solution is recommended". Would i take the media out of the HOB filter or keep it in when I use bleach?

 

[MondoBongo]

Thanks for the advice. Just a few questions.
I just want to confirm if its recommended to TTM only if Ich/other diseases are present or i should do this method from the jump even if the fish are healthy?

TTM can be used both as a treatment for a present disease, and as a prophylactic step, just in case. keep in mind it is really targeted at ich, due to its life cycle. there are other things that it does not handle.

Wont the constant move from one tank to another cause more stress on the fish?

it's not as bad as you might think. key here is having the new tank you're transferring in to matching the tank you're transferring from, salinity and temperature being the two most important parameters here. the tanks are usually fairly bare by design, with some PVC hiding spots, so catching the fish should be fairly straight forward. i use a medium sized plastic colander with a handle. it doesn't hold on to water like a net, and its smooth surfaces and polished holes help reduce the chance for injury to the fish. it is also just the right size that i can loosely place a 5 gallon bucket lid on top, to help mitigate the risk of the fish jumping during transfer.

In the TTM sticky, it says "If powerheads/HOB filters are to be used, a thorough (24-hour) soak in bleach solution is recommended". Would i take the media out of the HOB filter or keep it in when I use bleach?

if you're going to do TTM i would ditch the HOB filter entirely and instead use an air pump and air stones that you can just throw away after you transfer (this includes the airline, anything that got wet). makes things easier.

i would use your HOB for when the fish are done in TTM, and you want to let them hang out in a holding tank for a little while.

here's my basic regimen:

new fish comes in and goes in to the first possible TTM tank. if the fish is eating well and seems happy, i will begin the TTM process the second day after their arrival. if they're not seeming to do well, then i will let them hang out a bit longer before i start transferring them, until i can get them situated and eating. during this time i do regular water changes and use an ammonia locker like AmQuel or Prime to help keep the water quality up. i siphon out any uneaten food daily and replace with new water.

during TTM, i continue to siphon out uneaten food once a day, and replace with fresh water. when i remove the fish to transfer, i place bleach in to the old tank and let it sit for about 12 hours. then i drain everything in the old tank out, wash it well with fresh tap water, dry it with some paper towels, and let it sit to air dry for another 24 hours. i throw out the air stone and air line.

the night before the transfer, i get the cleaned tank and set it back up, filling it and getting the heater dialed in. i add in the pvc sections, and a new air stone and air line, and get the bubbles going.

once i have completed the TTM method i place my fish in to a different system to rest, relax, eat, and be observed for anything i might have missed while in TTM for usually 2 - 4 weeks.

you have some options here.

i am fortunate enough to have the room to keep a second, fully cycled, tank with skimmer, live rock, ATO, etc... that i have designated as a grow out system.

you could also use your HOB filter here, or use an uncycled tank, and just keep up with the AmQuel or Prime, siphoning uneaten food, and daily water changes to manage your ammonia.

then after you've had sufficient time to observe and make sure they're eating and free of any other parasites or disease, in to the main tank they go. i usually use an acclimation box so that new arrivals can safely get introduced to my current crew.

keep in mind that none of this is necessarily required, and that you're free to design your own mix of elements in your QT protocol to suit your needs and space. not everyone has the space i have, and any QT protocol is better than none. mine can be a decent amount of work, but i feel that is is robust and offers me a high degree of risk mitigation for introducing pathogens, which is why i stick with it.