I'm surprised no one has mentioned hyposalinity yet. I found that keeping a fully cycled QT and just raising and lowering salinity as needed is the easiest. The good bacteria doesn't die off, so the tank stays pristine at all times. However, this method will only work with fish, no inverts or corals.
Quarantine Tank Processes!
- Thread starter d2mini
- Start date
silentscream
New member
If I understand correctly, the benefit of TTM is eradication of ich in a short amount of time using no medicines. I assume this is good for copper sensitive fish or fish that have suppressed appetites from the meds during a time you really want to be fattening them up. I've yet to use TTM, but have heard so many success stories from fellow reefers it will be part of my plan when I'm buying fish again.
Newsmyrna80
Active member
There is a stickie on TT on the disease forum. Great protocol for preventing ich from entering the main.
Whiterabbitrage
New member
I'm setting up two 20 gallon tanks for TTM because I plan to collect Wrasses and they are sensitive to Prazi and copper. All fish will go through TTM. There is a separate HT in case medications are indicated and I will have a separate QT for corals set up with some lighting to keep them happy.
Thank God I now have the space to set all this up and also that Boyfriend is so understanding!
Thank God I now have the space to set all this up and also that Boyfriend is so understanding!
I had the same thought. Discusting:facepalm:
I don't acclimate: I set the salinity to accommodate the store/source/incoming fish and put them right on in, so there's no acclimatation-damage.
I prefer no sand or rock, because that's where ich hangs out between fishes. No cycle, just clean basic tank, with a pvc pipe to hide in. I don't medicate unless I have a diagnosis and a condition. Hypo if brought up safely to tank salinity is not a bad choice, either.
You adjust your salinity very slowly, over the 4 weeks of qt, and the fish has not been stressed or medicated for stuff he hasn't got, and he's not plunged from a bag into a fight against the tank bully. He eats, he sleeps in his pipe, and he becomes confident food will happen tomorrow too.
I prefer no sand or rock, because that's where ich hangs out between fishes. No cycle, just clean basic tank, with a pvc pipe to hide in. I don't medicate unless I have a diagnosis and a condition. Hypo if brought up safely to tank salinity is not a bad choice, either.
You adjust your salinity very slowly, over the 4 weeks of qt, and the fish has not been stressed or medicated for stuff he hasn't got, and he's not plunged from a bag into a fight against the tank bully. He eats, he sleeps in his pipe, and he becomes confident food will happen tomorrow too.
d2mini
Premium Member
Thanks for the post.
So no TT Method for you?
I'm still unsure. Quick is nice, but I'm worried about the added stress of all that transferring.
d2mini
Premium Member
Funny guys! :lmao:
asylumdown
New member
I'm not a big fan of the permanently set up QT tank just for observation for the simple reason that if you get a fish, put it in your QT, and it turns out it does have some sort of illness like ich, your QT tank and all it's equipment now either needs to be fallowed for 72 days (which is a looooong time if you're in a fish buying phase), or broken down, cleaned, and re-cycled. Yes you've dodge a bullet with your display, but maintaining a QT tank is at least half as much time and effort as a "real" tank in terms of water changes, tests, etc., so I'd be pretty unhappy to have it exposed to something that would require a fallow period.
My preferred routine is the tank transfer method as a default prophylactic on every fish using two 15 gallon tanks, each with a small powerhead, heater, light, thermometer, and PVC pipe. I use conditioned tap water and the cheapest salt I can find. They're on the counter in my laundry room next to a sink, so it's pretty easy to do it. With two of everything I don't bother with bleach, just rinse the equipment and let dry on the counter for three days.
Depending on the fish and if it's eating, I'll dose prazipro for the last two transfers.
I also have a reasonably sized canister filter and used to keep all it's bio-media and filter foam hanging in bags in my sump. If after the TT protocol the fish still needed more observation or time to fatten up, I'd set up the filter on one of the TT tanks, fill it with the media from my sump, and just monitor for ammonia.
Pluses: you eliminate any possibility of ich before you expose the fish to something you've invested time into getting cycled up; nothing to maintain between new stock additions; new fish are always added to a guaranteed parasite free environment when you bring them home – if it comes down with something there will never be a question of whether it caught it from the last fish in your QT system or not; forces you to think long and hard if you actually need that impulse bought fish.
Minuses: Tank transfer method is a PITA no matter what way you cut it; to be economical in time and money you need to use smallish tanks (makes it hard to buy grown up versions of big fish); not sure how to adapt this method to corals (would you need to?); forces you to think long and hard if you actually need that impulse bought fish.
My preferred routine is the tank transfer method as a default prophylactic on every fish using two 15 gallon tanks, each with a small powerhead, heater, light, thermometer, and PVC pipe. I use conditioned tap water and the cheapest salt I can find. They're on the counter in my laundry room next to a sink, so it's pretty easy to do it. With two of everything I don't bother with bleach, just rinse the equipment and let dry on the counter for three days.
Depending on the fish and if it's eating, I'll dose prazipro for the last two transfers.
I also have a reasonably sized canister filter and used to keep all it's bio-media and filter foam hanging in bags in my sump. If after the TT protocol the fish still needed more observation or time to fatten up, I'd set up the filter on one of the TT tanks, fill it with the media from my sump, and just monitor for ammonia.
Pluses: you eliminate any possibility of ich before you expose the fish to something you've invested time into getting cycled up; nothing to maintain between new stock additions; new fish are always added to a guaranteed parasite free environment when you bring them home – if it comes down with something there will never be a question of whether it caught it from the last fish in your QT system or not; forces you to think long and hard if you actually need that impulse bought fish.
Minuses: Tank transfer method is a PITA no matter what way you cut it; to be economical in time and money you need to use smallish tanks (makes it hard to buy grown up versions of big fish); not sure how to adapt this method to corals (would you need to?); forces you to think long and hard if you actually need that impulse bought fish.
Mrs. Music
New member
I started using Seachem Stability for QT and treatment tank, and have had good outcomes so far.
I keep a 'reservoir' of biomax in a phosban 550 cannister on my main sump so I can have an instantly cycled QT as required. I use tank water for the QT, adjusted to incoming salinity. Use NGP initially for all fish, followed by chloroquine phosphate for parasite suceptible fish, followed by two rounds of prazipro. All the while feedinga s frequently as possible. Use salt in thee ATO to restore normal salinity. Entire process takes 8-12 weeks.
d2mini
Premium Member
So I've got two fish in QT for observation, 24 hours so far.
Both fish came from the LFS, where they've been for weeks. Completely healthy looking, eating, colorful, etc. Two fish that I previously would have had no reservation about tossing in the display tank. So how long do I need to keep them in there???
Both fish came from the LFS, where they've been for weeks. Completely healthy looking, eating, colorful, etc. Two fish that I previously would have had no reservation about tossing in the display tank. So how long do I need to keep them in there???
