quarantine tank really necessary?

[moneymm]

The link in post 27 gives some helpful detail on tank transfer:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23198303&postcount=27

QUOTE]

thanks tmz, im going to go with this tank transfer method.

when you move fish from these tanks every 3 days, do you just use a net? and when finally moving him to the DT, the same thing, just a net?

and every time its moved to a fresh tank on the 2nd day you add this ammonia detoxifier? (im guessing i can just get this in the LFS?)

i am going to use 10 gallon tanks for this method, do i need to fill up the tank all the way with water?

after you move the fish from tank 1 to tank 2, do you immediately fill up tank 1 and get the filter and heater going on it, so thats its ready in 3 days?

 

[tmz]

how will I know the salinity in the bag water?

Ask the seller;or guess low side. I suppose you could get a sample out of the bag without rupturing with a syringe.
Fish are not harmed by drops in sg as long as they aren't below the internal sg of 1.008. Starting out with 1.017 or so is a good place as it will be near or lower than the shipping water ,IME. Then you adjust it upward slowly in the transfer tanks or qt tank by 0.001 per day to the display tank level .

 

[Remmers]

I have a question regarding this subject. If you put a fish in your qt tank and 2 weeks or so down the road you pick up another fish. Can you put the new fish in with the existing fish or not?

 

[tmz]

The link in post 27 gives some helpful detail on tank transfer:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23198303&postcount=27

QUOTE]

thanks tmz, im going to go with this tank transfer method.

when you move fish from these tanks every 3 days, do you just use a net? and when finally moving him to the DT, the same thing, just a net?

First take evertying out of the tank ( heater, pvc ,filter etc.). You'll be taking them out to dry anyway. Then drain it down to a couple of inches of water before trying to capture the fish . Gentle capurtue is easier in low water without obstructions I use a net or a cup .

and every time its moved to a fresh tank on the 2nd day you add this ammonia detoxifier? (im guessing i can just get this in the LFS?)

It's an extra precaution. I've skipped it a few times without ammonia going up witin the 3 days. I use Ammo Lock by api.

i am going to use 10 gallon tanks for this method, do i need to fill up the tank all the way with water?

No, but I do.

after you move the fish from tank 1 to tank 2, do you immediately fill up tank 1 and get the filter and heater going on it, so thats its ready in 3 days?

I take the tank down rinse it and the equipment with tap water; towel it off and dry it and the equipment in the air for 24 hours to kill encysted parasites. They die in dry. Everything needs to be completely dry before reusing it .

 

[foundnemo11]

Yes you should. A couple years ago I added a tang which brought ich to my tank and wiped out every fish. I started again and I still didn't and I am fine but you just never know. If I had the room and stuff for one I probably would but I didn't at my old house. Everything in my tank is fine now.

If you can quarantine I would.

 

[martouf13]

The link in post 27 gives some helpful detail on tank transfer:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23198303&postcount=27

QUOTE]

thanks tmz, im going to go with this tank transfer method.

when you move fish from these tanks every 3 days, do you just use a net? and when finally moving him to the DT, the same thing, just a net?

and every time its moved to a fresh tank on the 2nd day you add this ammonia detoxifier? (im guessing i can just get this in the LFS?)

i am going to use 10 gallon tanks for this method, do i need to fill up the tank all the way with water?

after you move the fish from tank 1 to tank 2, do you immediately fill up tank 1 and get the filter and heater going on it, so thats its ready in 3 days?

I just use a net. You can use a container if you want but I find a net easier. Yes you do the same the final time it goes into the dt.

As for feeding. I generally feed little on the first and second day and then feed them like crazy about an hour before transfer. That way any extra food isn't in the new system and also fish tend to poop right after eating. Helps keep any ammonia from starting to form.

 

[Nina51]

I have a question regarding this subject. If you put a fish in your qt tank and 2 weeks or so down the road you pick up another fish. Can you put the new fish in with the existing fish or not?

you can but you will have to "start the clock over" when you add the next fish. in other words, you'll have to start from the beginning since the new fish may have unknown parasites, etc.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I have a question regarding this subject. If you put a fish in your qt tank and 2 weeks or so down the road you pick up another fish. Can you put the new fish in with the existing fish or not?

Depends:

Basically there are two considerations.

1. transmission of diseases within the QT

2. Having enough nitrification capacity in QT.

For ich and velvet, I am not afraid of transmission within QT since cure and eradication is certain; just that the starting date of treatment counts from the last one added to QT.

There is always a risk of an external bacterial infection in QT. This is also why I always have UV running. I also do not put fish with different history of bacterial infection together in QT.

The issue of ammonia is to make sure initial cycle for medium for QT is very robust and to added cycled medium, which has been cycled in a separate container perviously, when one adds a new fish. This is to avoid the new tank syndrome in QT, just as in a FO DT tank.

 

[tmz]

I have a question regarding this subject. If you put a fish in your qt tank and 2 weeks or so down the road you pick up another fish. Can you put the new fish in with the existing fish or not?

I think it's risky without preventative treatment for the new fish ( like tank transfer for ich )unless the qt tank is medicated .

Depending on the size of the new comer there may be an ammonia spike without a boost in ammonia oxidizing bacteria.
While qt time adjustment is helpful , restarting the clock when the new fish is added won't prevent disease transmission in an unmedicated qt tank. The fish already in qt may succumb to an initial infestation of ich or velvet for example , spread by an untreated newcomer before any subsequent treatment has a chance to work.

If you use a uv on the qt set up watch the temperature .UV units do generate heat which can be significant if a large unit is used.

 

[moneymm]

[/B]

I take the tank down rinse it and the equipment with tap water; towel it off and dry it and the equipment in the air for 24 hours to kill encysted parasites. They die in dry. Everything needs to be completely dry before reusing it .

TMZ..

My RO/DI filter I am going to order on friday, so i will not have it for about 10 days, so i bought premixed Nutri-seawater.... I was planning on using this for the tank transfer method.... now im realizing that this seawater is "live" and has bacteria.. does that mess up the tank transfer method? or is it just a bonus?

I bought enough for 2 or 3 of the transfers, and planned to make my own saltwater on the last couple transfers before bringing the fish over to my main tank.

 

[pledosophy]

quarantine everything wet.

I do quarantine all of my fish and anything I can not dip in Revive. But when I get new sticks (SPS) I do not QT that as long as I can dip it first.

Everything else is 12 weeks.

 

[moneymm]

[/B]

I take the tank down rinse it and the equipment with tap water; towel it off and dry it and the equipment in the air for 24 hours to kill encysted parasites. They die in dry. Everything needs to be completely dry before reusing it .

A filter im using is the fluval C4 for one of my 10 gallon tanks, (it came with the DT tank i bought)

it has 4 stages of filtering, poly/foam pad --- activated carbon --- bio screen --- cnodes

which should i not include in the filtering?

 

[moneymm]

I really want to get these 2 - 10 gallon tanks setup before my wife gets home from work and sees the house a mess like it is now. can anyone help me out and let me know if I can use this nutri-seawater (live bacterial premixed saltwater) instead of regular saltwater for the tank transfer method.

thanks

 

[tmz]

I think it will be fine.Just check the salinity to be sure it is lower than or equal to the water the fish are coming from.

 

[moneymm]

ok thanks, it is like 1.027 1.028, i will be running to the store for some distilled water

 

[moneymm]

So I'm all setup for the tank transfer method. If I do this and treat my clowns w/prazi pro, what am I risking by putting the fish in the dt after the 12 days?

I see that it is advised to still use qt after the tank transfer method. But isn't the tank transfer method used in place of a qt?

If it's not then why do it instead of regular 4 week QT?

 

[tmz]

Tank transfer is only effective for cyrptocaryon irritans.

After tank transfer , the fish can be moved to a larger cylced qt tank for further observation and treatment of other maladies that may emerge like flukes or bacterial infections.
Tank transfer only treats ich. It may have some effect on velvet but that parasites life cylce is different. It will not help brooklynella, flukes or other infestations that confine themselves to the skin or internal areas of the fish. So if these are observed a treatment with an appropriate med is required:

Amlyloodinium( velvet): copper or formalin.
brooklynella; ( fromalin)
Flukes and/or internal parsites; (prazi pro)
lymphocystus; good water quailty and nutrition;no known treatment.
bacterial linfections Triple sulfa or other broa d based antibiotics)

Ich is the most common ,so med free preventative treatment via tank transfer coupled with a longer qt observation period in a more comfortable cycled qt tank is my preference. The other maladies are much less frequent but do occur from time to time and sometimes they do not not show up during the 12 day tank transfer time frame.

 

[tmz]

BTW,for the future, in a pinch, if you don't have ro/di water , reasonably good dechlorinated tap water is fine for the tank transfer and qt tank. Trace impurities like metals will not be at levels high enough to harm fish as they may with corals and invertebrates.

 

[moneymm]

Tank transfer is only effective for cyrptocaryon irritans.

After tank transfer , the fish can be moved to a larger cylced qt tank for further observation and treatment of other maladies that may emerge like flukes or bacterial infections.
Tank transfer only treats ich. It may have some effect on velvet but that parasites life cylce is different. It will not help brooklynella, flukes or other infestations that confine themselves to the skin or internal areas of the fish. So if these are observed a treatment with an appropriate med is required:

Amlyloodinium( velvet): copper or formalin.
brooklynella; ( fromalin)
Flukes and/or internal parsites; (prazi pro)
lymphocystus; good water quailty and nutrition;no known treatment.
bacterial linfections Triple sulfa or other broa d based antibiotics)

thanks, so im curious, why not just look for ich in a normal QT and then treat if it comes out?

also, since this is my first fish, can i put them in the DT after tank transfers? and if they end up with amyloodinium or brooklynella just treat them in the DT? or are those diseases an insane 12 week process getting it out of the DT, just like ich?

 

[moneymm]

BTW,for the future, in a pinch, if you don't have ro/di water , reasonably good dechlorinated tap water is fine for the tank transfer and qt tank. Trace impurities like metals will not be at levels high enough to harm fish as they may with corals and invertebrates.

thanks good to know for the next transfer.