Review My QT Procedure

[Yellow Eyes]

I know there are many threads, and I have read many, but sometimes I just cannot find the answer, and some personalized answers will help me sleep better at night. So thanks in advance!

I plan on adding a Firefish and Tailspot Blenny into my tank.
Will it be okay to QT these two together?
I may also add two Clownfish after these two are added, and once I upgrade to a 40g tank.

I want to do the tank transfer method, I debated a lot but it seems like the best solution.
Is the following a good setup?
I have a 10g tank, and an IM Nuvo 16 sitting idle. I was thinking about only using 5 gallons of water in each tank for the TTM, but that came out to only about 5" of water height, so I think I may stick with 10g (Comments?)
I have some PVC Elbows and such in each tank and separate heaters. I was going to use an airstone only in each tank. Like This
I have this air pump: Here.
Can I use the same air pump on each setup if I use different tubing? Can I just use two airstones (1 in each tank) or will I have to replace the airstone (So I would need 4 for the ttm)? Is this all I need or do I need some kind of powerhead for movement? Is the air pump too much/not enough?

My next question is just in the transfer method itself:
Day 1: I will get the fish (probably towards the pm hours)
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4: (am): Set up next tank (pm): Transfer, drain old aquarium, let it dry.
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7: (am): Set up next tank; (pm) Transfer fish, drain and let dry; Dose PraziPro
Day 8:
Day 9:
Day 10: (am): Set up next tank; (pm) Transfer fish, drain and let dry
Day 11:
Day 12:
Day 13: (am): Set up QT tank with seeded filter floss; (pm) Transfer fish, Dose PraziPro

Continue to watch until Day 30.

Does this seem correct?

I was thinking of my acclimation method between transfers as just putting the fish into a Tupperware container, floating it in the new tank and adding a cup of water, probably only over 15 minutes. Is this too much or is acclimation not necessary?

When I setup the next aquarium, I was thinking of adding the 10 gallons of fresh RODI water, bring it up to temperature and then add the salt and let it mix. My thought was that the RODI would kill anything that might still be left after 2.5 days of being dry. Any comments?

Thanks again for looking over this for me. The personalized attention is very helpful.

 

[Nina51]

you should be able to qt those 2 fish together. however, if you add 2 more fish (the clowns) to this same qt, you will have to "reset" your qt clock. in other words, if you add more fish, you have to start over from day 1.

i have always done tt with two 10g tanks. i fill them about 3/4 full, unless you have more than a couple of fish or if you are qt'ing larger fish, i don't see the need to fill the tank completely.

i can't comment on the medication aspect (someone else will, for sure) but your ttm looks to be a solid plan. there is no need to acclimate when you do transfers. just make sure the temperature and salinity match and you're good to go.

saltwater should be mixed well in advance (24 hours, at least) and it should be aerated with a power head to make sure all of the salt dissolves. it isn't a good idea to mix salt directly into a tank of water.

yes, you can use the same air pump. just use a new air stone and tubing with each transfer. the most important thing, besides timing, is to make sure everything is completely DRY before using it for another transfer.

i'm sure other (more experienced) folks will chime in.

 

[snorvich]

you should be able to qt those 2 fish together. however, if you add 2 more fish (the clowns) to this same qt, you will have to "reset" your qt clock. in other words, if you add more fish, you have to start over from day 1.

i have always done tt with two 10g tanks. i fill them about 3/4 full, unless you have more than a couple of fish or if you are qt'ing larger fish, i don't see the need to fill the tank completely.

i can't comment on the medication aspect (someone else will, for sure) but your ttm looks to be a solid plan. there is no need to acclimate when you do transfers. just make sure the temperature and salinity match and you're good to go.

saltwater should be mixed well in advance (24 hours, at least) and it should be aerated with a power head to make sure all of the salt dissolves. it isn't a good idea to mix salt directly into a tank of water.

yes, you can use the same air pump. just use a new air stone and tubing with each transfer. the most important thing, besides timing, is to make sure everything is completely DRY before using it for another transfer.

i'm sure other (more experienced) folks will chime in.

Pretty good, Nina!

 

[Nina51]

i learned from the best, steve!!

 

[Yellow Eyes]

Thanks Nina! I guess my choice of words was poor when I asked if the two fish could be QT'd together...What I meant to/should have asked was if the TTM works with two fish? Could the stage that falls off the fish attach to the other fish instead of somewhere on the tank, thus creating an infinite loop of parasites on the two fish?

And thanks for correcting my salt mixing for this transfer method, once you pointed it out and I thought about it it does make much more sense to do it your way; so Thanks!

I was hoping that the tanks will be almost dry after almost 3 days, I will add the fresh saltwater to the tank on the morning of the third day to mix. After I drain the tank, I was going to towel off as much as I could, then going back (with a fresh towel) a few hours later to dry up anything else left.

Is allowing the tank to dry 100% bulletproof? I don't trust myself/would be too nervous to use bleach on the tank and hope I got it all out.

I am also curious to know if anyone has had experience using PraziPro on firefish and Blennys, if they can handle it or are they sensitive?

Thanks again everyone! Merry Christmas/Happy Holdiays!

 

[alprazo]

Realize that tank transfer does nothing for flukes, uremona, worms, pods, brook, and the worst of all velvet, which could take down all of you fish within a week. It does however work for ich though and the methodology based on its lifecycle.

Not sure why you would consider it the best solution for new fish.

 

[snorvich]

As alprazo says, tank transfer is great for ich, but not sufficient for anything else. In addition to eliminating any of the heavy hitter parasites (which can take down an entire tank) by further observation for at least 3-4 weeks after tank transfer, fish need a chance to begin an eating schedule that does not suffer from aggressive competition for food.

 

[Nina51]

i have never done ttm with more than one fish at a time but you certainly can. i would suggest having a container of fresh saltwater, when you move the fish use a colander sort of thing, give the fish a quick swish in the container and then transfer it (them) into your next tank.

to give you an example, i use this any time i do ttm. found it at the lfs, it's just a fresh water breeder box. it's very gentle on the fish. i drain the tank it's in down to a few inches, lay the net breeder in and the fish swims right into it. no fuss, no muss, no trauma.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/TANK/Picture001_zps90aeb145.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/TANK/Picture001_zps90aeb145.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Picture001_zps90aeb145.jpg"/></a>

when it's time to add the fish to my dt, i use this as an acclimation box.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/TANK/wrasse_zpsda109732.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/TANK/wrasse_zpsda109732.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo wrasse_zpsda109732.jpg"/></a>

as for drying, if you live somewhere where you get warmth and sunshine, after you towel dry the tank just set it outside for a couple of days to air dry. simply towel drying isn't enough...you don't want a single drop of water from the previous transfer. air drying is pretty much 100% bulletproof as long as you give it a couple of days. i live where it's cold so i rinse my ttm tanks in plain ole water and set them on the floor in a sunny window.

i will defer to others as far as the prazi issue. i do not medicate fish in qt (so far, i have never had a fish show any signs of disease). i simply observe for 6 weeks. mind you, all of my fish have come from LA/DD so i am 99% sure they are healthy.

Merry Christmas to you, hope santa was good to you!

 

[Outerbank]

There is a lot of fine tuning to quarentining fish. It is not just medicating and watching for disease. The more difficult the fish, the more you need to do everything correct. Starting with easier species is a great way to start and you will be rewarded. Like Snorvich says, having a fish adjust to captivity and feeding without competition and being hassled is a big deal, especially with difficult species. If you enter a healthy, fat, eating, adjusted, and healed fish into your DT, your success with any species will be very good.

You are smart to ask for advice from the start. Reading about fish disease is invaluable. It has led to my success thanks to the handwork of Steve Pro and others. I just read and do what they write. There are a lot of tricks to get fish to eat and I would be glad to help if that becomes an issue.

 

[alprazo]

Isn't the concept of QT to protect the current livestock from the introduction of pathogens? An emaciated or injured fish may need to be isolated and nursed back to health, but to be honest probably best left at the store.

My point was that TT is a completely inadequate method for treating new fish for pathogens. So is blind faith and reliance on a store to QT and treat your fish. I lost my entire collect to velvet after having that same belief in DD's QT process.

Though it is not perfect, Prazi + either Chloroquine or Copper has become one of the more common treatment protocols for dealing with newly acquired fish.

I applaud you for dedicating that time and space to QT a fish. Most that post here don't. I just don't want you to go on this site, do your research, and decide that TT is an acceptable method for clearing your fish from pathogens. Though is it highly touted here for its benefits for Ich, and it is effective, it is not an acceptable form of treatment for anything but Ich.

 

[Yellow Eyes]

Isn't the concept of QT to protect the current livestock from the introduction of pathogens? An emaciated or injured fish may need to be isolated and nursed back to health, but to be honest probably best left at the store.

My point was that TT is a completely inadequate method for treating new fish for pathogens. So is blind faith and reliance on a store to QT and treat your fish. I lost my entire collect to velvet after having that same belief in DD's QT process.

Though it is not perfect, Prazi + either Chloroquine or Copper has become one of the more common treatment protocols for dealing with newly acquired fish.

I applaud you for dedicating that time and space to QT a fish. Most that post here don't. I just don't want you to go on this site, do your research, and decide that TT is an acceptable method for clearing your fish from pathogens. Though is it highly touted here for its benefits for Ich, and it is effective, it is not an acceptable form of treatment for anything but Ich.

Thanks, I have a decent amount of space, but I am in school so money is a small issue (thank you savings). I actually just started reading a thread about Chloroquine, on page 3 out of 50, don't know how far I will make it, but I will try. It does seem like a much better method though from what I have read already, at least in the amount of things it treats. I wish it was easier to buy.

I have changed my mind about 10 times since even starting this post (and about 10000 times before deciding to put a plan out there), so each suggestion helps. I have about a month until I go back to school and plan to get fish, so I still have a lot of time for question and answers.

 

[Deinonych]

i have never done ttm with more than one fish at a time but you certainly can. i would suggest having a container of fresh saltwater, when you move the fish use a colander sort of thing, give the fish a quick swish in the container and then transfer it (them) into your next tank.

to give you an example, i use this any time i do ttm. found it at the lfs, it's just a fresh water breeder box. it's very gentle on the fish. i drain the tank it's in down to a few inches, lay the net breeder in and the fish swims right into it. no fuss, no muss, no trauma.

That breeder box is awesome. Will have to pick one up myself. Nice!

 

[Yellow Eyes]

So to revive this thread a little bit on my update:
After reading through some of the CP threads I have decided to go this route.
I bought Chloroquine Phosphate from eBay, who only sells it and had 100% positive reviews. At the same time I read someone on here had bought CP from eBay and had no success with it. Now I am scared about its purity.

I was wondering if I could check it by taking some tank water, put some CP in it, and throw a little bit of Chateo in it. (I read CP is an algicide?) Would this work?

My plan is 30 days of CP, with a 2x treatment of Prazi...I was thinking on day 10 and then again on day 20 (unless other symptoms show up sooner).

Thanks for anymore advice!