Setting up a Quaratine Tank

[Akrite]

I finally got tired of fighting ick so I decided to setup a QT. I bought a 20 gallon rubbermaid container filled with water from my display and and have had my fish living in there for over a week with only a hang on the back skimmer. Today I tested the tank and the ammonia level was up between 0.25-0.50 its not at 0 so I'm guessing this is high so I did a 50% water change with water from my display tank. My goal is to treat them with Cupramine but I need to get the ammonia under control. Do I continue to due water changes until the ammonia is at 0 or is it OK to start treating with these ammonia levels?

 

[Gwynhidwy]

How many fish are in the 20G? What kind of fish? How big? What do they have to hide in? Controlling ammonia can be a pain in hospital tanks as they have very little biofilter capacity. If your DT was anywhere close to even halfway stocked you will likely need more than one hospital tank. Most people don't use skimmers on hospital tanks as they can remove medications and are not very good at removing the ammonia that our fish continually produce. You might think about switching to a sponge or HOB power filter with a simple floss pad to support a bio filter. However, many meds will damage your biofilter so its important to have enough gallonage and water change capacity to be able to keep ammonia zeroed. I test twice a day to make sure everything is staying where it should and do water changes as needed if it isn't.

Start doing water changes with new, fully mixed and aerated water, not DT water. Every time you add water from your DT you are possibly reinfecting your fish.

I would not add any medication until you get the ammonia under control, which needs to be done ASAP.

 

[Akrite]

I have 4 fish 3-4" an powder blue, yellow and purple tang and a flamed angel there is nothing in the 20G but the skimmer. I was going to buy a 30G Rubbermaid from Home Depot and add 15 gallons of the water from the 20G and mix it with new saltwater that I mixed and aerated over night.

Since I plan to use Cupramine I was thinking of buying Stability to help me with the ammonia control and its made by Seachem and I believe they are compatible. Correct me if I'm wrong, besides Cupramine and Stability I don't plan to use any other medications.

 

[Akrite]

I do have a used Whisper 30 Power Filter but I don't have any filters if I buy some will this be enough to replace the skimmer.

 

[mullinsd2]

Wow that sux I will be doing somethi g like that soon too

 

[Akrite]

On Saturday I transferred all fish to a 30G Rubbermaid and did a 50% water change bring down the ammonia level to .25 but I noticed that the Powder Brown was covered in ick. Yesterday I added half of the Cupramine recommended dose in the morning and the second half of the recommended dose in the evening bring the copper level to what looks like 0.2 with the Redsea copper test kit. Today all the fish look fine except the Powder Brown, he breathing harder but not really hard and is covered in white flakes and had small black dots on him where they were white specks yesterday. So I'm not sure if the ick is dieing but is stressing out the powder brown because I waited too long to treat or is the copper too much for him.

The Powder Brown was the last to be added to my collection but after being in the QT with a flame angel and a purple and yellow tang without copper or other meds he was exposed to ick and now I want to make sure he survives. What should I do?

Earlier I said I had a Powder Blue that was a miss type its a Powder Brown.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Copper does not destroy nitrification bacteria. Cu has little effect on nitrification. What is preventing you from having sufficient nitrification capacity in QT so that ammonia is zero?

Preparation; cycling of the QT.

Ammonia at even rather low levels is possibily harmful to your fish to various degrees.