Should I feed a fallow tank?

[Fountainhead]

After an epic struggle of man vs fishes (and plenty of profanity) I managed to get all six of my fishes into a 55 gallon Q tank. I also manged to ruin the aquascaping and soak the rug, but whatever.

So should I feed the fallow tank over the next 6 weeks or so that the fish remain in quarantine? Left in the tank are 2 peppermint shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 emerald crabs, a few porcelain crabs, countlss hermits and snails, 4 large toadstool leathers, a finger leather, a frogspawn, a softball size rock of button polyps, and some xenia. What if anything should I feed? Or will the crabs and shrimp find enough on their own, especially considering the garbage storm that resulted from the fish capture process?

If I don't feed anything, will the bacteria balance change sufficiently over 6 weeks or so that adding all the fishes back in at the same time could cause a spike?

I'm hoping not to add very much as I've battled some algae recently, and I'd like to use this fishless time to really lower the nutrient level. Suggestions?

 

[PrivateJoker64]

I think I'd feed very lightly, about once a week. (Very lightly.)

 

[wrott]

I agree w/ PrivateJoker--maybe some cyclopeeze every week.

 

[Freed]

Why did you remove the fish to QT?

 

[Fountainhead]

Freed - I added a Powder Brown Tang a couple of weeks ago after Q'ing him for a month. He showed Ich after two days in the display. Whether he carried it in or picked it up from the display, I don't know. I got him out and treated with copper for the last couple of weeks, and he's doing well. But I'm concerned about the presence of Ich in the display, even though none of the other fish have shown any symptoms. After mulling it over, I decided to take the safe route and move them all out of the display to allow any Ich to die out. I figure 6 weeks minimum.

I've got them in a 55. I'm not going to do copper on them, but I may lower the salinity down to hypo levels just to be safe.

That sound OK? You're the Ich Myth Rumor Terminator after all.

 

[Freed]

Ah, good move. Drop the salinity down to 1.009 until the day after you see the last sign of any ich. Then, from the day after you see the last dot, hypo for at least another 4-6 weeks at 1.009 to make sure all the ich is dead. Then you can raise the salinity up to 1.025 over a few days. I would say you could feed the tank with no issues. Those critters in there need to eat too.

 

[dastratt]

Personally I would let the tank go for 6 weeks. 6 mo different story

 

[Fountainhead]

Hey Freed, just noticed you're from Fort Wayne. Me too. Where do you shop locally?

 

[Freed]

I try no to shop at any of the stores around here. Most of the fish don't look well half the time and the store employees usually don't know what they are talking about. Been there, heard that. Coral Reef exhibits is usually where I go but don't even go there but maybe once or twice every six months or so anymore.

 

[bureau13]

Not sure if this is what you meant, but I would NOT hypo the fish AND treat with copper. One or the other. No personal experience doing otherwise, but I've heard enough respectable types say this that I tend to think its valid.

jds

 

[Freed]

If you use copper and hypo together I believe that means a death sentence for the fish. Hypo OR copper are the only alternatives.

 

[Fountainhead]

To clarify, I'm not going to use copper and hypo together on the fish. I had used copper for a couple of weeks on the powder brown (in another, smaller q tank) but they are now all together in a larger (55) q tank at normal (1.025 as was the display) salinity. No copper. My intention was (is) to drop the salinity on the 55 down to 1.009 over several days as a precaution. Currently, none of the fish show any signs of Ich.

Freed - I know what you mean about the local shops. Frustrating. I'd hoped you knew of someplace that I was unaware of. Coraf Reef isn't too bad and I'll buy there occasionally, but it's hit and miss on how much stock he'll have.