Should I treat my QT tank

[sabbath]

I just lost most of my fish to Velvet. I'm looking to start over and I'm setting up 2 QT Tanks. I ordered some of seachems Coppermine and Paraguard. I don't want to hurt the fish or add anything bad into the display...

What would or do you do? I'm thinking of just doing the 21 day Paraguard treatment or just watching them for 4 weeks and then a Paraguard dip before going in the DT.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I'm sure you read this stickie http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2388424

 

[sabbath]

I'm sure you read this stickie http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2388424

Yes a few times and ones from other sites as well. I first thought about and ordered coppermine and now I'm leaning more to the broad spectrum Paraguard treatment. Just don't know and my head is spinning over this one.

 

[HumbleFish]

Most diseases should show obvious symptoms after 4 weeks of observation, except for two: ich & flukes. So, those are the two I prophylactically treat for. There are several different ways to treat ich (tank transfer method, copper, chloroquine phosphate, hyposalinity), and a couple of ways to treat flukes (Prazipro, formalin baths).

I've tried all of these, but so far I've found doing tank transfer works best. And once you get the hang of it, you can also dose Prazi at the onset of transfers 2 & 4 to knock out flukes. After TT is complete, you just observe to see if anything else comes up (like brook, velvet or a bacterial infection). The few times that has happened, the symptoms were visible and very obvious.

 

[sabbath]

Most diseases should show obvious symptoms after 4 weeks of observation, except for two: ich & flukes. So, those are the two I prophylactically treat for. There are several different ways to treat ich (tank transfer method, copper, chloroquine phosphate, hyposalinity), and a couple of ways to treat flukes (Prazipro, formalin baths).

I've tried all of these, but so far I've found doing tank transfer works best. And once you get the hang of it, you can also dose Prazi at the onset of transfers 2 & 4 to knock out flukes. After TT is complete, you just observe to see if anything else comes up (like brook, velvet or a bacterial infection). The few times that has happened, the symptoms were visible and very obvious.

With tt do I have to have 4 bio filters ready?

 

[HumbleFish]

With tt do I have to have 4 bio filters ready?

No, with TT the fish is only in a tank for 3 days before he gets moved. So, ammonia isn't much of a concern. Or you can always use an ammonia reducer, such as Prime or Amquel, if it is.

When I do TT, I keep it simple. I use two 10 gal tanks, and each tank has it's own heater, thermometer, airline tubing and PVC elbow(s) for hiding places. I don't even use a HOB while doing TT... I only use air stones.

Here is snorvich's sticky on TT: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2388428

And this is the overall discussion thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1996525

 

[HumbleFish]

For your last transfer, you can place the fish in a permanent QT with a bio filter for further observation. However, it is imperative that this QT be disease free (especially, ich free). One of the ways you can ensure this is to space your QTs far away from one another: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2423604

 

[sabbath]

So the tt method is just for ich? How about velvet? Or do I do it again at 5 days apart for it? As most say that by the time you see velvet it is too late.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I just lost most of my fish to Velvet. I'm looking to start over and I'm setting up 2 QT Tanks. I ordered some of seachems Coppermine and Paraguard. I don't want to hurt the fish or add anything bad into the display...

What would or do you do? I'm thinking of just doing the 21 day Paraguard treatment or just watching them for 4 weeks and then a Paraguard dip before going in the DT.

How have you been supporting the living fish?

Are they now supported in a separate tank and not in the DT?

Generally observing velvet or ich for 4 weeks after treatment does not do much. The chance of it breaking out after 4 weeks is not so low as to be ignored.

 

[sabbath]

How have you been supporting the living fish?

Are they now supported in a separate tank and not in the DT?

Generally observing velvet or ich for 4 weeks after treatment does not do much. The chance of it breaking out after 4 weeks is not so low as to be ignored.

I gave the remaining fish to my nephew and all but one has survived after receiving copper treatment. I'm not going to be taking any of those fish back I'm going to start with new.

 

[HumbleFish]

So the tt method is just for ich? How about velvet? Or do I do it again at 5 days apart for it? As most say that by the time you see velvet it is too late.

TT is only for ich; it does not treat marine velvet (or any other disease).

Velvet has very obvious symptoms, but you are right about it being a fast killer. Best treatment for velvet is Chloroquine phosphate. Prophylactically treating with CP for one month is my #2 QT protocol, behind TT. CP treats ich, velvet (and possibly brook/uronema), but it is difficult to obtain (requires a prescription to get the "good" stuff) and is not well tolerated by some wrasses.

Either before or after CP treatment, you would still want to de-worm the fish using Prazipro. I treat 2x, 5-7 days apart. I would not recommend mixing Prazi & CP.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I gave the remaining fish to my nephew and all but one has survived after receiving copper treatment. I'm not going to be taking any of those fish back I'm going to start with new.

If you no longer have any fish, you should not pressure yourself.

Just relax and wait for the DT to fallow out.

After four weeks, start to cycle medium well for QT.

Yes, in general you have to plan to treat in the QT.

I suggest that you don't get any fish for two months or more.

 

[sabbath]

Thanks for all the responses and the good information. I'm now leaning towards doing just a 4 week QT just to monitor. As there is so many things that the fish could be infected with. So why stress it with treating it over something that is not a problem at the time.

But I'm thinking that I do have 250ml of Paraguard on it's way to me. So maybe a Paraguard dip before and or after the QT would be a lower stress way to go. And still give me a level of protection.

Would you do this either before and or after? Would this really do anything beneficial.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Thanks for all the responses and the good information. I'm now leaning towards doing just a 4 week QT just to monitor. As there is so many things that the fish could be infected with. So why stress it with treating it over something that is not a problem at the time.

But I'm thinking that I do have 250ml of Paraguard on it's way to me. So maybe a Paraguard dip before and or after the QT would be a lower stress way to go. And still give me a level of protection.

Would you do this either before and or after? Would this really do anything beneficial.

Observation by the naked eye is not useful.

For ich and velvet, both leave the fish and then the offspring in far greater (then even greater) numbers are generated. It is a matter of chance and not very low that light infestTion not observable can persist for a month just to explode later.

Rigor of procedure not observation is effective against this type of protozoans.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Thanks for all the responses and the good information. I'm now leaning towards doing just a 4 week QT just to monitor. As there is so many things that the fish could be infected with. So why stress it with treating it over something that is not a problem at the time.

But I'm thinking that I do have 250ml of Paraguard on it's way to me. So maybe a Paraguard dip before and or after the QT would be a lower stress way to go. And still give me a level of protection.

Would you do this either before and or after? Would this really do anything beneficial.

While 4 weeks of QT is better than nothing it is not optimally enough time for symptoms to present. I'm sure you've read that velvet can be masked by an LFS running low levels of copper. Also cryptocaryon symptoms may not present in the four weeks. I personally do TT (eliminates ich) along with dosing Prazi (flukes) then monitor in a cycled QT for four more weeks (velvet and brook will have reared their ugly heads by then).