Why wouldn't this QT work?

[Randyp79]

I have an idea and I just want some feedback before I implement this procedure.

I QT all new fish for 6 weeks and treat them with hyposalinity, chloroquine phosphate, and metronidazole laced food. I have never had a problem with this protocol. All fish I QT appear disease free within 1 week of beginning treatment. I feed heavily during QT to get fish fat and happy. The problem is that my water quality starts to suffer towards the end of QT, so I want to see if I can shorten my QT protocol.

Here's my plan, tell me if you think it will work.

1. Begin QT with hyposalinity, chloroquine phosphate, and metronidazole laced food. Fish will remain in QT for 21 days.

2. After 21 days in QT, perform freshwater dip with methylene blue. Then place fish in freshly made saltwater that matches (1.010sg) salinity from QT. Then drip acclimate for 3-4 hours from display tank at 1.026sg

My only concern is whether or not it is safe to go from 1.010 to 1.026 through drip acclimation over 3-4 hours. Would it help if I stretched it out to 5-6 hours?

I am trying to avoid raising the salinity in QT because I feel that if there is any cryptocaryon irritans cysts in the QT they may release theronts that could survive in the elevated salinity.

Thanks in advance

 

[Perth_reefer]

I thought I heard somewhere that you should drip acclimate for one hour per .001sg, so you'd be looking at a 16 hour acclimation if that was the case, would not be an easy process. If you didn't want to raise the salinity in the QT then why not transfer to another QT at 1.010sg and raise it up to 1.026 over the course of a week, then there would be no need for acclimation and the fish could go straight into the display.

 

[snorvich]

I would not shorten any quarantine protocol shorter than TTM (12 days) plus a minimum of four weeks observation. I do not believe in prophylactically treating with chemicals except with prazipro.

 

[Deinonych]

My only concern is whether or not it is safe to go from 1.010 to 1.026 through drip acclimation over 3-4 hours. Would it help if I stretched it out to 5-6 hours?

Raising salinity that quickly, even via drip acclimation, is likely to result in osmotic shock. Symptoms may appear immediately, or could appear several days later. Death is also a strong possibility if internal organs cannot cope with the swing in salinity. You should not raise salinity more than 0.001 - 0.002 units of SG per DAY to ensure the fishes can cope with the osmotic shift.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Agree with Steve and Chris..plus hypo has not always been successful in treating ich.

 

[Perth_reefer]

You should not raise salinity more than 0.001 - 0.002 units of SG per DAY to ensure the fishes can cope with the osmotic shift.

Per DAY! Glad I found that out before I ever had to do it. Not sure where I heard per hour, maybe a LFS. Thanks for the clarification though!

 

[Mishri]

"The problem is that my water quality starts to suffer towards the end of QT"

What are you using for filtration? I personally use an aquaclear HOB filter, it seems to work pretty well. you can replace the sponge and bio pellets each time for very little money... I'd say addressing water quality issues would be better than shortening a QT process.