QT: Appropriate size and cycling

[muggiwhplar]

My blue tang suddenly has ich and possibly a fungal infection too. I also have a radiant wrasse, yellow coris wrasse, two relatively small maroon clowns, firefish, mandarin dragonette and blue-spotted goby in the tank. Approximately what size tank will I need to quarantine all of them?
Also, what's the best way to quickly cycle a QT? I was thinking about pulling the filter sock out of my sump and pointing a small powerhead into it. I could be wrong, but I figured this would at least be enough to handle the ammonia produced by the tang. I'd give the bacteria a week or two to spread and then introduce the rest of the fish. If I keep the feedings light at first, that should keep waste down and allow the tank to finish cycling. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2526609
My blue tang suddenly has ich and possibly a fungal infection too. I also have a radiant wrasse, yellow coris wrasse, two relatively small maroon clowns, firefish, mandarin dragonette and blue-spotted goby in the tank. Approximately what size tank will I need to quarantine all of them?
A 20 gallon long should be fine. How are you treating the fish?
Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2526609
Also, what's the best way to quickly cycle a QT? I was thinking about pulling the filter sock out of my sump and pointing a small powerhead into it. I could be wrong, but I figured this would at least be enough to handle the ammonia produced by the tang. I'd give the bacteria a week or two to spread and then introduce the rest of the fish. If I keep the feedings light at first, that should keep waste down and allow the tank to finish cycling. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?
Instead of using the filter sock, just get a huge sponge and let that soak in your sump for a few days to transfer bacteria easily and in larger quantity. Feed lightly for the first few days and even have water made and ready in case you need to do small daily water changes.

 

[sepulatian]

Instead of using the filter sock, just get a huge sponge and let that soak in your sump for a few days to transfer bacteria easily and in larger quantity. Feed lightly for the first few days and even have water made and ready in case you need to do small daily water changes.
It takes longer than a few days to build up bacteria. Use the sock. It has been in there awhile. If you are giving the tank a week or two then add a nice piece of rock to cycle the tank. What are you seeing that you consider a fungal infection? Fungal infections are rare for SW fish. Please describe what you are seeing.

 

[muggiwhplar]

Really--just a 20 long? I thought a 30 would be pushing it. Maybe I'll just get a 30-gallon Rubbermaid trash can and give it a thorough rinsing. I plan on using hyposalinity, and possibly some meds if the tang does have a fungal infection and it doesn't clear up. As far as the sponge goes, are you sure that it will pick up sufficient bacteria to keep the ammonia down after just a few days? And how big is "huge"? Thanks for your help.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2526629
Really--just a 20 long? I thought a 30 would be pushing it. Maybe I'll just get a 30-gallon Rubbermaid trash can and give it a thorough rinsing. I plan on using hyposalinity, and possibly some meds if the tang does have a fungal infection and it doesn't clear up. As far as the sponge goes, are you sure that it will pick up sufficient bacteria to keep the ammonia down after just a few days? And how big is "huge"? Thanks for your help.
A 29 gallon tank would be much better. Do not use a trash can nor a bin. You have to be able to watch the fish.

 

[muggiwhplar]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2526625
It takes longer than a few days to build up bacteria. Use the sock. It has been in there awhile. If you are giving the tank a week or two then add a nice piece of rock to cycle the tank. What are you seeing that you consider a fungal infection? Fungal infections are rare for SW fish. Please describe what you are seeing.
I'll probably just toss in some rubble from my fuge, along with a towel that I keep under my return pump because it sits on top of a DSB (the towel keeps the sand out of the pump). The sock has tons of pods and I'd hate to lose them by putting them in hyposalinity--and the towel probably has a larger surface area anyway.
The thing that I thought could be a fungal infection is a white spot that is larger than the rest (maybe a couple millimeters across).

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2526634
I'll probably just toss in some rubble from my fuge, along with a towel that I keep under my return pump because it sits on top of a DSB (the towel keeps the sand out of the pump). The sock has tons of pods and I'd hate to lose them by putting them in hyposalinity--and the towel probably has a larger surface area anyway.
The thing that I thought could be a fungal infection is a white spot that is larger than the rest (maybe a couple millimeters across).
That isn't a fungal infection. It may be a spot of lymphocystis, but that is the least of your worries. Be sure that the rubble does not have growth on it. The bacteria does not die in hypo, but coralline and inverts will.

 

[muggiwhplar]

Any bacteria-carrying medium needs to be drip-acclimated or otherwise slowly introduced to the hypo environment though, right? If not, I would expect them to burst from the rapid change in osmotic pressure.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2526641
Any bacteria-carrying medium needs to be drip-acclimated or otherwise slowly introduced to the hypo environment though, right? If not, I would expect them to burst from the rapid change in osmotic pressure.
Add the bacterial source before the tank goes into hypo. If you add anything from the display after the fact, then you will be adding a carrier of ich. As for your question, the bacteria would not burst from osmotic shock.

 

[crimzy]

IMHO, if you stick all 8 of those fish in a 20 or even 30 gallon tank then I'd expect to lose a couple of those guys. First, the size of the tank, overcrowding and quick cycling is going to cause some problems. If it were me, I'd do at least a 50 gallon tank and during the cycling process, I'd do small water changes everyday to avoid large ammonia/nitrite spikes. Otherwise I think you are going to have losses, unfortunately.

 

[muggiwhplar]

Originally Posted by crimzy
http:///forum/post/2526783
IMHO, if you stick all 8 of those fish in a 20 or even 30 gallon tank then I'd expect to lose a couple of those guys. First, the size of the tank, overcrowding and quick cycling is going to cause some problems. If it were me, I'd do at least a 50 gallon tank and during the cycling process, I'd do small water changes everyday to avoid large ammonia/nitrite spikes. Otherwise I think you are going to have losses, unfortunately.
If it weren't for the quick cycling, do you think a 30 might work? The only one showing symptoms is the tang. If I can trap him and do a fresh water or formalin dip, I might be able to buy a decent amount of time to get a QT properly cycled. I'd probably toss him in my fuge so I could quickly capture him again for another dip if he starts showing symptoms again.

 

[crimzy]

Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2526820
If it weren't for the quick cycling, do you think a 30 might work? The only one showing symptoms is the tang. If I can trap him and do a fresh water or formalin dip, I might be able to buy a decent amount of time to get a QT properly cycled. I'd probably toss him in my fuge so I could quickly capture him again for another dip if he starts showing symptoms again.
Why don't you QT your LR and inverts and do hypo in the display? Really depends on the size of your blue tang whether it can survive in a small tank. Mine is 8" and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make it if it was sick and put in a 30 gallon tank.

 

[muggiwhplar]

Doing hypo in the display would definitely be the easiest way to go, except I have corals that are probably going to fare far worse in the QT than my fish will. The tang is still relatively small--about 4" or so. The clowns and yellow coris wrasse are also still fairly small. I think what I'll do is start cycling the two 10's I have laying around, and try to find a 30 ASAP. Then if anybody seems cramped/stressed in the 30, I can split the fish up into a few tanks.