Keeping new fish in a Quaratine tank

[pfcbizz]

I have my QT and it had been running for about 6 mo and I've tested and got the water tested on a weekly bases, and the water conditions were great, so yesterday me and my wife bought a young Bicolor Angelfish, and he is in the QT now, well so far so good he's swimming around and eating, he doesn't look like he has any parisites or anything, I only have I only have a heater filter and a peice of PVC pipe, and I know from reasearch that I should leave him in the QT for 2-3 weeks and I'm ok with that, but I've also been reading that the Bicolor is a little difficult to keep but if everything with the water is good the chances are good, so I have questions about keeping a healthy QT,
1. how often should I clean the QT
2. how often do I need to do water changes and how much
and if there is any other things I need to do to give him a healthy QT
I'm always open for advise.

 

[geridoc]

How large is the qt? A larger tank would need fewer changes. If ammonium begins to show up begin 10-20% changes immediately. You don't need to clean the qt - it should self police. It sounds like your qt is set up well for a bicolor. They like to graze, so feed small amounts several times/day instead of one large feeding.

 

[pfcbizz]

Well I thought I was doing everything right but I guess I wasn't my Bicolor died and I don't know why ?

 

[uptelldawn]

I'm so sorry to hear that. That's so frustrating and disappointing...I know, because I've been there. You may have done nothing wrong. The stress of capture and import for wild fish, especially a Bicolored Angel, is life threatening. And that species of angel is super sensitive to even the most proper acclimation technique. Forgive yourself. And while it may seem like little consolation, I encourage you to use this rotten experience to learn. That being said, I'll share some ideas that you may or may not have had...
Proper drip acclimation including dim light and minimal sound. Testing the water in the transport bag and using those paramaters as a time-guide. Slow drip acclimation always and sometimes very slow. A strict minimum water pH that never falls below 8. Was the fish just recently acclimated at the pet store? What are the LFS's water parameters? Did you know Bi-Angels are considered an aggressive fish? Did you know they're not good reef dwellers? Not that those 2 tidbits played into any of this...I'm just curious if you knew. Are you familiar with the benefits of freshwater dips, particularily for wild-caught stock? Again...just curious.
And regarding a QT tank, just an FYI...
If a fish in QT is sick, and you treat that fish with a medication, there will likely be a massive die-off of beneficial bacteria that causes the QT to cycle. I have seen this happen over and over and often times it's the cycling (ammonia) that kills the fish, not the primary sickness. A QT tank and a hospital tank, in a perfect world, are 2 different things. And this can and does happen with medications that claim to be safe for beneficial bacteria.

 

[pfcbizz]

Thank you for the Info and I will be referring to you in the near future I've been just really busy and haven't bought anymore fish as of now becuz I haven't had a lot of time to devote. and thank you for the advise.

 

[flower]

Hi pfcbizz:,
I agree with uptellDawn...angelfish are so sensitive to change. I put Caulerpa prolifera in my QT. It not only provided the fish extra hiding places, but kept the water pristine...The tank didn't look so empty either. That type of macroalgae looks like turtle grass, and it's very easy to harvest (remove the overgrowth) because it's on a runner, pull one you pull it all. Just remove the overgrowth and let the rest just sit. It will absorb ammonia, nitrates, phosphates, and nitrites as it grows. If you have to dose the tank with meds, just remove it.