Looking for advice on adding new fish???

[tlsohio]

Hi all, I'm looking for advice from the experienced, on introducing new fish to my DT's. I will start by telling you I quarantene everything for at least two weeks. This is what I have read to be an acceptable time line, given all are healthy and eating well. Two weeks ago, I took the plunge, and I bought a few fish for my tanks. I bought a 3" yellow tang and 2 firefish for my 120g and I bought a lawnmower for my 40g and a bi-color blenny for my 24g. All are healthy and eating well in quarantene. I should also tell you that I have had terrible luck with fish and this is why I am looking for advice. It seems every time I buy new fish, even when quarantened, I have not had a very good success rate, on more than one occasion,they have contracted ick, which wiped out the entire population. So I am looking for advice, from folks with experience as to which methods seem to be the least stressful on the fish when transferring from quarantene to DT??? When acclimating, I use the drip method for aprox. 2to3 hours, fish usually always seem fine in the QT, it's when I make the move to the DT, that I seem to run into problems. Also, for reference, I use my own RODI water in all my tanks and all water perameters are inline.

 

[scott t]

Kind of sounds to me that its not the fish that are the problem that its your tanks that have Ick present.. How long have the tanks been without fish? I have read on here that it takes a tank about 8 weeks without fish to host ick for the ick to die out completely. Maybe you should wait this amount of time before you introduce fish into your tanks.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tlsohio http:///forum/thread/381682/looking-for-advice-on-adding-new-fish#post_3325944
I will start by telling you I quarantene everything for at least two weeks. This is what I have read to be an acceptable time line, given all are healthy and eating well.
Who told you that this was an acceptable time line? It's not at all accurate
Firstly, you shouldn't be quaratining that many fish at one time. I prefer to QT fish one at a time, unless it is a group of schooling fish such as Anthias or a pair such as a male and female clownfish.
When you drip acclimate, do you make sure that the temperature is the same?
I know you mention that your parameters are in line, but what are they exactly and how old are your test kits?
You've had ich in your tank in the past, how long do you leave the tank fishless before attemtping to put in new fish?
Is ich the only problem you've had in the past?
IMO and IME, 2 weeks is not long enough time to QT a fish, especially if multiple fish are in the QT at once. A much more acceptable time frame is 6-8 weeks. It takes 6-8 weeks to rule out Ich and other parasites that a fish may have, ich can hide for 2 weeks and then show up in the DT once the fish becomes stressed in its new environment.
Do you just leave your fish in the QT and observe them, or do you use the hypo salinity method while they are in the QT?

 

[tlsohio]

Ok, mabe I should explain a little further, I have fish in my DT's that are perfectly healthy and happy. I am saying that in past years, I have not had the best luck at adding fish to the DT, which has led me to refrain from adding much at all. So I am asking advice on what methods people have used, not only when quarantened but the stay in quarantene and the move to the DT.
Water perameters are: Temp 77.8', No Amonia, Nirtites or Nitrates, PH 8.5, Calc. 400, Alk 9.


Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381682/looking-for-advice-on-adding-new-fish#post_3325947
Firstly, you shouldn't be quaratining that many fish at one time. I prefer to QT fish one at a time, unless it is a group of schooling fish such as Anthias or a pair such as a male and female clownfish.
This is a fully established 20g QT with live rock, for added bio load as well as a small refugium. I really don't think this is a problem. And all fish are eating and thriving. Also, the majority of these fish are small, with the yellow Tang being the largest @ 3"
When you drip acclimate, do you make sure that the temperature is the same?
Yes,when I drip, I put a heating pad under the bucket with a towel or two between to make the temperature as close as possible. All my tanks are kept between 76-78 degrees.
I know you mention that your parameters are in line, but what are they exactly and how old are your test kits?
Temp 77.8', No Amonia, Nirtites or Nitrates, Phos 0, PH 8.5, Calc. 400, Alk 9. Kits are less than a year old.
You've had ich in your tank in the past, how long do you leave the tank fishless before attemtping to put in new fish?
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I have fish in the tanks currently that are perfectly happy and healthy and it has been 6 months since I have had any ick problems that came with the addition of a new fish. This occured when I tried to introduce a tang to the 120gDT.
Is ich the only problem you've had in the past?
Yes
IMO and IME, 2 weeks is not long enough time to QT a fish, especially if multiple fish are in the QT at once. A much more acceptable time frame is 6-8 weeks. It takes 6-8 weeks to rule out Ich and other parasites that a fish may have, ich can hide for 2 weeks and then show up in the DT once the fish becomes stressed in its new environment.
Do you just leave your fish in the QT and observe them, or do you use the hypo salinity method while they are in the QT?
The fish are in the 20g Quaratene with a UV Sterilizer. I have never used the "hypo method". Should I?

 

[scott t]

Well all your fish in the DT maybe be fine and not show any signs of ick because they are healthy and not stressed, when you add a new fish to the tank they are stressed and the ick will show on them. Just because your fish in the DT dont show signs of ick its still in the tank. Then only way to rid the tank of ick is to leave it fishless for 6-8 weeks because then the Ick will die out because it has nothing to host it.
Go here and read about ICK- https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/wiki/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans

 

[btldreef]

Due to many fish being in the QT at once, you're not able to really observe each fish and make sure that they're is absolutely nothing wrong with them. That toppled with the fish only being in the QT for 2 weeks is not a good idea.
I run hypo salinity on all new fish in QT. If done properly, there is no risk of introducing ich to your tank. It is the same reason I also QT live rock and inverts (without hypo salinity as it would kill them) and dip all corals. Keep in mind that fish introduction is not the only way to get ich in your tank, this is something that many hobbyists over look.
IMO, leave the fish in QT for longer and run hyposalinity. Take the LR out of the QT while doing hypo and add in some different sized pieces of PVC piping or ornamental corals for the fish to still have some hiding areas. Hyposalinity will absolutely rule out ich, and can take care of some other parasites as well.

 

[scott t]

BTLD the op has fish in his DT and thus correct me if I am wrong. If fish have had ick in the DT that means that there is still Ick there, as I stated in my last post, just because the fish in the DT are health does not mean there is not ick in the tank. When he adds a new fish to the system the fish will be stressed and the Ick will appear on them.

 

[tlsohio]

Thanks for the advice

. Can you give me a brief run down of how to administer Hyposalinity. I already have PVC in the tank as well. Will Hypo get rid of all other pests as well?

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tlsohio http:///forum/thread/381682/looking-for-advice-on-adding-new-fish#post_3325971
Thanks for the advice

. Can you give me a brief run down of how to administer Hyposalinity. I already have PVC in the tank as well. Will Hypo get rid of all other pests as well?
I do not follow the most conventional practices when it comes to hypo, as I dump my fish right into it. If you read through the disease/sick fish section, there is a write up on how to perform hypo salinity in a QT.
Basically, you need to drop the salinity down to 1.009, the fish need to stay in this for a minimum of 6 weeks, then SLOWLY raise the salinity back up to the same salinity as the DT they will be going on over the next 1-2 weeks. Hypo will rid your fish of ich and some other parasites, not all. If the fish have other parasites, hypo will rid the more common ones and the ones that it can not rid the fish of, hypo will expose it so that you can see that it is there. If you've had your fish for 2 weeks and everything is fine, hypo should seal the deal and everything should be fine for placing them in the DT. Some people say to slowly bring down the salinity as well, I dump them right in, but slowly bring them out of it.
I believe you said that you have a refugium running on your QT? If this is the case, hypo can not be performed. IMO, a refugium does not belong on a QT.

 

[tlsohio]

Thanks again for the advice on Hypo. I will look up the thread on this and proceed. I have a small refugium that I keep extra macro algaes growing in, that can be disconnected when quarantining fish. Because I have used this tank so little for quarantine I use it for multi functions, that's also why there is extra live rock in there. But it can all be removed and rearranged. Thanks again.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tlsohio http:///forum/thread/381682/looking-for-advice-on-adding-new-fish#post_3325978
Thanks again for the advice on Hypo. I will look up the thread on this and proceed. I have a small refugium that I keep extra macro algaes growing in, that can be disconnected when quarantining fish. Because I have used this tank so little for quarantine I use it for multi functions, that's also why there is extra live rock in there. But it can all be removed and rearranged. Thanks again.

As long as it can be disconnected you're fine. I just needed to make sure that you new it couldn't run under hypo.

 

[tlsohio]

I can't believe I forgot to tell you this, as it's important information. I did do something different this time with my fish at the direction of my LFS,(who I believe is knowledgeable) I did a "Formalin" dip on all the fish before adding them to the tank. Do you have any experience with this dip? It came very highly recommended and seems to have done the trick as I have not seen anything resembling ick at all.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tlsohio http:///forum/thread/381682/looking-for-advice-on-adding-new-fish#post_3326072
I can't believe I forgot to tell you this, as it's important information. I did do something different this time with my fish at the direction of my LFS,(who I believe is knowledgeable) I did a "Formalin" dip on all the fish before adding them to the tank. Do you have any experience with this dip? It came very highly recommended and seems to have done the trick as I have not seen anything resembling ick at all.
I try not to use chemicals unless absolutely necessary. Many people use Formalin. I'll only use it as a last resort and that has only been once.