Many QT Questions

[craig110768]

I have ick on a puffer, and all i'm trying to do is get rid of it. I started using Kick-ick, but that doesn't seem to help, although is only been 8 days. I'm thinking about going over to the proven copper treatment.
I keep hearing about not putting substrate in the QT tank, and just keep in to real basic with PVC pipe, so the fish can hide.
Well. I'm really confused, as what is going to convert the ammonia from the fish, in the QT if you have nothing in there. These fish will be in there for about a month, and no bio-filter. Is this just going to kill the fish, if the ranges get out of whak.
If I do water changes, isn't that just going to remove the meds, that i've put in. I'm am just completly confused here!!!
I have some substrate (sand) from my main tank, to help cycle the QT. Would just a regular sponge filter in a 20g tank do that job - I found that it wasn't the case. I have been changing water like a mad man these last 6 days every day, to try and keep the ammonia down - yes - i am feeding them very little, but still getting high params. I'm that just gets rid of the meds.
I'm I missing the woods for the trees here!!
Would the copper treatment that i'm thinking of using just kill everything in the sand including the bio-filter that I'm trying to create.
Some one please explain.

 

[beth]

What size tank are you using and how many fish?
I wouldn't recomment copper for ick. The best, and safest treatment is hyposalinity.
Hyposalinity is Osmotic Shock Therapy [OST]. No, your fish aren't subjected to the shock, but ick parasites are. Essentially, O.S.T. simply places the infectors [ick] in an environment in which they cannot hope to survive while the host, (or infected fish) can. This remedy WILL NOT work in reef systems or invert tanks as it incorporates lowering the salinity of the entire system to 1.009 SG---this SG/salinity being too low for inverts, LR or LS.
The method of lowering salinity/SG is simple: Over the course of 48-hrs, salt water in the tank is replaced with fresh RO or DI water in small increments until a SG of 1.009 is achieved. Maintain pH, as pH tends to lower is hypo-saline water, and you need to maintain same pH. Watch for pH, especially at night. If you are not using a salinity monitor which gives more precise readings, then try using 2-brands of hydrometers to make sure that you get an accurate reading. The SG MUST be dropped to 1.009, nothing above that will do. As to the beneficial microbes you are working to establish in your hospital, NOT TO WORRY! The bacteria colony will survive, the fish will be more than fine; but the Ick, however, will not survive. By lowering the salinity, you will also be lowering the osmotic pressure of the water. The parasites NEED high osmotic pressure to convert saline water into freshwater. All marine animals need freshwater as we do [parasites are considered marine animals as well, BTW]. They just convert it differently, usually via their tissues. Reduce this necessary pressure and the ick will die—explode actually. As a higher life form, the fish will do fine with this treatment. [My preference for this treatment of ick over copper is toxicity. Hypo has no ill effects on fish during or after treatment, whereas copper is a toxin, and could have enduring negative effects on fish even following a successful treatment. Better to use copper for when you really need it---where hypo is not effective, like with oodinium.
Maintain the 1.009 SG in the tank for 4 wks AFTER no visible signs of ick are present with your fish. After that time, you can slowly, over the course of several days, raise the SG back to normal levels in the hospital. Take longer raising then you did lowering the SG. Leave the fish in the hospital for 5-7 days after returning the SG to normal levels before moving it/them back home.
In the meantime, feed your fish garlic soaked food several times a week, and, if you can get either Zoe or Zoecon, alternate feeding your fish with these excellent vitamin supplements. No need to feed with vits and the garlic at same time. MORE is not better either with fish meds, additives or supplements. Garlic is a natural parasite repellent for ick. It also has mild antibiotic qualities as well as being an immune booster. No, don't add tabs to water. use fresh crushed garlic or garlic extract to soak the food--don't add the garlic to the water!
Now for the hospital tank: Since you don't have an established tank, you will have to work very hard at maintaining good water conditions in the hospital. It sounds like you're already having problems with this [ammonia]. You can seed the hospital with water & substrate from your main tank. You may also want to use some carbon filtration to aid with cleaning things up. You will just have to plan on doing water changes to keep the tank from cycling. Also, be sure to siphon off any foods as well as wastes left by the fish.

 

[craig110768]

Its a 20g tank. The puffer fish has Ick, but i'm thinking of putting all three fish (puffer, fox-face and blond naso tang) in the same QT tank.
Do you think its too small. Each fish are about 4 inches long.

 

[seaguru]

Beth,
Thank-you for the in depth opinion about OST. Very useful info! I am supporter of this approach.

 

[shawnsghost]

Beth, I also thank you for this great description. I have printed it out and put it in my "fish folder" for use later. Or if i'm lucky i'll never need it!!!