quarintine tank???????????

[jakepilot]

ok, im setting up a 10 gallon quarintine tank, im curious what medication do i put in there? what salt level do i use (do you use the same level as my tank? i have heard a bit lower) do i use the medication all the time or just when i put a fish in there...also is a 10 gallon big enough for a quarintine tank? how long do i leave the fish in there? do i use substraite or just glass bottom? thanks for the help

 

[tyrfing]

Slow down cowboy, you're overthinking this whole thing (I speak from experience, I posted something similar a while back).
Use your QT tank as not only a treatment area for sick fish, but as a holding tank to observe new fish. Alot of times you're going to see fish in the store and buy them (like most of us) right away. You add them to your big tank and suddenly some symptoms show up and BINGO! you've contaminated your show tank. If you use a QT tank, you can observe your fish and treat them before they go in to your show tank.
When you get any new additions, put them in your QT tank and observe them for about 21 days, that should be enough time for symptoms to appear. No problems? Then don't worry, just acclimate them to your show tank and you're ready. See symptoms? Jump into the disease forum here, state what you're observing and I guarantee you'll get some good advice.
1. Ten gallons is a large enough size, depending of course on the size of fish you purchase. Obviously a mature volitan lion isn't going to fit in there.
2. Salinity should be the same as your show tank. If you need to treat ich and go with hyposalinity, you can lower the salinity over a 48 hour period. Only do it if you need to.
3. Use pvc or some other inert material as shelter for the fish. Don't use live rock or put anything like coral in there. Most medicines will have an adverse effect on invertebrates etc. As far as rock goes, you don't want anything that can soak up medicine, thus the use of the pvc.
4. Best way to cycle the QT tank is to simply transfer some H20 from your show tank during a water change. It will save a lot of time and headache. If you start getting algae etc. throw some turbo snails in, but take them out if you need to add any chemicals (see point #2 above).
5. How long you leave a fish in there will be dependent on the disease, your treatment and the fish's progress. Can't worry about it until you see symptoms.
6. I wouldn't put a substrate in, medicines like copper can soak into the sand and it's a b***ch taking your sand out after a treatment. Just leave a glass bottom, that way you can use a syphon to clean out the solid waste.
Hope this helps. It's cool that you're thinking of all the alternatives, you're fish will appreciate your thoroughness!

 

[thewolfman777]

excellent post tyrfing, i couldnt have said it better myself.....

 

[birdy]

What is your reason for treating fish that are healthy? I have heard copper treatment being compared to chemotherapy and that there are other less stressful and less dangerous ways of treating parasites (hyposalinity). I am just curious I am fairly new at this also I have heard of keeping the quarantine tank at hyposalinity but not medicating seemingly healthy fish.

 

[jakepilot]

how do you treat parasites with hyposalinity?? what is hyposalinity?

 

[tyrfing]

Jake:
Hyposalinity is a low salinity level. Think of it as the opposite of hyper. If your kid is hyperactive he has too much energy...naturally hypo would then be less than normal.
Hyposalinity is usually a salinity level of 1.09 or around that area. It's good for treating ich and a few other things, but it's not a cure-all. Many people on this board would rather try to treat disease through non-chemical methods as opposed to adding chems to your water.
Hyposalinity usually gets rid of ich, and since you do it by gradually changing the environment,
you don't run the risk of having a chemical reaction with your fish. The reason you use hyposalinity in a QT tank rather than your show tank is because inverts and corals will not tolerate hyposalinity.
I would strongly suggest against keeping your QT tank at hyposalinity conditions. If you're using your QT as a holding tank for new fish, they've gone through enough shock already, throwing them into a hyposalinity environment will probably kill them. Plus, you want to lower the salinity level from your normal 1.21 or so to around 1.09 over a 48 hour period with your fish in the water you are altering. So keep your QT tank at your normal salinity level. If you have a fish that comes down with ich, acclimate him to the QT tank, then gradually lower the salinity level through H2O changes over 48 hours.
Hope this helps. Great questions!

 

[jakepilot]

so what all do i need for the QT tank?? i am on a budget, so i wont be able to afford a UV. or Protien skimmer

 

[fshhub]

go to walmart and buy one of those package set ups, standard lightin(room lighting is actually enough), cheapo filter and heater, other tahn that, some pvc or plastic ornaments, for shelter, and some pait, to paint the OUTSIDE bottom of the tank, so that ther is no refletion or deep dark hole to stress them more(just gives tem an idea of percption)
other than taht, salt mix and maybe an extra powerhead, no more