QT Practices

[nvrEnuf]

So, for the first time I had a fish die in QT today. Kole tang 7 days after purchase from the dome. Having had Ich and other issues in QT before I wanted to go over this while fresh in my mind so you guys can point out anything or see where anything goes....

Basics:

1. QT is shut down and reset after every fish in it.

2. 25 Gallon tall, Large amount of Macro (usually grape cal.), skimmer (doesn't need a heater in the summer)

3. water changes daily (1-2 gallons)

4. 1.023, 8.1-8.3, 77-78 F depending on time of day

5. DT was fallowed and rid of Ich a year ago; I am thinking I might should worry about cross contamination more because I usually dont unless I see an issue with the QT fish.

6. once an issue has been seen nothing comes out of QT room without decon'ing

this time:

Kole came home Sunday afternoon to my surprise as my wife decided she wanted to buy a fish for once. So, I had to set up QT faster than normal. Hooray for 125 GPD BRS filter! Had enough water already on hand to have it temp'd and ready in about 1.5 hours. Tang sat in bag in QT until then. 45 minute acclimation and tang was in at about 6:30 looking good; ate a grape or two so offered mysis and ate healthily.

Day 2: When I turned the lights on in the morning I noticed some discoloration and didn't think much of it as my yellow looks different in the AM as well. Still ate well both AM and PM and was grazing; some flashing.

Day 3: Lights on and looked closely at discoloring. Noticed it looked like bruising and saw one "sugar spot" on nose barely visable. Still eating well and grazing but decided to lower salt a bit anyway Still flashing. Down to 1.020 (2 slow water changes in 2 hours)

Day 4: a few more spots, still eating very well and grazing. Salt down to 1.015 (remove 3 gallons and replace with RODI PH over 3 hours)

Day 5: Covered in very small spots. Still eating and grazing. Salt down to 1.010 as above

Day 6: Spots better but bruised over entire fish at lights on, refusing food.

Day 7: Spots gone in the morning, refusing food. Dead at 5:30 when home.

Let the conversation begin!

[Robb in Austin]

IIRC, bruising was/is a sign of bacterial infections.

But, that said; I don't QT so take my thoughts FWIW.

[jestep]

I used to QT but honestly it seems like it causes more stress than it's worth. I was previously using 30 gallon established tank for QT, barebottom withlarge plastic PVC joints for hiding.

I now try to not buy any fish when the LFS's get in a new shipment and won't buy anything with the slightest sign of any pathogen. I also don't transfer any water from fish bag to the tank except what may be on the fish itself.

Just based on my own anecdotal observation, I am convinced that stress will allow opportunistic infections, ich or otherwise, in even a healthy fish. I've had no problems so far doing it this way in my freshwater or reef tanks. I do know there's people that ended up with major loses from introducing something into their DT though.

[Robb in Austin]

I'll add to the above. I recently bought a good sized kole tang off Live Aquaria's Divers Den (arguably the best QT setup out there and/or better than that provided in our homes) and the poor thing died during acclimation (which consisted of floating x6hrs, then 2 hours of slow tank water additions). Thankfully, I have credit for the value of the fish.

[Timfish]

I would point out that often fish have problems long before we acquire them. As Robb pointed out bruising indicates a bacterial problem and this is somethiing that may take a long time to develop. I also don't see anything fundamentally wrong with the procedure you used. I also have had similar expereinces to Jestep but I now QT fish in complete systems with liverock and LOTS of hiding places, dither fish AND really big UV sterilizors for the size tank (max kill rate with at least 3-4 turnovers per hour).

But this is still no guarentee a fish won't have a probnlem that will kill it after being added to a display tank. On expereince I had was with 10 Naso Tangs. They went through QT without a problem and I distributed them to 9 different display tanks. Between weeks six and eight 9 of the 10 Nasos died without any overt signs of a problem. The conclusion the Nasos had a problem is reinforced by them being in different display tanks, no other deaths in the dispaly tanks near to the Naso deaths and susequent fish QTed in the same tank doing well.

[Wade]

Like Tim, I keep an established tank set up (25g long, in the basement) with a couple of small chromis and a small ccu. When I do a water change in my DT, I siphon about half the water from the QT and then back fill with water from the DT. I like the idea of an established tank (2" PVC and some rock) so the new fish has some company and macro and isn't just thrown into a sterile lonely environment. I think that adds to the stress. I also drip acclimate for about an hour. I know the temp goes down a bit, but I've had good luck with it. It's probably not necessary though. I don't buy many fish so have only had to use it a few times, but so far so good. I do realize that if a new fish does develop a problem that I'll have to junk everything in the QT and start over, but I'm ok with that. Also, just an HOB and a couple of power heads. I have a HOB fuge I bought for it, but haven't set it up yet.

[nuxx]

I think ich slipped by on one of my old fish that never showed signs before. Stress went up and ich popped up.

Since I don't have coral yet, I'm going to try to catch all the inverts I can and then do hypo on the display for 6 weeks after the last spot is seen.

Also just added a cleaner wrasse that divers den qt'ed for 2 months. I didn't qt him. Haven't had luck with cleaners in qt before. Also while I'm doing water changes to lower salinity, I'll treat with prazipro. If the cleaner carried ich the hypo will take care of it.

Since the cleaner was added, no spots and aggression seems down.

As for qt... from now on I'll do the following...

Fish:

1st tank transfer:

20 gallon long with new saltwater for 3 days. Morning of the fourth move fish with as little water as possible to another 20 gallon long with new saltwater.

Then clean 1st tank with a little bleach then vinegar then water and let dry. Then setup tank again with new saltwater and new seeded biofiltration media.

On the fourth morning in the second tank, move back to the first tank. Repeat this three times.

Next the fish will spend 5-6 weeks in a 40 gallon breeder. 3 treatments of prazi and observation.

Then off to the display.

Coral and inverts:

Will spend 12 weeks in my old 55 gallon setup with high powered leds and live rock and sand. System will always be fallow. Then off to the dt. Corals will also be dipped.

[nvrEnuf]

Thanks for the input everyone