Melanurus Wrasse died next day in QT

[davidcalgary29]

QT kills a lot of fish. I hear it all the time.

Perhaps bad quarantine kills fish all the time, but a good one shouldn't. I don't see why "quarantine" immediately must mean "hit the fish with everything you've got at your disposal".

As I am in Canada, and have no access to any medication beyond copper, I separate all incoming fishing into different holding tanks (or currently, a tupperware container for two of them). I'll typically treat with Humblefish's hybrid TTM with a hydrogen peroxide dip going in, and may or may not treat at further length with copper depending on the source of the fish.

For the OP: I typically throw in a bag of media (translation: bio-gems) from my displays into my QT, and always have ammonia badges ready. It's cheap and easy, and enough for one fish or two without having to worrying about adding nitrifying bottled bacteria.

 

[QuinnLee512]

I have not used any prime or medication. I just simply added fish to new RODI water. I did the same exact thing with my clown. I was intending on reading more on the hybrid TTM but I do know that I'm supposed to move out the fish in 3 days. Didn't even get past .5 days. :-(

 

[QuinnLee512]

Perhaps bad quarantine kills fish all the time, but a good one shouldn't. I don't see why "quarantine" immediately must mean "hit the fish with everything you've got at your disposal".

As I am in Canada, and have no access to any medication beyond copper, I separate all incoming fishing into different holding tanks (or currently, a tupperware container for two of them). I'll typically treat with Humblefish's hybrid TTM with a hydrogen peroxide dip going in, and may or may not treat at further length with copper depending on the source of the fish.

For the OP: I typically throw in a bag of media (translation: bio-gems) from my displays into my QT, and always have ammonia badges ready. It's cheap and easy, and enough for one fish or two without having to worrying about adding nitrifying bottled bacteria.

I do have ammonia badges on all my QT. Even have it on my DT.

 

[Squidward]

I agree with you, but did you add bottled bacteria? If not, that's definitely a problem with your process.

You dont need that for TTM.

 

[adittam]

I have not used any prime or medication. I just simply added fish to new RODI water. I did the same exact thing with my clown. I was intending on reading more on the hybrid TTM but I do know that I'm supposed to move out the fish in 3 days. Didn't even get past .5 days. :-(

RODI water or saltwater?!?

 

[davidcalgary29]

I do have ammonia badges on all my QT. Even have it on my DT.

$10/yr is a lot more reasonable than $13/mo for a Seneye slide.

 

[QuinnLee512]

Perhaps bad quarantine kills fish all the time, but a good one shouldn't. I don't see why "quarantine" immediately must mean "hit the fish with everything you've got at your disposal".

As I am in Canada, and have no access to any medication beyond copper, I separate all incoming fishing into different holding tanks (or currently, a tupperware container for two of them). I'll typically treat with Humblefish's hybrid TTM with a hydrogen peroxide dip going in, and may or may not treat at further length with copper depending on the source of the fish.

For the OP: I typically throw in a bag of media (translation: bio-gems) from my displays into my QT, and always have ammonia badges ready. It's cheap and easy, and enough for one fish or two without having to worrying about adding nitrifying bottled bacteria.

I do have a side question for you and odd I know since I killed 1 fish but can I use the hybrid TTM to quarantine 2 fish at the same time? I currently have 2 identical 10G tanks for TTM.

 

[Squidward]

I do have a side question for you and odd I know since I killed 1 fish but can I use the hybrid TTM to quarantine 2 fish at the same time? I currently have 2 identical 10G tanks for TTM.

That's fine. I've done as many as 5 chromis and a dwarf angel in a 10g TTM.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I do have a side question for you and odd I know since I killed 1 fish but can I use the hybrid TTM to quarantine 2 fish at the same time? I currently have 2 identical 10G tanks for TTM.

I don't see why it would be a problem.

 

[brandon429]

I take this thread to mean
"I just prevented a disease vector into my tank from a highly infected fish by practicing quarantine, I was able to observe it dying of disease in the qt vs display"

 

[QuinnLee512]

I take this thread to mean
"I just prevented disease vector into my tank from a highly infected fish by practicing quarantine, I was able to observe it dying of disease in the qt vs display"

Are you saying that you think I bought a diseased fish? I really can't figure out what I did wrong other than maybe not acclimating it better prior to putting it into QT.

 

[Jeffcb]

I have not used any prime or medication. I just simply added fish to new RODI water. I did the same exact thing with my clown. I was intending on reading more on the hybrid TTM but I do know that I'm supposed to move out the fish in 3 days. Didn't even get past .5 days. :-(

I don't quarantine. Maybe I should idk but I think its hard to keep a healthy QT running. If you had freshly made salt water in your 10 gal I bet that's what got it. I think a fish has its best chance going in a well established tank. I have some expensive fish and what I have done is asked my LFS to keep fish for me for observation. LFS kept my Gem Tang for almost 3 weeks. Some shops will, some will not. Some shops have the date they got the fish and a check mark if it eats or not. I like that. So if you buying a fish that's been at LFS for 3 weeks and looks good its probably healthy. My 2 cents.

 

[Tamberav]

I have read this. However regardless of whatever method I was going to use, what would kill a fish in half a day? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

did you check the salinity of the bag the wrasse was in?

If it was far lower then this could cause osmotic shock and kill the fish.

The QT tank should be made up to match the salinity in the bag. This is one of the advantages of using a QT tank. Then you can bring it up slowly over time before the fish finishes QT. This is even less stressful then dripping since it can be done over a period of days/weeks instead of hours while the fish remains stressed during the drip.

I have done TTM on all my fish and many wrasse. I buy a dry bag of new sand and add a few handfuls of fresh stuff every time they move to a new tank/bucket. I then rinse the old sand to dry out in a tub completely over a few weeks. That way I am not buying new bags all the time. Just re-using the same stuff. I have plenty to rotate to be sure that it fully dry between uses.

I also mostly use plastic decorations instead of PVC. It is a plastic fake grey log and a fake grey gator head. The fish like these more than PVC as they are not neon white and textured and look like rocks/natural to them. Since they are plastic aquarium décor, they are still easy to clean and dry between transfers.

This is a bucket with two radiant wrasses going through TTM. I use a dim/less harsh light thats greenish blue but ambient lighting works great too if the room has enough. The air pump was turned off in this video as they were eating. I only use heaters for TTM when it's cold out. In summer, the house stays appropriate temps and I consider them just another potential point of failure so only use them when weather calls for it.

These fish have been in my DT for awhile now and are spawning




The biggest issue with QT is that people sort of 'half do' them. They still need to be as stress free as possible. A lot of times this means sand when appropriate, appropriate matched parameters, and appropriate hiding places (PVC is not best practice IMO). I use large tubs for larger fish. They go into a CYCLED spacious tank for observation after this. I would never keep a fish in a bucket or 10g tank for long periods.

Please feed lightly EXCEPT the feeding you do on the day they will get transferred. I fed sort of heavy in this video as this was transfer day so no risk of fouling the water.

 

[brandon429]

I have no idea on its state of disease, but you want all initial losses to happen outside of the main display, controlling for all possible acclimation issues of course but this is precisely why qt before DT addition is ideal. we can't rule out disease yet as well.

folks in Canada can just order pre quarantined fish and pay more to get em, same ends.

we have ways to proof the cycling control of a quarantine setup just fine, acclimating to that will carry the same variables as acclimating into a display so I can't see water quality being an issue if you're following updated cycling science trending that can accurately name reef tank or quarantine tank start dates/ when they're ready to carry fish after the initial cycle.

 

[ninjamyst]

LoL...this is exactly what the other thread is saying. People kill more fish in qt than saving them. Sigh.

 

[QuinnLee512]

I think my mistake was not doing a better job of acclimating. I will also make sure to put in sand next time so that he can hide and not be so stressed.

 

[brandon429]

@ninjamyst

no, the other thread is saying that anyone who recommends skipping quarantine only has their own tank to show for it, and that we can't verify they're not lying (killing and just re buying new fish) unless they build and run a fish disease forum using their way getting live entrants to track for ability, using their honest feedback.

we said in the other thread that qt saves more fish than it kills, that's using proofs from the fish disease thread using other people's feedback.

 

[adittam]

LoL...this is exactly what the other thread is saying. People kill more fish in qt than saving them. Sigh.

Or, this person saved the fish in his DT from dying by the same cause...

 

[QuinnLee512]

Or, this person saved the fish in his DT from dying by the same cause...

I see it the same way. I only have a clown in my DT but I'm not putting him at risk so I'm going to continue to quarantine. I also quarantine corals and inverts in their own tank. I even tried to quarantine chaeto but it just got everywhere in the QT. lol The only thing that I didn't quarantine was a tuxedo urchin which according to what I've read can't carry disease.

 

[brandon429]

Anything wet can vector in disease from another reef


theres pure fallow approach and then there’s loose fallow approach, and both are better than just adding fish from the pet store in without observation


just like anyone knows to avoid getting lfs water into their display, wet items from an lfs are still a risk they are just lower incidence