Quarentine Tank Question

[bronzecat]

Hi

As dosey me hasn't set up a QT yet, whats the simplest way to do it? I have a 12 gallon, spare seio pump (not really spare but driving me nuts with its constant buzzing), and heater. The reason i ask is the Skunk clowns are looking like the may have something wrong. They are still actively swimming around, but have both refused to feed today. They appear to have a pale film over parts of their flanks. Apart from that they are showing no other symptoms. Could this be Brooklynella?

Any thoughts on the quarentine tank set up or the clowns would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[rabbut]

A QT tank can be fassioned on the sharp for this type of thing from a glass box, spare powerhead, spare heater and a piece or two of LR from the display. This allows you to get sick/injured fish out quick. However, if you need to treat, you risk damaging the LR and having to ditch it rather than return it to the display. Some meds like Formaldehyde and Copper Sulphate will be absorbed by the LR and then leach when added to the display caursing issues for the corals e.t.c. Both of those meds will also kill the LR's micro and macro fauna.

Idealy, a QT system would be bare bones glass tank, heater and a filter that's been fishlessly cycled or packed with mature sponge from the main display. This allows you to treat without abliterating the LR, simply bin the sponge when done and replace it...

I'm not well up on marine disease, but it could be parasitic, water quality or stress. Do you have a microscope and any anti-fungral dye-based med to hand? What are your water stats?

All the best
Rabbut

 

[bronzecat]

Hi

Water stats -
Temp = 26
SG = 1.026
Ph = 8.3
Mag = 1300
Calcium = 420
Ammonia = 0
NitrIte = 0
NitrAte = 5-10
Phosphate = 0
Hardness = 8

No, i dont have microscope etc...

I do have a piece of LR that has been moved around the tank as it just doesn't look right anywhere Its about 2 kgs.

So, as an emergency would this work? - 12 gallon tank, heated and salted as per main tank, Seio pump, the piece of LR, an internal filter (got a spare one) with some bioballs pinched from my main tank.

Cheers

 

[rabbut]

Should be fine. considering stress is a possibility, I'd be tempted to let them be if there aren't many other fish in there. If there are a lot of residence and you suspect parasites, get them shifted into QT.

Water stats look good to me. Can you rule out stress? Watch all the fish during lights on and out and see if anything is bosses them or picks on them, or anything else going on that may upset them...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[bronzecat]

Hi Rabbut

Was up setting the hospital tank up till 3am this morning. Left it to settle, till the morning to check the stats before putting them in. When i went to check it the heater stat had gone Temp 45! Lucky i did leave to run overnight Got new heater lunchtime, just waiting for levels to settle back down.

In the tank with these 2 are a Silver belly wrasse, Magenta dottyback and a Scarlet hawkfish. At lights out they all go to there places - Hawkfish perches on top the Seio, Dottyback goes in its cave, Wrasse under the sand and the clowns have been bobbing about in a quiet flow area. They have all been feeding together nicely and none of the others are showing any signs of illness.

However, in the last hour i have lost one of the clowns I have examined it, and the only thing i can see is a mucus along its flank. The mucus is an "off white" with a hint of brown.

The other one is shortly going into the hospital tank. En route i think i shall give it a fresh water bath? I'll match the temp and Ph first
How long should i leave it in the fresh water?

Thanks

 

[bronzecat]

Hi again

Looks like I'm gonna have to remove a load of LR to catch this clown How long will LR be ok for out of water?

 

[bronzecat]

Hi again

Looks like I'm gonna have to remove a load of LR to catch this clown How long will LR be ok for out of water?

No matter, got another plan

 

[SkiFletch]

Sorry about your troubles. Does sound like Brooknella to me, somewhat common with new clownfish in a system . Treat like any other parasite, QT and hyposalinity OR copper.

For setting up a QT tank, you want a sterile environment, plastic stuff only. Plastic ornaments, plants, plastic pipes would all be fine. A sponge filter actually works really well, or a small internal. I prefer the sponge cause it helps oxygenate the water, even if the salt creep is a little anoying... Try and keep reasonably low sg (mine sits in the 1.020 range), heat it to a lower temp, say 75f. I feed the bacterial filter in mine weekly with some ammonia just like a freshwater tank cycle. Obviously when fish are in it, I let the fish pooping feed the filter.

I QT for at LEAST 2 weeks, sometimes 4, depending on how long it's been in the shop (if LFS bought), who the previous owner is (if locally bought), or which online retailer it came from (I trust liveaquaria.com, but no others).

I also use my nano tank (5g) with a little light over it as a coral QT tank. That's more a standard reef tank design though. Really just to make sure I don't drag in flatworms, redbugs, nudis, or other bad stuff into the DT

 

[bronzecat]

Cheers Ski

My hospital tank is 12 gallons, small internal filter, and an air stone. Took 2 hours to get him out! In the end i did a 25% water change into a huge poly box and put the LR into into it. He's in the QT now, well was last night. I didn't expect him to be alive this morning, but he is so we'll see what happens.

Its amazing how much crap accumilates in the tank in such a short space of time! And i did find a third hermit that i thought the Hawkfish had eaten.

At least now i have the qt set up for any new stock in the future