Corals can SURVIVE!

[Carlo]

It sounds like we're doing it very similarly.

Have you tried the tank to tank transfer method of QTing fish? I've modified the approach a bit so it works with Ich, Velvet & Brook and pretty much guarantees the fish comes out of QT in 8 days with none of those three items.

When you get new fish after acclimation do you do any dips/baths or use Methylene Blue? I like Meth. Blue a lot. I put about a gallon or so water from my system in a bucket and a enough of the Meth Blue to turn the water dark blue (teaspoon or so). I let the fish swim in it for about 5 minutes and then move them to the QT tank. What I like about Meth. Blue is that it's an oxygen transporter (it converts methemoglobin to the normal oxygen carrying component of fish blood, hemoglobin). It definitely helps reverse cyanide and nitrite poisoning (fish in the bag) and it has something of a natural tranquilizing effect on the fish which helps calm them down so they don't stress out being moved into a new environment. As a "side effect" it also helps treat superficial fungal infections, and can help a with some parasites like ich (but I wouldn't rely on it).

Another cool thing about Methylene Blue is that you can use it in your QT tanks for 3 days or so at lower concentrations (teaspoon per 10 gallons). Seems to work well for fish that have some type of gill parasite or other breathing problems. Downside to this is you can't run carbon and the Meth Blue kills the biological filtration in the tank but I don't worry about that they way I do QT since a fish is never in the same tank more then 48 hours.

blange3, how do you QT your fish? If you notice ich on the fish what treatment do you use?

Carlo

 

[blange3]

It sounds like we're doing it very similarly.

Have you tried the tank to tank transfer method of QTing fish? I've modified the approach a bit so it works with Ich, Velvet & Brook and pretty much guarantees the fish comes out of QT in 8 days with none of those three items..............

When you get new fish after acclimation do you do any dips/baths or use Methylene Blue?
blange3, how do you QT your fish? If you notice ich on the fish what treatment do you use?

Carlo

I haven't tried the tank to tank method. You caught my interest with that one, at least as a curative method. Sounds like a lot of stress for prevention, but it makes sense.

I don't do any preventitive dips. Good old methylene blue, talk about Old School! I was not aware of it's detoxifying capabilities. It can reverse cyanide poisoning? Hmmm, pretty cool!

For prevention I feed with garlic and selcon. For cures I continue garlic and selcon and use hyposalinity. For fungus and bacteria I like Maroxy. Of course in the old days we used copper for just about anything. And salt cured all freshwater problems!

 

[Carlo]

It doesn't seem to stress the fish to much. They way I look at it is that I know in 8 days the fish WILL NOT have ich, velvet or brook. I'd equate it to getting a flu shot. Yea non of us like it but it's not really a big deal and far better then getting the flu.

I do try and lower the stress on the fish and typically just move the fish with my hand. I'm not a net fan but use a net on triggers, lions, scorpions, etc... At least the first move or two. I typically try and get the fish used to me so I'll put my hands in the tank a lot. I can sometimes hand move a trigger by the 3rd move.

I've got a mini write-up on the tank to tank transfer method on my personal website. Check out www.saltylivestock.com and click on the menu item "Got Ich/Fish QT" on the left at the bottom. It tells how to eradicate ich from the tank but part of it goes into detail about the tank to tank transfer method I use.

Carlo