QT Tank: A scary place to be?

[Phyl]

I have a bunch of PVC elbows and such in my qt tank (even made one that stands tall so that they could swim through it up higher) and put two damsels in there. They were the most petrified two fish I've ever seen in my life. They were constantly in hiding, nervous looking, would only feed when we left the room, etc.

I finally gave in after about a week (I *know* they should have been there longer but it felt like abuse) and moved them to my main. They became brave and crazy fish the moment they entered my main. They nip at my fingers if I get too close while feeding, follow me all around the tank and swim in open waters readily.

So far from my experience, my QT setup seems harsh and frightening. That seems like it would be tremendously stressful to my fish.

I'm getting a 3" Maroon clown from a friend over the weekend and I'm afraid to put her into my QT! I don't want this poor fish to die from the stress induced by being in this QT Tank!

Thoughts? Any way to make the QT feel more like home to this new fish from a long time, well established system?

 

[quarryshark]

The stress would be passed to you if you ever have a parasitic outbreak. Sounds like you were doing OK. It is stressful but if they get sick, you would then have to move them out anyway causing more stress. Damsels are excitable and that may have added to your worries.
I have a Lawnmower Blenny that was really nervous is my qt tank, stopped eating and was a total wreck. What I did was get one of those small "plastic" fake plants from my LFS. He settled down after that with a place to hide and we made it through the rest of the qt period with no additional problems.
Believe me, qt is worth it.

 

[Phyl]

I believe that it is worth it, I've got it all setup and ready... I'm just trying to figure out how to keep my fish happy in there. Will a piece of base rock make them happier than the pvc? I've got a spare piece that didn't make it into my main. I really don't want to stress out this clown on Sunday when she goes into the QT. I'd like to do whatever I can to help her feel "at home" while she's in QT.

If she's in a parasite free system with no new additions in the last ?? months then would she still need to be qt'd? Or do I just treat her the same as I would any fish from an LFS?

 

[revhtree]

IMO any new fish is going to be stressed no matter what tank they go into. If you would have put the damsels in the main right away, i would think that they would have had the same reaction. What is going to be worse that anything, and more stressful, and frightening to you and the fish, is the main tank getting ich from improper qt time. I think most of us have been guilty of this is the past, and have learned some hard lessons. You have to stand your ground and do whats best for all the fish as a whole.

Stress from qt'ing 1 or 2 fish in the begining will in no way come close to the stress they will recieve from:
1. Ich or other desiese or parasite.
2. Netting them all up
3. Placing them into the qt.
4. Placing them all in a confined qt with little room.
5. Elevated ammonia and nitrite levels from the big load that you will have to place in the qt.
6. Stress on you doing huge water changes everday.
7. Strees on the wallet for the meds and salt that you will be using for the qt.
8. Stress having to worry about your little buddys.

Trust me on this.....Please don't give in a feel sorry for your new arrivals. It is best for them and you.

 

[BillyZ]

what I would do to minimize the stress for QT is this. put the QT in a quite, low-traffic area of your house, but still somewhere you'll be able to view them easily. the PVC elbows and such are fine, they are obviously comfortable enough with them to hide in them. As QS suggested, a couple of plastic plants would add to their relief. If you don't have a low traffic area to put the tank in, try wrapping a towel or paper around the tank to minimize the amount of human activity they're exposed to. the thing to keep in mind is that what you put in the QT should be easy to clean and shouldn't be porus as any medications you add to the QT to treat disease/stress could build up and turn your QT into a rather bad place to be.

JMO

 

[clowninround]

Good points! That is one of my bigger concerns with a QT, cuz w/c's can be almost obessive tring to keep ammonia and nitrite levels down. Like QS told me once, water changes, water changes, and more water changes . However, having gone threw the unfortunate (disease), I beleive in QT....I just pray for my little buddies that I am making their time in their as comfortable and safe as possible. I took a Naso out of QT a week early once because the Nitrite seemed almost impossible to control...and she ended up having velvet or ich (tiny white dots)...sadly she didn't make it. It could have been worse, had I not taken everyone out. But I do think there is a better way and with future advancements in this hobby...this method may be dramatically improved or replaced by something much easier on the fish...just hasn't got here yet ...thats my 2c anyways.

 

[Phyl]

So if I put base rock in there I just need to fish it out in the even that I need to medicate the tank?

 

[quarryshark]

I usually don't advise putting anything pourous in a qt, try the plastic plant. My Blennie did a 180 degree turn overnight with a place to hide. You could tell he felt much more secure.
I suppose you could use the base rock, but yes it would need removed if meds were needed.

 

[BillyZ]

even without using meds, if there is a chance a parasite/bacteria/virus could lay dormant in the rock between uses, even out of water. I personally wouldn't want to take that risk.

I would highly recommend only non-porus materials that can be cleaned throughly after each QT use. Either that or disposed of (at which point it wouldn't matter if it were porus if it were disposed after use)

just my $.02

 

[clowninround]

Wow, a parasite can live out of water....THAT is scary 8O

 

[Brad]

I like the plastic plant and/or fake corals, fake rock. When you tear down the QT you can sterilize these items for next time.

 

[cmor1701d]

if there is a chance a parasite/bacteria/virus could lay dormant in the rock between uses, even out of water.

Billy,
What parasite/virus/baceria could live out of water for any length of time. A few days maybe, but weeks or months?

 

[quarryshark]

I should have added that if you are putting a piece of base rock in your qt and your fish become ill. It would not only need to be removed, but IMO discarded. Thats why I like the plastic plants, you can clean and reuse them.