Will this work as a QT? (gramma has ich) HELP!

[Magnus]

Hey Tommy Gun, I'm doing the hyposalinity in the QT, not the main tank.

I'll do more water changes too, that sounds like a good idea.

 

[Mazdaman]

sorry, didn't realize there were inverts in the tank and I wasn't aware of the plant issues. i just know from my experience in the past, had ich once, with fake plants and no inverts it made sense to use the heat method on the main tank. Worked like a charm. i did use QT for new additions and a sick gourami who never made it. Anywys, another reaso this site is good, lot's of experienced keepers and one can never stop learning.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Hey Tommy Gun, I'm doing the hyposalinity in the QT, not the main tank.

Ahhh...sorry about that. I misread your question about the cleaner shrimp.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

sorry, didn't realize there were inverts in the tank and I wasn't aware of the plant issues. i just know from my experience in the past, had ich once, with fake plants and no inverts it made sense to use the heat method on the main tank. Worked like a charm. i did use QT for new additions and a sick gourami who never made it. Anywys, another reaso this site is good, lot's of experienced keepers and one can never stop learning.

Saltwater and freshwater ich are different beasts. I think you're confusing the two. Heat doesn't do anything for SW ich - just so there's no confusion with others reading this. It *may* speed up it's life cycle (like everything else with higher temps), but it won't get rid of it.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Saltwater and freshwater ich are different beasts. I think you're confusing the two. Heat doesn't do anything for SW ich - just so there's no confusion with others reading this. It *may* speed up it's life cycle (like everything else with higher temps), but it won't get rid of it.

Great points! IMO, raising the temp in a SW tank is also risky because even at the same temperature, saltwater cannot hold as much oxygen as freshwater...which isn't to imply that it can't or shouldn't be done, but only to point out that extra safeguards to help promote gas exchange at higher temps is probably a very good idea.

 

[Magnus]

Ummm...does ich just go away? My gramma seems to be losing his spots...like it's almost gone and I haven't done anything.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Yes and no. The white spots will eventually go away - although new ones form faster than those which fall off. However, the end of the white spot stage is the beginning of Ich's reproductive stage and each white spot could result in hundreds, even thousands of new parasites. This is why it is always suggested to continue treatment long after the white spots are all gone...you simply cannot see ich during its other, non-white spot stages. In fact, when you are treating for ich, you're not really treating the white spots because they are very well protected, but instead, you are treating the parasite when it is free swimming and looking for a host.

 

[Magnus]

Ok, the QT should be up and running soon.

Question, when I'm feeding my fish in the QT, won't it need to cycle?

 

[roka64]

Yes, you will eith have to cycle the tank or seed it with a sponge from your main tank. I do agree, ich will drop off at night and reinfest during the day.

 

[Magnus]

What do you mean by a sponge?

 

[Tommy Gun]

While I absolutely agree with roka that a cycled q-tank is going to be the best - especially for anyone who is going to perform a treatment such as hyposalinity (or hypersalinity in the case of FW ich) - in those instances where a more immediate quarantine is needed, you can either use filter media (which is what I think roka is suggesting by saying a 'sponge'), or even a piece of live rock to 'clone' the q-tank...or if need be, you can also move ahead without cycling or cloning as long as you are ready and willing to do the additional testing and water changes to combat the problems with ammonia and such that will result. In fact, the main reason I thought this would be good to point out is for those who might be reading this and are thinking about using medicines, especially copper based meds, for treating Ich because in many cases, they will interfere or even kill off the beneficial bacteria anyways...which means cycling or cloning a q-tank somewhat counter productive while at the same time, giving additional importance to not only using a q-tank, but having one before needing one.

Sorry if this reply is a little bit off topic as it may not apply to you entirely Magnus...I have a hard time resisting an opportunity to nudge others in the right direction because I've learned this lesson the hard way.

 

[Magnus]

No, that's actually great. And it turns out I have 2 pieces of sponge filter in my main tank now, so I'll use one in my QT and get the cycle going.

Thanks again, you guys rock.

 

[austinsdad]

Didja get the refractometer yet? Can calibrate with distilled water (to zero).

 

[sooju]

giving additional importance to not only using a q-tank, but having one before needing one

Not trying to hijack the thread here, but what's the best way to prepare for something like this? Run an air driven sponge filter in your sump so it's ready for a QT at a moment's notice?

I set up my 10G QT two days ago with a piece of sponge from the sump and this afternoon I had an ammonia reading of .25. There are three fish in the QT and five more in the main tank that I still need to figure out how to treat....

 

[panza]

well i see its been a while so how are the fish doing?!