After 7 weeks of going fallow due to a brooklynella outbreak

[brunkdent]

After 7 weeks of going fallow due to a brooklynella outbreak and the death of 4 fish(all of my fish) in the process on my first attempt at keeping a Saltwater tank I am preparing to take the plunge back in this weekend. Getting to look at nothing but crabs and snails for 2 months is becoming depressing.

Today I will be setting my QT up after work and letting it run for about 24 hrs at which point I will be going to my LFS to buy 1 new fish and have him QTed for the next week while my DT finishes its last few days of being fallow just to be on the safe side and make sure the new guy will at least live for a week.....my LFS got 3 Valentini Puffers in on wedensday morning. I have been to look at them and they look really good so I think if they all stay in good standing until saturday I will be coming home with one of those.

I am scared to death that he's not gonna live more than 3 days in QT and if he does make it the whole week I'm afraid that the brook is still lurking in the display tank somewhere and will get him. Its the saddest thing I've ever had to watch happen to a fish!!! Any tips to give him the best possible fighting chance?

I plan on doing 10% water changes daily while he's in QT and obviously feeding it and such...dunno what more u can do really....

Send positive thoughts my way!!!

 

[AquaRick]

Good luck! Hope the best works out. Really like the attitude you've got of not giving up!

 

[brunkdent]

Thanks you, its like completely starting over again..I look at everybody elses pretty tanks on here and I'm so jealous...I have a LR tank, not a fish tank!!

I don't want to be labled as a fish killer either so if I can't get it to work soon I may have to give up just on principle lol

 

[brunkdent]

Stopped by to look at the puffers all look just as pretty as they did yesterday, QT is set up and running...so get ready get set go!!

 

[AquaRick]

Post pics of your new fish when you can.

 

[brunkdent]

acclimating him now...as soon as he's in his little private tank I will!!

 

[brunkdent]

he seems to be pretty content...so much fun to watch!! I feel like he's watching me just as much as I am him lol

 

[SeanMonster]

I have a Valentini as well. They are the coolest. Their personalities make them more pet than fish.

 

[brunkdent]

he is not shy at all, i have the QT set up on my desk, if I'm sitting at the computer he's at the glass watching me lol his eyes are so expressive its kind of weird for a fish..but I already love him so I hope things go well this time around. I think I'm way better prepared

 

[crister13]

Just to make sure you have enough bacteria you can put a sponge or filter floss from the other tank into the filter of the qt.

 

[brunkdent]

Just to make sure you have enough bacteria you can put a sponge or filter floss from the other tank into the filter of the qt.

thanks for the tip, I'm a little skeptical to bring anything from the DT to the tank he's in tho....just on the off chance the brook has just 1 little cyst lurking...it would be my luck...I know its probably a ridicules fear but still

I am keeping a close eye on his water perameters tho and I have water on hand for daily changes and emergencies...

its lights out and he's just hangin out on his rock..no signs of distress..day 1 down 6 to go

 

[brunkdent]

Beginning day 3 and he doesn't look any worse for wear, didn't want to eat this morning but I think I can chalk it up to him just not being hungry cuz he was swimming round and round and perked up even more when I changed some of his water. He's quite a character. a bit of a show off really. lol

 

[kelly0707]

Gorgeous fish! good luck!

 

[brunkdent]

Thanks!! He is a looker isn't he? : )

 

[don_chuwish]

Anyone else thinking that QT should be longer than a week? I was thinking 2 weeks at least. After all you've been through it'd be sad to slip up now.
I'm in a similar situation btw, DT fallow now since Feb 20 due to ich - I'm technically ready for fish to come back from HT & QT (yes, two diff tanks!). But I may wait for the weekend tho, just a little extra measure of insurance.

- D

 

[Hondatek]

I am going through ick as well. I'm quarantining my new fish for 6 weeks in hyposalinity. Its a sure way to kill all ick before you put the fish in the display tank. I would do more than a week for sure.

 

[brunkdent]

well a friend of a friend (haha I hate that) has been in the hobby for over 10 years I believe and I just spoke with him yesterday as a matter of fact and he said he isn't a fan of chemical treatments for your tank and such but in the last few years he has dosed his QT with paragaurd before he put a new fish in and he hasn't had an anything outbreak since he started treating preventively rather than waiting for something to pop up and hoping to cure it or putting it in the DT and then having to take it back out because it responded poorly and broke out in ich..according to he and his LFS its pefectly ok as long as the fish doesn't appear stressed as a result or prior to using the treatment...idk just a thought.

 

[brunkdent]

some kid at the LFS did tell me since there weren't any other fish in my tank right now I don't even have to QT him..ha!! Thats ok I think I will any way but thanks! lol

I don't mind keeping him in QT another week but, I am just paranoid that PWCs every day won't be enough to keep the water params in check...somebody please tell me its ok to relax!! lol

I am checking water paramenters daily only thing I have seen is just the lowest of low ammonia readings which is to be expected cuz there is a fish swimming around in there.

 

[don_chuwish]

The Para Guard in QT makes sense to me. I'm using it in the HT now that I've got salinity back up to normal - just a little extra insurance. I was using Stress Guard in the HT while doing hypo to detox the ammonia - seemed to work well. That and PWCs and you should be fine for 2-3 weeks. How big is the QT?

- D

 

[brunkdent]

its only a 10 gal, I think I am going to give the paragaurd a shot and I will look into stress gaurd for the ammonia...hadn't even crossed my mind...he looked perfect this morning but it can't hurt to give him every advantage...puffers seem like very chill fish though any way lol