QT advice

[Adamski]

I am starting up a QT tank after a new addition wiped out my tank some time ago. I am about to QT a single maroon clown. My initial plan was cupramine, full water change and then paraguard. I've read that maroon clowns are very sensitive to copper at any level. Cupramine contains copper....what would you guys suggest as a QT regimen?


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[Gregcoyote]

I wouldn't medicate, but carefully watch the fish for a few weeks. Only medicate if he breaks out with something, JMO.


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[Beej1254]

Yeah I agree. I am a firm believer that in both animals and people you only medicate when necessary. It can actually turn out to be more harm then good.


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[Adamski]

Being from over the pond is surprising how different opinions are. That was my initial opinion


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[Sniperhank]

I agree with nothing but observation unless necessary, but some people are firm believers in treat to ensure.


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[Adamski]

I watched the vivid aquarium video, they do various treatments.


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[Gregcoyote]

It is true that certain parasites could be eliminated by medicating in QT, but everything has a pro and con. In my opinion QT should be a safe place for a fish, that has been thru hell, to recover energy and immune response. Too much, too little medication, or the wrong medication just adds additional stress that can be as damaging as any disease. I think observation over weeks or maybe a month insures your pretty safe.


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[Adamski]

I think I'll do that, I'm trying the maroon clown on every type of food to see what he likes. My tang can be a bit of a pain so fingers crossed. Such a stunning clown


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[PB_Smith]

Rather than using copper as a prophylactic treatment, why not just set it up hypo saline, that would take care of the majority of common external parasites and then only medicate if needed.

 

[Adamski]

That was another consideration. I've read a really detailed prophylactic QT thread which has some good ideas but some things like fresh water baths I wasn't keen on


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[Andy Sager]

That was another consideration. I've read a really detailed prophylactic QT thread which has some good ideas but some things like fresh water baths I wasn't keen on


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As previously stated, there are pros and cons to medicating however, maroon clowns are a bit more susceptible to diseases like Brooklynella so if you are hesitant to preventative medicate ( which is not the worst case to go ) you need to keep a watchful eye and have many different types of meds at the ready so you can treat immediately upon seeing anything "abnormal".

As an importer, we found that with wild maroon clowns especially, a freshwater dip prevented a lot of external issues with that fish and it should work the same with tank raised ones. But many marine diseases are inside the fish and can take as long as 6 - 8 weeks to come out so I would be prepared to have the fish in QT for at least that amount of time if you are not medicating. Using meds that treat internal worms and parasites can shorten that length of time.

Hope this helps

 

[Gregcoyote]

Andy...I agree to a point. The precision of medications available for fish is lacking. It is very easy to over or under medicate. And many times you could be using the wrong medication for the fish's ailment. So that's why I default to the position that observation is safer and lessens the stress on the newly captured fish as much as is possible. I still believe that stress kills more fish than anything else. JMO


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[Andy Sager]

Andy...I agree to a point. The precision of medications available for fish is lacking. It is very easy to over or under medicate. And many times you could be using the wrong medication for the fish's ailment. So that's why I default to the position that observation is safer and lessens the stress on the newly captured fish as much as is possible. I still believe that stress kills more fish than anything else. JMO


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Sorry, I guess my post was incomplete or confusing. I wasn't saying to arbitrarily medicate but that if the option to do the "wait and see" approach,( which btw I am not opposed to ) is what the OP ends up doing, the OP should have meds available to treat parasitic issues and bacterial/ fungal issues in house and available to treat any of them IF something shows up. In the case of multiple diseases, say Brooklynella or Crypt for example, once you see it, you rarely have a "tomorrow" to go pick up a med to treat it. So having meds at the ready would better help save the fish.

Not knowing whether the fish in question is a wild caught specimen or tank raised, I'm assuming that since feeding is an issue based on the original post that this is a wild fish and as such, it's a pretty safe bet that there are internal "bugs" in the fish and treating it, appropriately, with something to "clean it out" while in QT would not be an overreaction. (IMO) Again tho, it's using the appropriate medicines at the recommended dose that is important. I have no idea what meds are available "across the pond" so the onus is on the OP to pick the right ones they have available.

Hope that clears things.

 

[Adamski]

Andy, may I ask what treatments you use? I have been looking in to cupramine, paraguard and melafix as part of a long term QT routine


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[Andy Sager]

Andy, may I ask what treatments you use? I have been looking in to cupramine, paraguard and melafix as part of a long term QT routine


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Not all the meds I used to use are still available but ones I did use that you can still get are:
Metronidazole for internal parasites and internal bacterial or fungal conditions. This is a good first course for wild fish to help clean them out. The product "General cure" by API also contains Praziquantel which also treats some types of flukes and internal worms. This product was not available when I was importing so we just used straight Metronidazole.

For external bacterial conditions we used a few types of meds: kanamycin, nitrofurazone, neomycin based on results from our sensitivity cultures. Most often used was Nitrofurazone or Kanamycin as these treat typical gram negative diseases which are most common in marine fish however, some fish actually required meds for gram positive bacteria, which is very uncommon, which is why I suggest having Furan -2 on hand when you are not sure as it treats both gram+ & gram - bacteria externally and Kanamycin for internal.

Many of our fish when first received and acclimated were treated with Quick Cure ( no longer available in the States) and a freshwater bath. This killed whatever parasites were on the fish at the moment and helped prevent outbreaks from sneaking up on us.

As for copper, I am from the Coppersafe generation but I see today, better options. I know people who have used cupramine but I have no first hand experience to offer.
As for melafix, I believe that is a freshwater tonic and not good in marine setups. To my understanding, it's more a general preventative and not a good curative. I wouldn't use it.

I think that covers it all.
Hope this helps.

 

[Adamski]

Fantastic run down thank you


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