Help me size QT for bio load (Ich outbreak)

[cmor1701d]

I noticed some rice looking spots on 1 side of my FoxFace Lo. No sign on any other fish. I had a small problem last year with my firefish and I removed him alone for a QT hyposalinty treatment.

This time I fgure I'll put all my fish through the hypo treatment and leave the main tank fallow of fish for 6 weeks.

Can I get all my livestock in a 30 gallong QT running a Aquaclear 150 with daily 10-15% water changes?

The QT will be bear bottom with some pvc and maybe some fake plants and rock for the blenny, percs, etc.

Can all these guys survive together for 6 weeks in such a small tank?

1 Green Chromis - (Chromis viridis)
1 Coral Beauty Angel - (Centropyge bispinosus)
2 True Percula Clownfish - (Amphiprion percula)
1 Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)
1 Foxface Lo (Siganus vulpinus)
1 Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum)
1 Royal gramma (Gramma loreto)

Thanks

 

[steve-s]

Should work. The only concern would be the size of the Lo and tang. Otherwise a 3 ft tank would be fine space wise. As you say, just be ready with the water changes.

Just remember if you add the rock you suggested above it must be fallowed or dried afterwards if using hypo. If using copper it'll be junk.

Cheers
Steve

 

[cmor1701d]

Thanks Steve.

Yea the rock will be one piece from the main and won't go back (ever). It will be allowed to dry after and kept in case it's ever needed again.

I'm going to take my current QT, an Eclipse 12, and make a small tank for the CBS and the lonely chromis in a corner. Then I can add some pepps to take care of the aips and a cleaner to the main tank.

I figure 6 weeks at a minimum in QT, 1 week to lower sg, 4 weeks at 1.09 then 1 week to raise the sg.

I have 30 gallons of freshly made Kent sw mixed and ready to go. should issue that for a water change in the main and and drain the main to the new QT?

 

[steve-s]

I figure 6 weeks at a minimum in QT, 1 week to lower sg, 4 weeks at 1.09 then 1 week to raise the sg.

Lowering the salinity is no where near as stressful as raising it. You can easily do it in 2-3 days. Also once the salinity is back to normal they should remain for an additional two weeks to be sure there are no re-occurances and no secondary infections.

Cheers
Steve

 

[cmor1701d]

I'm off to buy that 30 and soem eggcrate for the top. Hope there's not too much aggression in the cramped quarters.

6-8 weeks can be a long time in tight quarters.

 

[cmor1701d]

Steve,

What about the mandarin? Would it be ok to leave him the display tank with everyone else in QT? He'll starve in the QT tank.

Would he remain a carrier?

 

[steve-s]

What about the mandarin? Would it be ok to leave him the display tank with everyone else in QT? He'll starve in the QT tank.

8O 8O You never mentioned the mandarine before!

Would he remain a carrier?

Although probabley one of the highest on the resistance list, it will still be a potential carrier. It will definately starve in a QT over that period though unless you can <<train it to accept prepared foods>>. It would survive hypo but copper usually does them in. Hard call :?

Best suggestion is leave it be and hope for the best unless you have some success on the feeding front. They are the one fish that makes it quite impossible to be sure of a 100% cure rate if not QT'd in some other fashion (ie.. it's own tank).

Cheers
Steve

 

[cmor1701d]

Thanks. I'll try to train him then just hope for the best.

 

[quarryshark]

If your bioload gives you a problem, you can always increase your water volume with an overflow system. I have employed in my self with a garbage can. It helped a lot.
With the dragonet, I would consider his own 10 gallon. Even if you can get him to eat prepared food, the others will beat him to the food every time.

 

[cmor1701d]

Nice idea Kurt. I'd consider it if it wasn't set up n my living room
I'll just have to stay on top of it with water changes. I'll need to keep a close eye on pH and SG anyway so....

I can put the mandarin in a 12g if I can get him to eat prepared food.

 

[quarryshark]

I'll just have to stay on top of it with water changes. I'll need to keep a close eye on pH and SG anyway so....

If its gonna work, it will take about a week to stablize. You may even have to do 2 changes a day and test the ammonia at least once a day. Hopefully your biofilter will catch up. If not, my Idea is a good bailout. Beats getting another tank.
And watch that PH if using hypo, it will take a dive during the transition.
Good luck to you

 

[cmor1701d]

I already have afileter in teh main tank soaking up the good bacteria. The QT will have a biowheel on it too. So the bacteria for NH3/NO2 should be there. Not too worried about NO3 in the QT.

The hypo is going to be done in the new 30 gal QT. The main tank is staying as with LR and the inverts but fishless for the cycle.

The 12 gal eclipse will house the mandarin if I can get him to eat prepared food. Otherwise he goes back to the main tank and I hope he's free of Ich and not a carrier.

 

[steve-s]

What did you decide on with the mandarin and how are the larger fish fairing?

Cheers
Steve

 

[cmor1701d]

I didn't start the treatment yet. The couple of spots I saw are gone so I decided to take a little time and plan it out a bit better. I just got some more macro for my sump/fuge and a new detrivore kit.

I'm going to partially fill two tubs and mix about 15 gallons in each after I fill the 30 gallon QT. The tubs will be to house the rock I need to remove so I can catch the fish. So next weekend I'll put all the fish in the 30 gal QT except for the mandarin. That will go in the old 12 gallon QT along with some rock. I'm hoping I have enough pods to keep him going while I try to introduce some other food to him. After two weeks I figure I can go back to pods from the fuge as the free swimming stage of the parasite should be over.

How's that sound?

 

[steve-s]

Sounds like a decent plan. One other thing you might try for the mandarin is hatching decapsulated live brine. If the water flow is low enough it should be able to catch the nauplii pretty easily.

Cheers
Steve

 

[cmor1701d]

That's an interesting idea. Without a ph in the Eclipse 12 the water flow is pretty low. Is there enough nutrition in the live brine to sustain a mandarin for 6 weeks?

 

[quarryshark]

If he is by himself, maybe this would be a good time to try and get him to eat prepared foods. Would make your life a lot easier.
IMO brine is not the best, but you need to do whatever works. Perhaps mix a little frozen Mysis with it and see if he takes to it.
Good luck!!

 

[steve-s]

Is there enough nutrition in the live brine to sustain a mandarin for 6 weeks?

Newly hatched live brine is actually pretty good. It's the adult version that's pretty much useless. You can up the nutritional value by feeding them phyto before they go into the mandarine tank.

Rayjay's got a great breakdown on how to do it. You should be able to greatly "scale down" the operation.... you'll get the idea though
http://www.angelfire.com/ab/rayjay/brineshrimp.html

Cheers
Steve

 

[cmor1701d]

Thank you. I will try a greatly "scaled down' version of that system.