QT tank health

[sdellin]

Hello All,

I have had some sick fish in my QT. They didn't make it, so the QT is empty now. I want to know how I should make sure the tank is safe to bring in new fish. I usually use the QT for new fish, then when they move to the main tank, I dismantle the QT. But now I'd like to use this tank since it's cycled. I have used copper in it, and maracyn. I can put in some carbon to soak up the medicine, but I'd really like to use copper for any new fish I get, to make sure they don't bring ich into my main tank. After loosing all my fish because of ich, I don't want to take any chances of new fish who have it, but aren't sick going into the main tank after quarantine. i think that's how I got ick in my main tank before.

 

[mr_X]

copper is toxic to fish. hyposalinity is safer. if you blasted the QT with copper already, and are planning to do so again, i hardly think any parasites are still living in it.
or are you concerned with an overabundance of copper?

 

[sdellin]

I planned to do a water change on the QT and use carbon to removed any traces of the meds I used in there. I don't think there are parasites in the QT, but I want to make sure it's safe to put in new fish, when I get them, to quarantine before going to the main tank. I don't want to completely take down the QT because it's cycled. Since I have to buy new fish, I want to use that cycled tank to quarantine them for a couple weeks before putting them into the main tank.

I just wasn't sure about putting new, hopefully healthy fish, into a QT that's been medicated recently, so as to not make them sick. I'm guessing they would not get a fungal disease from that tank, but I wasn't sure. I've actually never has sick fish in the QT and then treated them, lost them and had to plan on using the QT for new fish. i've always just used it for the initial quarantine, so I've never really had to worry about making it safe again after housing sick fish in it.

 

[mr_X]

then i don't know for sure. if i had to guess, i would say that it would be ok, since some LFS's do medicate their fish systems occasionally. i don't ever see them breaking the tanks down afterward. i also don't think it stays toxic, because of the dosage information on the packaging.

 

[cmor1701d]

QT for new fish should last 30 days, not two weeks. You may want to use Hyposalinity during that time qt period too, though it's rarely necessary (but I have done that in the past for tangs).