Main QT Question

[Hardy Reefs]

After many years of not QTing fish, and many battles with ich and other nasty critters, I decided that it was worth taking a look at QTing now that I am starting a new tank after a few years out of the hobby.

My question now is how useful is a fish QT tank if you don’t do a proper 30 day QT on your corals and inverts as well? I have always been a believer in dipping new corals, but it seems almost impossible to get every critter before it enters the tank from pre-entry dips. This means that all of those fish diseases can make their way into your tank anyway sooner or later. At that point is it more about trying your best to eliminate things you can see, but knowing the risk exists and could be inevitable? A full QT regiment is a large task in itself with the amount of testing, medicine, and WC required.

It just seems like a lot to run a full DT, a fish QT system, and a coral QT system with a half decent light, timer, etc..

Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

 

[civics14]

Like you and many other hobbyist, I had my share of battles with ich and velvet, and here is what I have done. Hopefully someone can learn from my success and failures.

When I first started doing QT, I started everything in copper power at 1.25 and ramped up to 2.5ppm to kill of any ich or velvet. Issue here was that yes, it prevented ich and velvet getting into my display but at the same time, I killed some fish along the way that never had any symptoms to begin with, but my thought process was I rather lose the fish there than wipe out my display. But there is always room to improve so I changed up my practice and decided to use safety stop first and then 14 day observation and at any time I see any symptoms, I would treat it in a different tank. If not, I moved it into a secondary QT tank for pure observation and they stayed here like 60+ days. Mainly to fatten them up before they get into my display and have to compete for food. However, the only exception to this were tangs, I put them all into copper power for 30 days since its fairly safe for them and I have not had one loss.

Also, all my fish get treated with metro soaked food for internal parasites. Even with no symptoms.

As far as QT corals, I do not. Hence why I am ridden with vermetid snails even tho I scrubbed all the skeletons of the LPS with h2o2 and dipped them. I dip all my acros then remove it from the base, even if it means losing a lot of growth already. This helps prevents eggs since most pest lay their eggs at the base. As far as getting ich from it, I know its possible, but the chances are extremely low with it coming on corals. Especially with me removing them from frag plugs and scrubbing any skeletal structure with h2o2.

Inverts, I bought all mine from reefcleaners.org just because they keep their away from fish and have a good track record. Never QT them and never had issues. No offense to any of the LFS, but I seen in their invert tanks housing sick fish. No thank you.

Oh I should mention, my livestock that has gone through either 30 days of copper or the safety stop then observation:

• Purple Tang (copper)
• Yellow eye kole Tang (copper)
• Sailfin Tang (copper)
• Achilles Tang (copper)
• Blonde Naso (copper)
• Blue throat Trigger (copper)
• Ruby Longfin Fairy Wrasse (copper)
• Royal Gramma (safety stop, observation)
• Chromis (safety stop, observation)
• Scribbled Anthias (copper)
• Bartlett Anthias (copper)
• Cleaner wrasse (safety stop, observation)
• Sapphire damsels (safety stop, observation)
• 6 line wrasse (safety stop, observation)
• Diamond goby (safety stop, observation)

 

[silentdeath5]

I’ve also recently decide to go the QT route for this new tank I set up. I am currently going with qt for everything so 3 tanks going right now (main, fish qt, coral qt) in 3 separate rooms.

I’m definitely still in the noob phase and still seeing what works well and being more consistent with my procedures. I’m currently on my 2nd batch of fish being quarantined. My 3rd batch will most likely be an Achilles which I hope will confirm all I’ve done hasn’t been in vain.

All this is really to improve my chances of keeping an Achilles/Powder blue as I’ve always lost them to ick/velvet.

Keeping 3 tanks has been rather easy for me. Simple hang on the back filters for both, extra radion for the coral qt, simple led for fish qt, heaters, and just ato for each.

 

[civics14]

I’ve also recently decide to go the QT route for this new tank I set up. I am currently going with qt for everything so 3 tanks going right now (main, fish qt, coral qt) in 3 separate rooms.

I’m definitely still in the noob phase and still seeing what works well and being more consistent with my procedures. I’m currently on my 2nd batch of fish being quarantined. My 3rd batch will most likely be an Achilles which I hope will confirm all I’ve done hasn’t been in vain.

All this is really to improve my chances of keeping an Achilles/Powder blue as I’ve always lost them to ick/velvet.

Keeping 3 tanks has been rather easy for me. Simple hang on the back filters for both, extra radion for the coral qt, simple led for fish qt, heaters, and just ato for each.

When I first started QT'ing, I used a HoB filter, but then I switched over to a bubble filter for ease of cleaning between cleaning new fish. Highly recommend as they are a cheaper and effective option.

Also, with Achilles, if you can find one that is eating, you're already ahead of the game. I purchased mine from a LFS and I can tell it had ich by the way it was scratching, but I had them feed it and it was an aggressive eater. Took it home and put it in copper power right away. It did great the entire time to the moment I pulled it out and into my observation tank.

 

[silentdeath5]

When I first started QT'ing, I used a HoB filter, but then I switched over to a bubble filter for ease of cleaning between cleaning new fish. Highly recommend as they are a cheaper and effective option.

Also, with Achilles, if you can find one that is eating, you're already ahead of the game. I purchased mine from a LFS and I can tell it had ich by the way it was scratching, but I had them feed it and it was an aggressive eater. Took it home and put it in copper power right away. It did great the entire time to the moment I pulled it out and into my observation tank.

I’ll definitely keep those tips in mind

 

[enderg60]

If you dont QT properly you cut its usefulness by half. It doesnt make it useless, just less effective.

I do a full 8-10 week QT on everything.

Observation and getting them to eat (0-2 weeks)
4 weeks of copper
3 rounds of Prazi pro
A week of observation.

All inverts and corals go into a fishless QT at 80°F for 6-8 weeks.

 

[civics14]

If you dont QT properly you cut its usefulness by half. It doesnt make it useless, just less effective.

I do a full 8-10 week QT on everything.

Observation and getting them to eat (0-2 weeks)
4 weeks of copper
3 rounds of Prazi pro
A week of observation.

All inverts and corals go into a fishless QT at 80°F for 6-8 weeks.

Where did you get this "half" number from?

 

[enderg60]

Where did you get this "half" number from?

yanked directly from my butt

 

[Hardy Reefs]

Great information from everyone.. My concern is with tangs also. I don't think I could think of something more frustrating than getting ich, velvet, etc. in my tank after doing alllll of that QT work and keeping the fish alive in a smaller tank for a month or two. Seems like the obvious answer would be to bite the bullet and figure out the logistics of setting up the coral QT. 3 tanks just seems like a lot to maintain, but pest free tanks aren't just given out I guess lol.

Would this work? Obviously going for a 10-20L for the fish QT, but for the coral QT Tank I was thinking of doing a small tank that you would see at a swap or something.. A small frag tank I guess. Something I could switch out a few cups of water with everyday and would not need much for lighting due to the shallowness. It would also allow minimal levels of medication due to the lower water volume. Thoughts?

 

[civics14]

I can’t speak for coral QT, but just remember this is all temporary and at the end, you end up with less of a headache and a tank you get to enjoy without all the disease and pest that most reefers deal with everyday.

 

[Hardy Reefs]

Exactly. I have taken a lot of shortcuts in the past and wound up paying for it dearly. Now that I am thinking a bit more long term I think the QT process is a necessity. Then on top of that, I have bought so many different corals from frag swaps or off of people online, it seems like a month or two to wait really isn't all that bad in the grand scheme of reefing. I think I may start the hunt for one of those AIO small frag tanks to use as a coral QT.