QT Procedure Question

[brianjfinn]

Now that I'm beginning to stock my tank, I'm wondering about what medications to use in quarantine. I've heard different fish benefit from different medications, so could you guys list your QT procedures with the medications you use and when? Also, are there certain medications that can or cannot be mixed together?

I'd appreciate it if you could be as specific as possible, for example: "I dip for XX minutes/hours, and use YY medication for XX number of days." Thanks!

 

[ralph atl]

prazi pro.

I would also ask Kevin or go to live-aquaria and look at what they do, also some very reputable lfs......pm me if you want, but I'm in and out watching the game.

 

[jennm]

I wouldn't medicate unless you know what you're treating.

If you start treating for ich, but discover you've got Brooklynella, you're in a fix because you can't mix the meds.

There aren't too many meds that can safely be used together.

I think folks should have some basics on hand (for use ONLY in a QT) - the time wasted spent looking for medicine after the fact can often be the difference between successful treatment and failure.

My suggestions:

Focus
Metronidazole
KanaPlex OR NeoPlex (also to be used with Focus)
Cupramine
Formalin-based med such as Formalin 3 (if you can find it anymore) or Ich-X (contains formalin - must not be used with sulfur-based water conditioners like Prime),

A Polyfilter (to remove meds after treatment)

Prime (except if using Ich-X, then Hikari "Ultimate" is recommended)

There are others too... not *all* need to be in the first-aid kit but having something for parasites, something for infections etc., should be on hand.

Iodine-based coral dip can also be handy to use topically on mechanical injuries (do NOT dip a fish in an iodine bath, but a bit of Reef Dip on a Q-tip can be used to swab a severe wound to clean it).

Jenn

 

[phil47952]

Jenn,
you should write a book on everything to do with fish and coral care.

Phil :yes:

 

[skriz]

No medications should be used in a QT tank.

If you find the fish in QT needs to be treated, it should be treated in a hospital tank and treated specifically for it's affliction. Having a whole battery of meds on hand is a good idea.

I keep the entire Seachem med line, prazi-pro, meth blue, Furan2, and Formalin 3. I rarely need to use any of them, though.

 

[brianjfinn]

Jenn, would you then recommend against medicating for prevention? There are a number of stores in the area that dump fish into their system immediately after receiving a shipment, and IME the death rate from these stores is much higher. However, there are a couple stores that I know of that use medications as a means of prevention before adding to their system, and I've had better experiences (i.e. lower death rate) with livestock from these stores.

It was suggested to me treating wrasses with prazi-pro before introducing them into the system, and I would have to agree with him here from my personal experience. I had a wrasse that (apparently) was infected with an internal parasite, or some other ailment, and showed no sign until it was too late.

If it's possible to treat with some medications in QT before adding to the DT, then I'd rather be overly cautious. If it's not a good idea, and medications should only be used reactively, please let me know.

JennM;600793 wrote: I wouldn't medicate unless you know what you're treating.

If you start treating for ich, but discover you've got Brooklynella, you're in a fix because you can't mix the meds.

There aren't too many meds that can safely be used together.

I think folks should have some basics on hand (for use ONLY in a QT) - the time wasted spent looking for medicine after the fact can often be the difference between successful treatment and failure.

My suggestions:

Focus
Metronidazole
KanaPlex OR NeoPlex (also to be used with Focus)
Cupramine
Formalin-based med such as Formalin 3 (if you can find it anymore) or Ich-X (contains formalin - must not be used with sulfur-based water conditioners like Prime),

A Polyfilter (to remove meds after treatment)

Prime (except if using Ich-X, then Hikari "Ultimate" is recommended)

There are others too... not *all* need to be in the first-aid kit but having something for parasites, something for infections etc., should be on hand.

Iodine-based coral dip can also be handy to use topically on mechanical injuries (do NOT dip a fish in an iodine bath, but a bit of Reef Dip on a Q-tip can be used to swab a severe wound to clean it).

Jenn

 

[jennm]

I was speaking about at the hobbyist level - when one is treating in a singular QT tank, if you pre-medicate for one thing (say, ich), but your specimen turns out to have Brooklynella, you can't use formalin (treatment for Brook) with copper-based ich treatments so you're stuck.

At the shop level it can be a different ball game. I've tried numerous strategies over the years, but I've found the *best* one to be a reputable supplier that feeds and rests the fish before they ship them out, as well as they have their own set of protocols.

Different fish are prone to different ailments so there sometimes isn't a "cookie cutter" protocol for many different species at once.

Jenn

 

[jennm]

phil47952;600823 wrote: Jenn,
you should write a book on everything to do with fish and coral care.

Phil :yes:

There's really nothing I could write that hasn't been written before I don't come up with the ideas - like everyone else, I learn about them and use them. At best I've learned at least as much about what does NOT work, than about what does

Jenn