Qt tank setup and results

[silver surfer]

About a month ago I had a major outbreak of ich in my system. I lost 75% of my fish. The other 25% is still in the system. They are doing well and I am not planning to remove them.

I decided to set up a qt tank for all the new fish that I bring in. The setup is a 40 gallon breeder with a 1200 gph pump running two 25 watt uv's. this pump only circulates the water. I have a line coming from the system to feed the qt tank at a very slow rate. Lighting is an ai sol, so I can keep the tank dim to help with stress levels. I also put a fluval in-tank filter if I need to isolate the system and add meds. I will need this as my bio filter since the tank will not have any sand or rock in the qt tank, during treatment.

I purchased a yellow tang 3 days ago and adding him to my qt tank with the system water and he is spot free. I know the water coming in contains ich but yet he is fine as of today. It's still early and he will stay in there for at least a month before I move him into the display. But I am surprised at how well he is doing considering the outbreak I had.

I will give everyone an update in two weeks. I truly believe that this is the proper way to qt a fish. They need to be exposed to the system water at some point, so why not do it in a way that you can also isolate the fish once exposed and treat them. My saltwater mixing vat is also plumbed in to the qt tank if I did need to add new saltwater during medication.

Comments or thoughts?

>

class="gc-images" title="ImageUploadedByTapatalk1351433590.071527.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:400px" /></a>

 

[jimmystephens]

Looks good. Congrats . Ive had my share of ich as well. Lost a pbt.

 

[silver surfer]

Here are some additional photos.

>

class="gc-images" title="ImageUploadedByTapatalk1351434606.901331.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:400px" /></a>

>

class="gc-images" title="ImageUploadedByTapatalk1351434623.884213.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:400px" /></a>

 

[grouper therapy]

I would not use the tank water during The QT period . Once the 4-6 weeks have passed then I think you are correct in your method of acclimation. I can tell you that most of the time ich does not magically disappear if there is a host available.

 

[jef4y]

In my opinion, experience and what I've read, I believe that Ich is one of those things that healthy fish can ward off, but the Ich cycle will CONTINUE so long as Ich has a host to complete the life cycle. An Ich parasite can complete the cycle without harming fish, so you're going to have Ich unless you get the tank completely fallow to prevent the lifecycle from occurring.

Tying a QT system into a display tank somewhat defeats the purpose of a QT IMHO. In this instance, you have a fish in QT to make sure it has no health issues, yet are exposing it to one which IF it catches, you will have to medicate for. However, you are giving the fish a chance to recognize you and the surroundings as well as get used to your feeding, so that is beneficial.

Some fish are more susceptible to Ich than others. Perhaps it's their immune system, or that they frighten/stress easily.

To me, Ich is like the HPV virus in people. Pretty much everyone is exposed to it, most people are carriers, a few people develop problems because of it.

So in considering all of that, your tank has Ich in it. If there are fish in it, it's going to have Ich in it. When/IF you have another outbreak is something you will have to see. The best ways to mitigate those outbreaks is by keeping everything as stable as possible. Keeping HEALTHY fish, and adding them slowly and sensibly so as to not create a ton of stress/panic in the tank. And of course avoiding fish that are extremely prone to Ich (some tangs, etc).

 

[silver surfer]

That is the whole idea with my set up. I'm seeing how well uv works with killing ich. I have 50watts for only 30 gallons of water. If the fish breaks out with ich I can isolate the qt tank and treat with meds.

I understand this goes against traditional qt methods.

 

[jef4y]

And of course you should know that I've killed 100% of the fish I've tried to QT, so I may not be the best example of how to QT a fish. LOL.

 

[rdnelson]

grouper therapy;808548 wrote: I would not use the tank water during The QT period . Once the 4-6 weeks have passed then I think you are correct in your method of acclimation. I can tell you that most of the time ich does not magically disappear if there is a host available.

I would have to agree here. If I understand the plumbing set up correctly, there would be no reason for a QT because they are all one system. In addition, if you medicate in the QT you are transfering those meds to the display? Assuming the display was clean of any nastys and during the QT you had no issues and didn't medicated, the plumbing set up would be a great way to acclimate.

 

[silver surfer]

Again if the fish becomes ill I can isolate the qt tank and treat with meds. I know people that qt all their fish and have had no problems and some that still suffer from ich and other nasties.

 

[grouper therapy]

Silver Surfer;808557 wrote: Again if the fish becomes ill I can isolate the qt tank and treat with meds. I know people that qt all their fish and have had no problems and some that still suffer from ich and other nasties.

Highly debated subject no doubt. Too often people say they Qt their fish and leave the display tank dormant for 4-6 weeks and the ich returns. I think they do not QT EVERYTHING and they reintroduce the ich. Too much research has been done by qualified researchers in controlled systems that verify the life span/ cycle of ich for me to believe anecdotal evidence at best from hobbyist in uncontrolled systems. I do very much:up: like your system if your display had remained dormant for 4-6 weeks. If you see no evidence of the ich for 4-6 weeks then you dodged the bullet. I think I will design my new QT to do the same thing with the exception of starting with a dormant display. Good Job!

I'm assuming that the water does not return to the DT. How do you prevent salinity changes . Replenish and then top-off?

 

[rdnelson]

I aree that is is a great setup for acclimating. I think if you know you have a good display and you set the QT up as a stand alone during the QT process but then slowly tie the two together before moving the fish it would be a great way to make sure water parameters are identical.

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

I really wish you good luck with your setup.

I'm going the fallow route for my DT for 10 weeks (overkill, I know, but I'm not taking any chances and overdoing everything). In the meantime, all fish have been moved to a 55 gallon QT, and all new fish will be added to the QT as well no less than 1 month before fish being incrementally introduced to the DT (if and only if all fish seem to be disease free). Not going to treat the QT with copper unless necessary. I've seen many LFS's that will run copper in their tanks to show healthy fish in their store, but when you get them home to a copperless tank, they start to show their natural immune system which is normally weaker than normal due to the copper fighting off ich for them while they were in the LFS.

No water is being shared between tanks as I didn't want to infect my fish in QT with the water from the DT that I know was infected with ich. In-turn, water from my QT doesn't make it to my DT just in case I've introduced a sick fish to QT that may have contaminated the water.

As mentioned, best of luck with your setup, and I'm looking forward to seeing you results with positive hopes for you. I definitely admire and envy your plumbing skills, just a little worried about the mixing of the DT and QT water and not allowing the DT to remain fallow. If the ich has a host, it can remain present, but may never manifest itself in healthy or disease resistant fish until you add a more susceptible fish from QT that was healthy there possibly due to what may be a low concentration of ich combined with your UV's.

Tagging along if you don't mind. You may teach us all something...

 

[silver surfer]

If my fish become sick, I would stop the water coming from the display tank. I then have a valve from my saltwater vat. At that point it would act like a normal qt tank. It would be independent from the system. I could empty the tank and start with fresh saltwater.

I was going to take all my fish out for 6-8 weeks but ich can stay dormant for much longer. My plan is now to introduce the new fish slowly to system water. It always seems odd that one fish out of 20 in your tank could have ich. I am seeing if this method works for me.

 

[enderg60]

if youre not removing the fish in the tank and QTing them as well for 6-8 weeks then QTing new fish is pointless.

Unless you remove fish from the system for 6-8 weeks there will always be ich in the tank.

 

[skriz]

What's to prevent the parasites and diseases from the new fish from transferring to the DT? This setup is the quickest way of putting your DT at risk.

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

I think we completely understand your setup and the plumbing is outstanding. Just kind of seems that you have the perfect system for a QT tank in which both tanks have never or aren't currently infected. Almost like the two main points are being cancelled out by keeping fish in an infected tank and not starving out the ich that is therein. Also a possibility of infecting a potentially perfectly healthy new fish in your QT by exposing it to the known infected water from your DT. Almost like the ich is unknowingly being spread instead of eradicated.

 

[silver surfer]

I have done both. I had a tank with "no ich" buy starving them with no host for the recommended amount. Had added an Achilles tang after qt. after two weeks in the display tank he broke out. He lived for over a year with ich on and off. I had added over 20 fish and he was the only one that would not be cleaned. It's just odd. So, I understand everyone's concerns but I am going to try something different. If it doesn't work I can always catch the fish and qt them all and leave the tank empty for 10-12 weeks.

 

[grouper therapy]

Silver Surfer;808645 wrote: If my fish become sick, I would stop the water coming from the display tank. I then have a valve from my saltwater vat. At that point it would act like a normal qt tank. It would be independent from the system. I could empty the tank and start with fresh saltwater.

I was going to take all my fish out for 6-8 weeks but ich can stay dormant for much longer. My plan is now to introduce the new fish slowly to system water. It always seems odd that one fish out of 20 in your tank could have ich. I am seeing if this method works for me.

Where did you find this?

 

[silver surfer]

Someone that has been in the hobby for over 35 years.

 

[grouper therapy]

Silver Surfer;808683 wrote: Someone that has been in the hobby for over 35 years.

Interesting. You might want to consider just listening to that person then and forgo our babble . Let us know how it goes for you.