Quaratine Routine

[ActiveAngel]

What routine do yall use for your quarantine/medicate new fish? This will be a guide for people beginning to develop good habits. Feel free to be as detailed as you wish.

It should go without saying that Ammonia (and temperature) levels should be monitored, especially in small quarantine tanks.

Below is an example; but not a required template

1. Prazi - 1 week, regular dose
2. 50% Water Change
3. Re-dose Prazi - 1 week, regular dose
4. 50% Water Change
5. Dose Copper - 2 weeks, dosed to 2.0 ppm
6. 50% Water Change, Add Carbon
7. Observe for 2 weeks
8. Transfer to Reef Tank

 

[fidofence1]

good routine. Only thing I add to it is a freshwater dip to see if fish have Flukes

 

[bzb]

Following Humble's QT guide, but with new information from R2R that he hasn't updated on his guide. This is my schedule:

1. QT setup day before introducing fish. Pre-dose tank to 1.0 ppm of Copper Power.
2. Dose tank directly with Metro.
3. Freshwater dip for 5 minutes, heavily aerated in specimen container
4. Raise CP to 2.0 ppm slowly over 4 days. Every two days, re-dose Metro, and 1mL/10gal of Prime.
5. Week 1 @ 2.0ppm: 25% water change (match salinity, temp, and 2.0 ppm Copper Power before adding to tank). Add 1mL/10gal of Prime.
6. Week 2 @ 2.0ppm: 25% water change. Add Prime as needed.
7. Week 3: 25% water change. Dose with Prazi.
8. Week 4: 25% water change. Re-dose with Prazi.
9. Week 5: 50% water change, add carbon.
10. Observe for two weeks.

I'd recommend at this point that the Hanna Copper checker is pretty close to a requirement for me... $70 to ensure my fish investment is protected.

 

[Cook]

Is anyone using chloroquine phosphate for QT instead of copper?

 

[Adam]

Following Humble's QT guide, but with new information from R2R that he hasn't updated on his guide. This is my schedule:

1. QT setup day before introducing fish. Pre-dose tank to 1.0 ppm of Copper Power.
2. Dose tank directly with Metro.
3. Freshwater dip for 5 minutes, heavily aerated in specimen container.
4. Raise CP to 2.0 ppm slowly over 4 days. Every two days, re-dose Metro, and 1mL/10gal of Prime.
5. Week 1 @ 2.0ppm: 25% water change (match salinity, temp, and 2.0 ppm Copper Power before adding to tank). Add 1mL/10gal of Prime.
6. Week 2 @ 2.0ppm: 25% water change. Add Prime as needed.
7. Week 3: 25% water change. Dose with Prazi.
8. Week 4: 25% water change. Re-dose with Prazi.
9. Week 5: 50% water change, add carbon.
10. Observe for two weeks.

I do steps 1 & 4-6 with copper only if needed. I observe first then treat if any fish present symptoms. I also prefer chloroquine phosphate over copper if the fish will tolerate it. I view QT as a observation tank. In QT you want to make sure the fish is eating and fatten them up building their immune system with good food. Copper stresses the fish and suppress their appetite. Neither are good for the immune system. The only med I dose prophylactically is Prazi. I'm also not as concerned with Ich as I am with Velvet, Brook, Uronema or something esle that's odd, like a bacterial infection. I'm not sure any system is Ich free. I've seen tangs in a system with no fish additions for over two years get stressed and get covered in Ich.

With #3, it should be noted that there's another, small, set of instructions for FW dipping. You want to temp and pH match the FW to the water they're coming from. To make it easier I match to the QT tank. I float the bag to temp stabilize it for 15-20min. Then insert the bag into an opaque container that holds it upright, pour some water out and drip directly into the bag. After dripping for a half hour or so, pouring water out as needed, I pour the water & fish out through a net and discarding the water into a sink. Then add the fish to the QT. Once I see the fish is doing good I follow these instructions for FW dipping, but instead of adding a little salt water to bring the pH up I add a little baking soda, around a 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. If there's Flukes I'll start the Prazi now instead of at the end of QT. If there's a bacterial bloom in the QT I'll do a near 100% water change at the end of the Prazi treatment.

Is anyone using chloroquine phosphate for QT instead of copper?

Yes. You can get it here with a script from your vet.
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Or here without a scrip.

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As a side note on CP I've recently seen that a dose of 60mg/g can kill Aiptasia. I haven't tried it yet but I'm thinking it may be another tool to use in coral QT, especially with Euphyllia and other LPS/Softies. I'm going to have to do some more research on this before I try it though.

 

[ichthyoid]

Is anyone using chloroquine phosphate for QT instead of copper?

I will be. I have used quinine, in one form or another, for 30+ years with good success for parasites, like oodinium & cryptocaryon.
It used to be quinacrine hydrochloride, then quinine sulfate, and now chloroquine phosphate is used.

FWIW-
Quinine has also been the medication of choice, for many years, for malaria which is also caused by a parasite.
Chloroquine phosphate is currently the choice form to treat malaria, as well.

 

[Adam]

I will be. I have used quinine, in one form or another, for 30+ years with good success for parasites, like oodinium & cryptocaryon.
It used to be quinacrine hydrochloride, then quinine sulfate, and now chloroquine phosphate is used.

FWIW-
Quinine has also been the medication of choice, for many years, for malaria which is also caused by a parasite.
Chloroquine phosphate is currently the choice form to treat malaria, as well.

Because is medication, for both humans & pets, is the need to get a script in many cases. I wasn't until recently that it became available from other sources like Ebay.

Funny how we see Aiptasia as a parasite... I wonder how it acts on that anemone and if it will kill other anemones as well.

 

[ichthyoid]

If it will kill aiptasia at a 60mg/gal dose, I'd bet it will take out any other hydrozoans & possibly cnidarians of any kind...?
My concern being that corals are cnidarians too!