I’ve been struggling to get wrasses through my QT process… a six line made it but was subsequently killed by something in my tank. I assumed Cooper could be an issue so I stopped that with all wrasses. Then a blue throated wrasse made it through QT but died in my display. He was never treated with copper - observation only. I have a new wrasse in QT now (observation only). It stopped eating or moving and will likely not make it. I’m about ready to give up on having a wrasse in my tank. My QT tank is ten gallons and I change five gallons per week. I have a hang on back carbon filter. Has anyone else had a difficult time QT’ing wrasses? Maybe I should just purchase one already QT’d. Given the money I’ve wasted it’s probably the smartest approach.
Wrasse QT process
- Thread starter Gdel
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Have you checked you qt tank for ammonia and nitrite? I would start there and then we can start other diagnostics
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In my experience, the killers in QT are ammonia and oxygen depletion. Copper is not doing it to the wrasses. I took all my wrasses through full copper treatment in QT (including "sensitive" species - a Tamarin wrasse and several leopard wrasses).
In no particular order:
1. The ammonia badge is trash, ignore it. You have ammonia, there's no biofilter, that is the danger with a QT. Do 25% water changes every few days. Way understock your QT (one fish at a time). Get a sponge for the HOB that has been in your display sump. Add Prime or similar when appropriate. Ammonia is what kills in QT.
2. HOB alone is not enough flow (oxygen issues). Get a small powerhead and create surface agitation. Should be lively water flow in the QT.
3. Observe and make sure eating for a week before you start copper. Change 25% water regularly. Once you know it is eating, don't feed too much (ammonia/waste).
4. Go slow and replace lots of water (take it from your display, this has the benefit of increasing water changes in your display).
In no particular order:
1. The ammonia badge is trash, ignore it. You have ammonia, there's no biofilter, that is the danger with a QT. Do 25% water changes every few days. Way understock your QT (one fish at a time). Get a sponge for the HOB that has been in your display sump. Add Prime or similar when appropriate. Ammonia is what kills in QT.
2. HOB alone is not enough flow (oxygen issues). Get a small powerhead and create surface agitation. Should be lively water flow in the QT.
3. Observe and make sure eating for a week before you start copper. Change 25% water regularly. Once you know it is eating, don't feed too much (ammonia/waste).
4. Go slow and replace lots of water (take it from your display, this has the benefit of increasing water changes in your display).
Exactly what Gill said!
Thanks all… the fish died today… I tested for nitrates and they are not high. I guess it could have been an oxygen issue but I do run an air stone and change 50% per week. I’ll give it another shot and do 25% every 2-3 days. It was eating and then just went lethargic all of a sudden.
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Sorry to hear that. I used to lose fish in QT, until I developed the protocols I described above, and then I got better and better. Sometimes the fish are doomed from the start. Here is the good news: I have not bought a fish in 2 years, because my display tank is fully stocked and there's no disease any more. That is what is waiting on the other side as you adjust and learn how to QT properly.
Remember, fish come into our hands after being moved halfway around the world. They are weak, starved, compromised and terrified and stressed. That is actually why QT is so necessary. But the flip side of QT is that it has no or little biofilter, so by definition you are putting a compromised new fish into a less-than-ideal environment. So you have to overcompensate by radically refreshing water and understocking. Also, as nice as it is to get a fish feeding in QT, feed *less* than for a usual fish. You just need them to get through QT. Overfeeding in QT is very easy and can produce unexpected ammonia spikes.
Also, for wrasses that burrow, I put 1-2 inches of sand in a shallow tupperware dish for them. Note, sand can absorb copper, so you have to test your copper levels daily and top off as needed.
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The good news for anyone reading this thread is that, once you have a QT process down, fish are easy peasy. Goodness, I wish corals were that easy! There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why some corals thrive in my display and others don't...
One last question. My QT tank has a couple median block. Should I just remove those and leave the PVC pipe and small container of sand for whatever wrasse I get next? I’ll probably dump all the existing water and refill with water from my display.
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