Killer QT

[Mental1]

Okay -- so I researched and asked lots of questions, I had a 10 gallon tank, and all the required equipment. I had the sponge in my sump for 3 weeks. And then I set the tank up using water from the display tank. 3 days later I had shoulder surgery and returned to find that my sailfin tang had beat up my foxface. My husband got the foxface and put him in the QT. 14 days later he is dead and it is because of water quality. My fault. I did a big water change last week but there is no way my 10 gallon QT could keep up with the size of the foxface. Don't make the mistake I made -- 10 gallons is not big enough for some fish -- he was about 5 inches long. I wasn't planning on putting him in there -- it was for a small clown who was showing signs of stress but I didn't know what else to do. He's dead because of my incompetence.

[George Gouveia]

its always a bad thing to lose a fish. I have simpathy for you.

However, as a bit of advice, althought it would be extremely difficult to keep the foxface alive. there is always ways to counter the chemical load that the size of the fish creates (after all he'd only be in the QT for a short period of time).

Afew examples would be, by no specific order:

1. Having the QT filter fully established (would be kinda difficult in your situation)

2. reducing his feeding times/amount

3. daily water changes (if you make daily water changes, the chemical elements become more dissolved.

4. daily monitorization of the water parameters and applying the corrective measures as need be.

[Mental1]

Of course -- all obviously things I should have done. But two surgeries (I had another sugery a week later) and narcotics for pain did not have me thinking quite right nor capable of caring for a beat up fish. Also -- I think he was just too big a fish for the tank. He was skinny due to the tang being a bully and hogging all of the food so I was feeding him a lot. He was putting on weight and healing up but it seemed to go bad very quickly within 24 hours really. Actually, I should have moved him to my 30 gallon tank after a week -- still a big bio load for that tank but better than where he ended up -- dead. I blew it.

[Mental1]

The other thing I want to add in -- that there are threads that I read said that if you do what I did then the quarantine tank would be fine after three days running to put fish in the tank. He was fine for quite a while but the thing that is missing from those posts -- or I was too stupid to get it -- is that the tank will still cycle and that you do need to monitor it carefully. Now I do have all sorts of semi-legitimate excuses for my incompetence but I hope people out there reading who want to set up a quarantine tank learn from my deadly mistake. Cycle the tank or if calamaity strikes and you have to use it -- monitor it carefully. And please forgive my tone -- I am just really mad at myself.

[George Gouveia]

no worries. we all make mistakes, and sometimes without having had 2 surgeries and having narcotics for the pain :D