QTing a powder blue

[blakeoe]

So after a huge ich outbreak and a fishless tank for weeks im restocking. My first fish is a powder blue ( i know some may say not a good idea but with the help of a local reef guy i think we are doing it right) Anyway i want to qt everything that goes into the tank. So that there is no way it can happen again. I was planning on using hypo on everything in qt but since the powder blue is so fragile i don't want to hypo him. Q is: what do i do? i have been having him in the qt for a week now and he seems to be doing fine so far. So if he doesn't brake out with ich in a nother week or two should i put him in or what?

[alan214]

I think the normal rule is at least 2 weeks in QT; maybe longer for ich-prone fish like PBT's. How and what is he eating, BTW?

[SDguy]

I would QT the PBT for 4 weeks minimum. I QT'ed in a 15g storage tote with established live rock and a protein skimmer. Never had to treat him, he has never shown any sign of disease.

I would not add a PBT as a first fish. They can be quite aggressive, and will likely attack new fish.

[Satori]

2 quick points -

1 - PBTs do fine in hypo. Mine did over six weeks in hypo.

2 - If it isn't showing any signs of ich, and makes it fine for 2 weeks in QT, there's no need to go hypo.

[dangal]

What I have heard is the lifecycle for ich is 6 weeks, if you make it that long you should be fine. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in.

[jacmyoung]

MSM, I want to ask you about PBT hypo treatment.

My fish were fine until I added a PBT as my last fish, he got ich in three days and passed it on to other fish one after the other. I finally decided to do a full tank hypo (FO for now). Due to schedule issue it took me two weeks to get down to 1.009. Now all my other fish look fine but my PBT still has very rough body and what looks like fungus on fins. No white spots though.

Is this to be expected of PBT? Do I need to wait for the PBT to look fully cured to begin counting down the 4-week time?

Thanks.

[Satori]

This is the guidance I used:

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

It should only take a couple days to drop the salinity.

The ich had disappeared within a couple of days of reaching 1.009.

[jacmyoung]

Thanks MSM, I only reached 1.009 yesterday, I will give a few more days to see.

[blakeoe]

yea that's the link i have been using for guidence. Update: PB broke out with ich the other day (go figure!) Im now dropping the salinity and will treat with hypo. I just posted another post on this but i also had a copperband butterfly that was in hypo and it died lastnite. I don't know why. It stopped eating the other day and then died. I hope i don't lose the pb!!! It does seem healthy though. It eats any nori i give it overnite and scarfs down frozen brine.

[jacmyoung]

My PBT is finally showing clear sign of recovery after four days, cross my fingers. Wish both of us luck.

[Icefire]

I don't see any benefit in QT for 2-4 weeks without hypo/copper... He still carry ICH.

If you want an ich free tank, 6 weeks without fish display, all new fish QT with hypo or copper for 6 weeks.

If you skip that, a 2week untreated QT is the same as direct to display.

[jacmyoung]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9169868#post9169868 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Icefire
I don't see any benefit in QT for 2-4 weeks without hypo/copper... He still carry ICH.

If you want an ich free tank, 6 weeks without fish display, all new fish QT with hypo or copper for 6 weeks.

If you skip that, a 2week untreated QT is the same as direct to display.

???

Both of us are treating our PBTs with hypo by the book.