New fish QT Questions

[TriniStylez]

I got a new 3" S&S Puffer three weeks ago. He has been in QT the whole time. Unfortunately I had him QT'd in a 20G tank that I had just moved fish out of but left the LR and sand...he got ich. So I began hypo two weeks ago. The ich was not too bad and only a few spots had shown up. He was showing no signs of stress at all, just some spots.

Anyways, its now been two weeks of hypo and the spots are still there, even a bit worse this week than last. Today I decided to take out all the LR and sand from the QT tank. Once I put him back into the tank, I have now noticed that all he does is chase his reflection around the bottom of the tank...guess theres not much I can do about this right now though.

I had planned for 6 weeks of QT but now it seems like it will be longer. How long can he be in 1.009 SG? (Yes I am using a refractometer) Also, I have never seen spots last so long, is this normal or too long? He still seems to be feeling ok though, as far as I can see. No spots on his body, just two of his fins. Should he still be in QT for 4 weeks AFTER the last spots fall off?

Any thoughts or advice would be awesome!

[virginiadiver69]

You don't have rock and sand in your QT do you?

[AZDesertRat]

A QT tank should be bare. You don't want anything that can't be disinfected between uses. Bare bottom, a few pieces of PVC pipe of fittings to hide in and a brand new sponge in the filter every time you use it, never reuse the sponge.

[TriniStylez]

Yeah, this was NOT a real QT, I was just using it as one temporarily. Once he got ich, I decided to go the hypo route and leave in the rock and sand. I have now removed the rock and sand, it is bare bottom. It just seems to be driving the puffer nuts to see his reflection on the bottom. He is chasing it around and biting the glass.

But I was not asking what a QT is, thanks. I do understand. I was asking about how long after the last spots of ich drop off, he needs to be in QT and also, how long they generally last on a fishes fins. I have only had ich in my tanks once before this and it all seemed to drop off in about a week.

[TriniStylez]

Anyone?

[TriniStylez]

Do you think the reflection will stress him out too much, so far it sems to be doing stressing him quite a bit. Any ideas of what I could do for that?