quarantine.... what to do when fish dies

[ReefEnabler]

Hello,
I have read many articles and opinions from this forum on the practice of QT. I am currently cycling a new 20-gallon that will serve as the QT for my soon-to-be 200g reef tank. I am cycling with 1 live rock. it's been almost a week and the nitrate cycle has been small but moving right along.

The question I am not seeing answered in any of the articles or threads I've seen is..... what to do if a quarantined fish actually dies in quarantine?

Do you have to completely bleach the system and start over, or can most diseases be killed via increased salinity or some other trick?

Both my QTs use HOB filters with carbon inserts. Whenever I medicate I remove the carbon (but I always leave a piece of foam in that I cut to fit). If a fish dies after the carbon filter is put back in, do I have to replace that filter?


I know this is a SW forum, but...........
I currently use a 10G QT for my 20G freshwater aquarium. I current have a gourami in my QT (taken from the display after signs of finrot) and he does not look like he will survive much longer (he isn't eating, and he is laying on the bottom of the QT). So I am wondering what is needed to get that QT in a condition to use it to add more healty fish to the tank.

[tanker]

A q-tank should not have LR in it. If you need to medicate (and copper is best to use) the LR will absorb it. If hiding places are needed use PVC tubes. My Q-tank has FW in it when not used.

[ReefEnabler]

sorry my description did not clearly reveal my intent but I am not planning to KEEP the live rock in the QT, I am only using it to kick off the cycle. When I finally do get my reef tank it will go there.

But please, somebody help me with the real question I am asking.

[kevin2000]

I usually break down and sterilize my Qt between fish ... whether they die or show any signs of illness .. just a safety measure.

As far as cycling goes ... I keep a number of filter media sponges tucked away in my show tank sump .. that filter media becomes loaded with beneficial bacteria and after a few weeks if you stick one in your QT power filter you have "instant cycled QT".

[ReefEnabler]

"As far as cycling goes ... I keep a number of filter media sponges tucked away in my show tank sump .. that filter media becomes loaded with beneficial bacteria and after a few weeks if you stick one in your QT power filter you have "instant cycled QT"."

So just to clarify... when you 'break down and sterlize' does this mean the filter media that you used has to be thrown away?

Would you, under any circrumstances, take the filter media from the QT and put it back in the display-sump, or do always supply new media when you restart your QT?

thanks for the response!

[bteagle93]

If i were you, and i am still learnign too, but i had heard that to keep any carbon or other media out of the filter chamber untill you tanks cycled. I just kept a piece of like filter foam in there for bacteria porposes, and once it was cycled I added the carbon. Along the way, someone told me that carbon slowed down the cycle.

[tmz]

I would definately consider the tank contaminated and sterelize it.

When I set up a quarantine system, I use water from my main system and some gravel and lava rock from a fish only tank. Instant cycle. Remeber with marine fish you are really only worrying about amonia. I fill the filter bags for the hang on filter with the seeded crushed coral .
When treating with copper for example the crushed coral will absorb some and you will have to add to maintain a therapuetic level. This will also mean that you will have to test to maintain the proper level and avoid harful overdosing. Alternatively, you can remove the crushed coral and rock before treatment and monitor closely for amonia and do water changes being sure to dose the new water proportionatelly. Or you can move the fish to a hospital tank void of substrate or rock.
Any substrate or rock exposed to medications harmful to invertebrates such as copper can't be used in an aquarium which will house these animals. The copper will leech back.

[Lotus99]

Bleaching and drying out the tank/filter/media should work fine to make sure disease isn't transferred when you set up the tank again. I would throw out any carbon media or inserts that contain it.

It's probably a good idea to sterilize the tank between inhabitants regardless of visible disease or not.

[wooden_reefer]

It depends on what a fish dies from in QT and there is also no hard rule.

One situation that for me calls for sterilization is when an external bacterial infection did not respond to antibiotic treatment.

One situation that certainly does not is when a fish dies from ich.

Ich will die on its own, bacteria generally don't, not for a long time.

[ReefEnabler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10979259#post10979259 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bteagle93
If i were you, and i am still learnign too, but i had heard that to keep any carbon or other media out of the filter chamber untill you tanks cycled. I just kept a piece of like filter foam in there for bacteria porposes, and once it was cycled I added the carbon. Along the way, someone told me that carbon slowed down the cycle.



I thought that the pourous surface of activated carbon made it quickly populated by bacteria, meaning that if you put a carbon filter insert in your main display sump a few weeks before using it on a new tank, that it would actually be a good way to have an instantly cycled tank.

You're saying there's other media better suited for this? I have some kind of blue foam filter pad in large sheets that I could use. If i simply cut this material to fit into the HOB inserts, will it do the job better? How long does it need to be placed in the main-tank sump to become populated by the right bacteria?

I'm not sure exactly what kind of foam it is, but its dark blue and almost has the texture of steel wool more than 'foam'.

[ReefEnabler]

"bacteria generally don't, not for a long time."

I'm afraid that may be the cause of death in my FW gourami :( He died while I was typing this thread.

He showed signs of uneven and rough scales near some strange lump on his side, and refused food for a few days. he wasn't swimming much either, and started to lay on the ground. antibiotics seemed to help finrot symptoms but not other symptoms. Sounds lik TB to me.

Sorry for the downer, and for meantioning freshwater.... is that considered taboo around here? :)

To balance this blasphemy, here's a picture of my SW QT setup!
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/167670SWQT.jpg

Notes: I'm also planning on moving this thin layer of argonite and cured LR to my display tank after it cycles some uncured LR. Hopefully it will be somewhat live by then (februaryish) and can help seeding. Setting up this QT tank and learning the water parameters is my way of coping with the long wait for my tank :)

to disrupt said balance, here is more blasphemy:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/167670FW20gal.jpg
20 gallon planted FW.
3 gouramis left at least.


Thanks for the replies, and I will definitely be bleaching my QT (it's neaty tucked behind the red curtains under the FW tank).

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10980034#post10980034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wooden_reefer
It depends on what a fish dies from in QT and there is also no hard rule.

One situation that for me calls for sterilization is when an external bacterial infection did not respond to antibiotic treatment.

One situation that certainly does not is when a fish dies from ich.

Ich will die on its own, bacteria generally don't, not for a long time. Ich will die on its own but not quickly. The cysts can remain viable for up to 72days in water.

[kevin2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10979019#post10979019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
Would you, under any circrumstances, take the filter media from the QT and put it back in the display-sump, or do always supply new media when you restart your QT?

I always supply new mature media when I restart my QT - I use one of the several sponge filter media blocks I keep in the sump. Since the filter media is very inexpensive you can either toss or sterilize and place back into your sump for re-use.