geomarq
10/21/2011, 06:01 AM
I'm relatively new to the saltwater game, been doing a lot of reading, have some questions as I continue along. Looking for feedback and guidance, thx.
My Tanks/Setup:
- living room: a 50 gallon hex tank; FOWLR, canister filter, two chromids and a celaris (sp?) clown for about 5 months now; have had two dwarf angels die during their first week, still not sure why, I know both completely lost appetite, became very skid dish, had breathing problems, and the last one had puffy eyes and a black lines around his eye and gill; I just bought a QT (below)
- basement: 150 gallon; FOWLR; I bought this a few weeks ago from a guy who basically let everything go to sh*t; still setting it up, was a mess, had to build a new stand and re-do a bunch of stuff; still setting up the refugium, plumbing, lighting, hood, etc.
- 30 gallon quarantine tank: just bought this as I lost a chuck of $ on some fish that died; no water in it yet; HOB filter, heater, light, no sand
So here are my questions:
1) ok to take some water from my hex tank to my QT?
- maybe 5 gallons or so to get a cycle going? rest will be filled with RO h2o.
- how long should this run before I buy a fish to put in the QT? I was hoping a couple weeks.
- if hypothetically the hex tank water has parasites, they will die off in the QT because they have nothing to attach to? still trying to understand ich/parasites, etc..
2) RE ich parasites:
- the purpose of the QT is to see if a new fish I buy has any parasites/hitchhikers correct? Then you can treat the fish through the various treatments (hypo salinity, copper, transfer, dip, prayer, etc.).
- And to sum up my understanding of ich:
2a) a fish can have ich and basically live with it; it has no visible signs as it's somewhat dormant in the fish
2b) but something can trigger the "dormant ich" (a tank transfer, water change, etc.); but ich normally stays on a fish for just a week, falls off, multiples, and then the tomites(?) can attach themselves back onto the fish again; sounds like a sci-fi movie
2c) ich parasites can be removed from a tank and fish entirely - no ich anywhere. This is the goal obviously. Always use a QT process on anything entering my new 150g DT.
3) so once properly QT, I can assume when I transfer the fish to my 150g DT, the fish & tank will not have or develop parasite issues? sound right?
I want to operate the DT properly since it's a new setup.
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277/1803527/23919877/399056484.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277/1803527/23919877/399056482.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277/1803527/23919877/399056480.jpg
My Tanks/Setup:
- living room: a 50 gallon hex tank; FOWLR, canister filter, two chromids and a celaris (sp?) clown for about 5 months now; have had two dwarf angels die during their first week, still not sure why, I know both completely lost appetite, became very skid dish, had breathing problems, and the last one had puffy eyes and a black lines around his eye and gill; I just bought a QT (below)
- basement: 150 gallon; FOWLR; I bought this a few weeks ago from a guy who basically let everything go to sh*t; still setting it up, was a mess, had to build a new stand and re-do a bunch of stuff; still setting up the refugium, plumbing, lighting, hood, etc.
- 30 gallon quarantine tank: just bought this as I lost a chuck of $ on some fish that died; no water in it yet; HOB filter, heater, light, no sand
So here are my questions:
1) ok to take some water from my hex tank to my QT?
- maybe 5 gallons or so to get a cycle going? rest will be filled with RO h2o.
- how long should this run before I buy a fish to put in the QT? I was hoping a couple weeks.
- if hypothetically the hex tank water has parasites, they will die off in the QT because they have nothing to attach to? still trying to understand ich/parasites, etc..
2) RE ich parasites:
- the purpose of the QT is to see if a new fish I buy has any parasites/hitchhikers correct? Then you can treat the fish through the various treatments (hypo salinity, copper, transfer, dip, prayer, etc.).
- And to sum up my understanding of ich:
2a) a fish can have ich and basically live with it; it has no visible signs as it's somewhat dormant in the fish
2b) but something can trigger the "dormant ich" (a tank transfer, water change, etc.); but ich normally stays on a fish for just a week, falls off, multiples, and then the tomites(?) can attach themselves back onto the fish again; sounds like a sci-fi movie
2c) ich parasites can be removed from a tank and fish entirely - no ich anywhere. This is the goal obviously. Always use a QT process on anything entering my new 150g DT.
3) so once properly QT, I can assume when I transfer the fish to my 150g DT, the fish & tank will not have or develop parasite issues? sound right?
I want to operate the DT properly since it's a new setup.
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277/1803527/23919877/399056484.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277/1803527/23919877/399056482.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL277/1803527/23919877/399056480.jpg