QT concern

[thompson2224]

Okay I need to know the best route to go with QT here to protect my livestock and future livestock.

I bought all my fish last week Saturday from Blue Zoo. The livestock is as follows:
2 clowns
1 blue tang
1 royal gramma
1 niger triggerfish
1 yellow tang
1 fairy wrasse
1 cleaner wrasse
1 diamond goby
1 mandarin goby

They are being QT in a 40 gallon as the main QT and last night after being in the 40 since saturday I moved them to a 20 so I could clean the 40. I have them in hyposalinity at 1.011. The royal gramma died on day 1 due to extreme stress of shipping. The yellow tang died on day two from extreme stress after a 30 second freshwater dip since he showed signs of ich.

Here are my questions:
I am worried about how the fish will hold up in QT for 4 weeks of hypo, especially the mandarin goby since it requires pods and they aren't in my QT only in my DT. I have been trying to drop some in by putting some chaeto in the tank every so often and trying to get it to eat frozen too.

As of right now none of the fish show visible signs of ich although the blue tang has been scratching.

I have been monitoring the tanks parameters and they are all in check but they all appear to be breathing heavy and I have a air pump in as well to help with this.

When will it be a safe bet to put them in the DT? I don't want ich obviously but I don't like seeing them in QT because it seems stressful.

Will the mandarin be okay for the recommended 4+ weeks of QT?

What should I do?

[ca1ore]

Not much to be done at this point, but for future reference, buying 10 fish at once and stuffing them into a 40, let alone a 20, seems unwise. Was/is the QT cycled? If the YT really had ich, then they all have it.

[fasteddie68]

Your mandarin will surely starve if you don't quickly provide a regular supply of copepods. The good news is live copepods can be bought from a variety of on line sellers.

As far as fish stress, do you have any cover in the quarantine tank for them? Seems like a lot of fish in a relatively small space. I know many like to use a mixed variety of PVC elbows and joints to provide reef like cover. The PVC is inert so no issues with it changing the water chemistry.

[thompson2224]

Yes the 40 gallon was cycled and I monitor the ammonia constantly. I also do have pvc and some live rock in the tank as well knowing I will never use that rock again. I bought copepods from algaebarn to help feed the mandarin but they are so small that I'm not sure the mandarin finds them or eats them.

The remaining fish have not shown any intense visible signs although I am sure since the yellow tang had ich that they all have it. At what point will the hypo cure them and how will I know? They all are eating well except the mandarin. Also each of the fish are very tiny with the blue tang being the largest at 1"

[BlackTip]

Too many fishes in small tank. If you have another tank, split the fish. You can buy a 20g from Petco for cheap. It is cheaper than losing your fish.

Good luck,

[thompson2224]

Too many fishes in small tank. If you have another tank, split the fish. You can buy a 20g from Petco for cheap. It is cheaper than losing your fish.

Good luck,

There are 8 fish in the QT since the royal gramma and yellow tang didn't make it.

Is that still too many between being flipped from a 40 to a 20 and back?

What makes it too many? Ammonia build up? because that is holding fine. All the fish are very small

[BlackTip]

There are 8 fish in the QT since the royal gramma and yellow tang didn't make it.

Is that still too many between being flipped from a 40 to a 20 and back?

What makes it too many? Ammonia build up? because that is holding fine. All the fish are very small

As you said in your first post, the fishes are breathing heavily and stressed. Something got to be wrong. Overtime, ammonia and nitrite can creep up. Cycled tank is not the same thing as established tank. Fishes in Qt need to be overfed, which mean more waste.

It is MHO, you have first hand knowledge. Do what you believe is right.

[scooter31707]

Also 1.011 is not effective at all. It has to be 1.009.

[sde1500]

Isn't hypo supposed to be 1.009? And don't think a freshwater dip is effective on Ich.

That is quite a lot of fish for a small tank.

[JWClark]

To add; if you are not explicitly treating for ich w/ meds or tank transfer then it doesn't matter how long you QT, you will introduce ich to your tank. My understanding is that Hypo can reduce parasite infection numbers but not completely eliminate--at least I wouldn't trust it.

If it were me, I'd get a bunch of 5 gal buckets and put 1 fish in each bucket. Then run the TTM protocol using another bucket as the second tank. After that you could probably put back into the 40 and feed the heck out of them. Treat w/ prazi pro and observe for other diseases for a few weeks while they fatten up. Obviously pay attention to temp/NH3/oxygenation while doing this.

[thompson2224]

To add; if you are not explicitly treating for ich w/ meds or tank transfer then it doesn't matter how long you QT, you will introduce ich to your tank. My understanding is that Hypo can reduce parasite infection numbers but not completely eliminate--at least I wouldn't trust it.

If it were me, I'd get a bunch of 5 gal buckets and put 1 fish in each bucket. Then run the TTM protocol using another bucket as the second tank. After that you could probably put back into the 40 and feed the heck out of them. Treat w/ prazi pro and observe for other diseases for a few weeks while they fatten up. Obviously pay attention to temp/NH3/oxygenation while doing this.

The problem with that is the mandarin goby for sure cant withstand any type of treatment.

[JWClark]

If I tried it I'd do it with daily orders for pods from algae barn in. And I'd fatten him up on these first before attempting. If fattened up and 16 ounces of pods added every other day I bet he'd make it. Will cost though.

I have Marcos at exotic reef creations doing the QT for my mandarin. He ships too. Think he goes by Monkiboy here.

[Fnic99]

I remember reading somewhere that mandarins don't typically get ich. Maybe someone can cofirm if this is accurate.

[thompson2224]

I remember reading somewhere that mandarins don't typically get ich. Maybe someone can cofirm if this is accurate.

They can they are just more resistant and can definitely carry it. So I think that if I I put him in the DT he could possibly bring it in.

Im getting to the point where I'm about to put the fish in DT and hope for the best. I haven't seen signs of ich since the yellow tang died. Since then they have been in hypo and TTM