comments on a QT system and help with method

mark · #1 10-31-2007, 01:04 AM

Though had no signs until now, believe I brought ich into my system last April with a purchase of a Regal tank. Since positive is ich, planning on setting up a hospital tank for all the fish and allowing my reef to go fish fallow for at least 4 weeks.

Have a 33g that if I can drill (will check for tempering tomorrow in the sunlight) will install a bulkhead on bottom. To not take up space thinking just installing some sort of standpipe (probably Durso) without a overflow box. The 33g then will drain into a 15 or 20g to be used as a sump in which I'll install my skimmer from my main system, (running main tank skimmer-less). Have a small pump which I'll probably get a couple hundred gph that I'll use as a return. Reasoning for going with this setup is with fish load I can get increased water volume and filtering.

For a treatment plan, since only the tangs are show a few spots each and seem not distressed, on trying hyposalinity. Was following this thread but not sure if I should just drop the fish into low salinity or a gradually drop. If the hyposalinity doesn't work then switching to copper.

I'll have to take my 145g apart to get the fish but have Purple and Regal Tangs, Foxface, clown, 2 damsels and a 6 line.

Slick Fork · #2 10-31-2007, 01:43 AM

I quarantine with Hypo, I start them off at full salinity and then replace 1/6th of the volume with RO water 2x per day. I keep this up until I hit 1.009 They probably could go a little quicker, maybe 3 water changes rather than 2 but I always figure why risk it. I would adjust your tank fallow time to 6 weeks rather than 4 though.

surgeonfish · #3 10-31-2007, 02:50 AM

I don't know if you need to go through all the trouble of drilling your tank, adding a durso standpipe and using a sump. Why not just use an external or canister filter, hang on protein skimmer (optional) and a power head for circulation?

mark · #4 10-31-2007, 03:13 AM

Slickfork - how long do you leave with hyposalinity? As for going fallow guess longer the better to ensure break the lifecycle of the ich.

Surgeonfish - figure go the route I'm thinking as have all the pieces around already and drilled a tank little while back for a 1" bulkhead and wasn't that bad (~20 minutes with a dremel). Don't have a canister nor a HOB filter big enough plus few years back QT'd some fish and amazed how quick the NH3 built up so figure the extra water volume would be a plus.

surgeonfish · #5 10-31-2007, 03:30 AM

Mark
I agree if you have all the supplies, go for it. It would make for a more stable setup.

Slick Fork · #6 10-31-2007, 04:50 AM

I keep them in Hypo for 4 weeks from the last visible sign of Ich. So, if you go for 2 weeks with no ich and then you see some again, reset the clock. Keep in mind that this 4 week period does not include the transition days from regular salinity to hypo and back. Really, the longer the better. It would be a real shame to go to all the work for this and not break the life cycle of this parasite because the hypo or fallow period wasn't long enough by a few days or even a week.

Here is a good read, it also has a link to hyposalinity treatment

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html

mark · #7 10-31-2007, 02:51 PM

Thanks Slick Fork and good reads on the link.