Quarantine Query!
Hello there WWM crew.
<Hi there! Scott F. here today!>
I just had a couple of questions that I need addressed. To give you a brief scenario; I had a fairly bad outbreak of ich in my tank with a Yellow Tang. Unfortunately he died in quarantine, most likely from ammonia because I had issues controlling it.
<Sorry to hear that.>
So, I'm starting over and want to do things right. I'm letting my display tank fallow for a month (I read Stephen Pro's excellent paper on Cryptocaryon and I understand the biology of the little bugger).
<Awesome...It's a great piece that every hobbyist should take the time to read!>
I added some sponge filters to the back of my power filter to be later transferred to qt.
<Good procedure>
I'm afraid if I use those if I'll be adding the ich to my qt.
<Well, the possibility exists if your display tank had an outbreak of the disease during the time that the sponges were "colonizing" bacteria.>
After letting the display tank fallow for 30 days, would I still run the risk of transferring ich to my qt by using the sponge filters? 
<Well, there is no way to get a 100% guarantee of an ich free tank, short of breaking it down completely, but you are seriously interrupting the life cycle of the causative protozoa when you fallow a tank, greatly increasing the chances of a "good kill".>
Also, I want to freshwater dip my fish before I add them to qt.
<Great procedure if done correctly>
Do I need to acclimate the bag in the qt and THEN perform the dip?
<I would acclimate to the temperature of the QT, then perform the dip. Ideally, you want the pH in the bag and the dip container to be the same, or very, very close. A dip can be a traumatic experience for the fish- goes with the territory. However, if you can minimize the trauma by acclimating the fish, all the better.>
Likewise if I want to FW dip before adding to the display tank after 4 weeks in qt?
<I don't see a point in performing the dip after quarantine, but some hobbyists choose to perform it again. My reasoning is that of the fish hasn't contracted an illness in 4 weeks of quarantine, then you'll be able to make a fairly solid conclusion that the fish is otherwise healthy, thus making the dip an unnecessary step, IMO>
And would adding LR to the qt help with beneficial bacteria, or is that a bad idea? 
<I think it's a bad idea, as you will potentially be adding extra bioload to the system, as well as interfering with any medications that you may need to use. Inert materials are the way to go, IMO.>
I planned on just using PVC for cover.
<Good plan!>
Thank you so very much for your advise and your outstanding website. Sincerely, Eric
<Thanks so much for the kind words, Eric! We're thrilled to bring it to you! Regards, Scott F.>

Quarantine and small fish.
Hi Crew,
I need some help with a few wrasses I just bought from my LFS. I bought a canary wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus), 6-line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) and a Carpenter wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri) to add to my 180g aquarium. The Carpenter wrasse was lying on the bottom of the bag, gilling heavily so I added it to my QT in hopes that this would ease its stress. The fish is now lying on its side inside a piece of PVC pipe. It is now gilling at a more normal rate but its tail fin is cupped tightly, it appears thin and it has a black “attachment” hanging inside its mouth. This “attachment” sways in and out of the wrasses mouth with each breath.  Unfortunately I have been unable to take a picture of the fish. Could this be a parasitic worm? I have had fish die due to worms previously because I could not get the fish to eat. I do not want this to happen again. Should I add something like CLOUT to the water to try to eradicate any such parasites? I have had good luck ridding crypto outbreaks in QT with CLOUT previously but I do not know if this is a good solution in this case.
My next issue:
WWM advises against long QT periods for small fishes like wrasses and gobies so I plan to QT these fish for only two days. I had also read that a freshwater dip might be a good idea since the QT period will be less than the normal minimum of 4 weeks. I assume the best time to dip the fish would be before placing it in the QT (to minimize the chance of introducing parasites into the QT).  
If this is the case, then what is the use in acclimating fish? I typically spend 30 minutes to an hour adding small portions of tank water to the fish’ s bag water. If these fish should be FW dipped, this is the most extreme salinity change they would ever experience. It kind of makes meaningless the slight differences between LFS salinity and our home aquarium water’s salinity -- correct. What are your thoughts on this? Is a FW dip not recommended or is acclimation not really necessary?
Thanks for the help!
--Greg
>>>Hello Greg,
I doubt what you are seeing is a parasite. Let him be for a few more days, I bet it goes away.
Secondly, I don't know who said that small fish should not be quarantined for the full duration, but this simply is *NOT* the case. As hard as I try, I'm unable to even conjure a rationale for such a policy. Only with a fish that MUST be in a large system in order to eat properly (mandarin fish for instance) would there be a reason to consider such a thing. Quarantine EVERYTHING for at least 3 weeks. A 2 day quarantine is useless for the most part, and you might as well dump the fish right in your display quite frankly.
Forget freshwater dips, they stress the fish and are of marginal effectiveness anyway. C. irritans for instance has a life cycle that prevents a FW dip from doing anything unless you happen to catch a free swimmer on the body of the fish, not a likely scenario. The cysts themselves are not affected by the dip.
Good Luck
Jim<<<

Re: Quarantine and small fish.
Thank you for the advice Jim. FYI, it was Bob Fenner who suggested a reduced (or dip in lieu of) quarantine. I have read Anthony Calfo's similar recommendations. Everyone has their own experiences, but following is Bob's reasoning regarding his recommendation: "<I am inclined to suggest an extended bath/dipping procedure in lieu of actual quarantine. There are other folks here that are staunch four weeks or heck re quarantining, but I am of the opinion and experience that many smaller, shyer species of fishes are worse off for the experience... gobies, blennies, small wrasses included>"  You appear to be correct about the black attachment that was hanging out of the Carpenter wrasse's mouth - it does appear to be gone now. This fish is still very shy but it now has a normal breathing rate and it does occasionally take a brief swim around the QT. I just hope the wrasses make it through the QT process (after losing my previous 6-line wrasse unexpectedly in QT).
Thanks again! --Greg
>>>Hello again Greg,
There is no rule that says a quarantine tank has to be a stressful bare tank with PVC and a bare glass bottom. Provide your fish with some sand and plenty of live rock. Make it as you would a display system in that regard. Medicating will probably not be necessary, and can be done in another "hospital" tank.
Remember, it's better to lose a new fish in quarantine then to infect your ENTIRE system with a pathogen.
Cheers
Jim<<<

Treating New Fish In Quarantine!
Aloha from Hawaii.
<Howzit? Scott F. here today>
I purchased a Flame Angel and Hippo Tang which I believe came from the Christmas Islands according to the LFS which are temporarily keep in a copper holding solution. They are presently in the mandatory 30 gallon quarantine tank w/ a fully cycled sponge filter after being in a 5 minute freshwater dip, kept in Methylene Blue for two days and Furazone green for an additional two days or course 25% water changes were made daily with good aeration. They have been in quarantine now for two weeks and both display
vibrate colors and look very healthy.
<Excellent>
Originally visible was 1 grain of salt on the tang's side which went away after the pre-quarantine treatment.
<Good to hear that. I am a bit leery of "prophylactically" medicating new fishes unless the need dictates- and you were correct in following this course of action...>
They have been weaned from live brine and now aggressively eat flakes and frozen brine soaked with Zoecon and fresh garlic. Now my problem, although they do not show physical signs of Ich, they scratch the pvc periodically and the flame occasionally flinches, so I slowly lowered the salinity to 1.018 however I do not have a heater, so the temperature is quite low and fluctuates at approximately 74-79 degrees.
<That's a fairly broad fluctuation. The temperatures in this range don't sound all that bad, but I'd like to see a lower fluctuation...Do obtain a heater to keep things more stable.>
Water parameters (ammonia/nitrate/nitrite/ph) seem to be fine according to my Fastest test kit. I change water at 4 gallons per week and top off with tap fresh water.
<Procedures sound fine...>
Should I continue to monitor the progress of my fish or should I medicate? If so, should I do formalin or some other type of dip and what should I put in the QT since I know that both are sensitive to copper.
<Good observation. Do continue to keep a close eye on these guys for the next few days to see if physical symptoms do, indeed manifest themselves before embarking on another, potentially stressful treatment course. I'd use a formalin-based preparation in lieu of copper with these fishes. Follow the manufacturer's directions to the letter concerning dose and duration.>
Also I would like to know for how long this proposed recommended treatment should be. In other words, please give me your prescription to good health so I can place these beauties into my display tank.
<I'd follow the manufacturer's recommendation for treatment duration, which is usually like a week or so. After symptoms disappear, I'd still give the fishes another 2-4 weeks in the quarantine tank to assure that they are in good health before placing them in your display. You've done such a careful job with the fishes so far- another few weeks won't hurt!>
Mahalo for your helping all of us mere mortal fish enthusiasts. Les
<My pleasure! We are all quite mortal- I assure you! Regards, Scott F.>

QT and acclimation
Hello! <Hi,>
At my LFS, there was a royal Gramma in QT for the past few weeks.  Today, they were going to put it in a display tank, but I bought it instead and took it home.  I don't have room for a QT tank, so I usually shop around for fish that are being quarantined elsewhere.  Is this a bad practice? <Yes, it doesn't mean that the fish is healthy.> Does it matter *where* the fish are quarantined as long as they are? <It does matter because the shipping could make susceptible to getting sick again.>
At any rate, I brought the fish home, and started slowly replacing its water in its bag to acclimate it.  I was planning on replacing a cup of its "bag" water with a cup of my tank water every five minutes until most of its water would be water from my tank.  Well, as I was pouring the water and Gramma from the bag into a small 2-gal container I would use to acclimate it, just before being poured into the container, the Gramma jumped! <Opps!> It sprang clear of my container.  In my panic to catch the "flying fish", I knocked over the container (my wife is going to kill me when she sees our drenched carpet).  I had to pick the Gramma off the carpet and just let it go into my main tank.  The poor Gramma swam to the nearest and smallest cave it could find, and has not come out since, not even for feeding (I tried feeding "enriched" brine shrimp, bloodworms).  I can tell it's still alive, though, as it moves slightly when one of my clowns comes near the cave.
My Gramma has NOT had a good day.  It's "acclimation" consisted of dry carpet.  I know I should be worried, since there's obviously a reason you tell everyone to acclimate their fish... but my question is: HOW worried?  Will the Gramma get better?  Will it ever come out of its cave?  Will one of my two clowns prevent it from doing so?  The clowns
and Gramma are all I have in the tank besides a cleaner crew.  <I would be concerned about the fish but not overly worried.  I have done this before and had fish survive.  Grammas in particular are fish that like to jump out of tanks when scared.  If your clowns are picking on him then his chances are slim.  But, if not you should be O.K.  Give the fish a couple of days and then try feeding live brine.  This is just to get it to start eating again.>
Last question: Your site says that brine shrimp is not very nutritional food.  My LFS said it was, because they were selling brine shrimp "enriched with HUFAs.  I have no idea what that stands for, except it's something about fatty acids.  I requested Mysis shrimp.  They said my clowns and Gramma would not be able to handle it since they were too
small.  I didn't want to sound like an uninformed idiot, so I trusted what my LFS had to say.  So far, I'm feeding the fish bloodworms and "enriched" brine shrimp, in addition to the little white critters that came as hitchhikers on my LR that they regularly feast on.  <Discontinue with the bloodworms.  They are freshwater worms and do not provide the proper balance of nutrients and vitamins for your fish.  As far as the enriched brine goes, it is O.K. for supplemental food but not a main staple diet.>
I did search FAQs (I spent the past three hours searching your site) and I can't find any other examples where fish were dropped on the carpet prior to acclimation... <The best thing to do is to quarantine (I know you don't have one) and treat it with stress coat.  The time spent on the floor probably removed its protective coating and exposed its scales to infection.  If your tank is not a reef tank you can do that.  If you decide that this is the way to go then watch your protein skimmer for it will overflow.  Good luck! MikeB>
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Paul n, c'mon - can't we all just get along?
<It would be very very risky to add two of them. If you did, you would need to add them at the same time. Because your tank is so long, however, it may be possible. If you did decide to get another, I would first re arrange your rockwork so that both will establish their territory again. This is likely to reduce any aggression. I would also turn the lights completely off when adding the fish. But as I said above, this is extremely risky. You may end up loosing the newly added fish due to aggression. And as you likely already know, the Royal Gramma is a very aggressive fish.>
Thanks,
Dave Brooks
<Take Care! Graham.>
San Diego

Bypassing new tank cycling
Hi Bob
<Hello John>
I have a 3 foot tank that I am setting up as a quarantine tank. I need to put a fish (clown trigger) that I purchased into immediate quarantine as I don't want to place it in the display tank. If I take some media (ceramic balls) from the trickle filter, some media (ceramic balls) from the sump and water from my display tank (Running for 10 Months) and
place it in the quarantine tank canister filter, will I still need to cycle the tank?
<Likely you won't have to do more to aid nitrification... but do move a good amount of material ( a couple of cups), keep it moist in the process, move a good part of the current system water with the media... to the filter AND tank, and be careful re feeding the trigger (hope it's not very large)... and do monitor for ammonia>
Will this idea work to bypass the nitrogen cycle
completely and avoid ammonia and nitrite spikes? Will the fish be fine?
Thanks
John
<Should be fine, but do test for ammonia as stated, keep an eye on the specimen for signs of deteriorating water quality and have water pre-made for switch-out. Bob Fenner>

Quarantine Confusion?
I'm setting up a 29g QT that I plan on running on a continual basis. As such I've been thinking that I might like to have a permanent member live there.
<Wooaah...Bad idea- I have to stop you right here...A quarantine tank is not a permanent feature; it should be broken down after each use. If it is not broken down, you'll end up with what could be a "parasite hotel"...If you want another tank, do set one up- but please read up on the quarantine FAQs on the WWM site and reconsider this course of action. Your fishes and their future tankmates will appreciate that.>
I plan on dipping every fish in freshwater and Methylene Blue before putting them into the QT.
<That's an excellent procedure...>
I'm thinking a cleaner shrimp might be a good guy to live there, that way the new fish in QT can have a little natural help when they come in.
<On the surface, it sounds like a good idea, but once again, a quarantine tank is a temporary feature, and introducing a fish into a tank with another "resident" is not a good idea...>
So here are the questions:
If I were to have a cleaner shrimp live in the QT on a permanent basis, what would I need to put in the QT to support him, and what would I feed him when no fish were in the tank?
<I'd veto the idea, as outlined above>
My original plans were to have No substrate, and just PVC elbows and such for fish to hide in.
<The only way to go in a QT, especially if you need to use medications...Think "temporary" here>
My thought was that if there were to be a sickness problem, I could treat the fish, and afterwards empty the tank and bleach the PVC.
<You should do that anyways- a great procedure after any use...sickness or not>
Would a cleaner be able to set up a station on top of PVC or does he need a rock? If there were a really sick fish that needed an extreme treatment (like copper) could I move the cleaner to the main tank before I added copper or would it be too late and would the cleaner possibly have the disease from the fish
<Again, I implore you to keep this a temporary feature...It will greatly benefit your fishes...You're on the right track, you just need to adjust a few things...Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Treating Fish In Quarantine
Hi WWM Crew,
<Scott F. here tonight>
I am hoping you can resolve a QT dilemma for me.  I have spent countless hours reading through the FAQs and information on your site and I am very grateful for all of the terrific information you provide! I am still a little uncertain about medicating my quarantine tank though... I have read several responses, stating we should not use medications in our tanks with knowing specifically what disease / parasite / fungus we are dealing with --that we should QT new fish for four weeks and observe for any outbreaks or odd behavior.
<Correct on both counts...You do not want to medicate unless you are certain what you're dealing with. And, I cannot think of a better place to medicate a sick fish than a quarantine tank. Never, ever medicate in the display tank.>
I have also read that Cryptocaryon is nearly always present on fish but that it is just not typically visible or does not become a problem unless the fish is stresses or has a compromised immune system.
<Lots of differing opinion on this...And the jury is still out...>
If this is the case, it seems probable that no outward symptoms would be noticed while keeping new fish in a QT for four weeks but these fish could be carriers of ich.
<Well stated...>
Introducing these fish into our display tanks would then be introducing ich...Just waiting for a stressful opportunity to take advantage of weakened fish.
<True, if you subscribe to this theory. I like to think that the parasites are present in the tank, rather than on the fish, where they can be in a "dormant" phase, waiting for the proper conditions before striking. Typically, if the fish's resistance is high, and the population of parasites is low, the fishes should be able to resist infection. This is one of the main reasons that I recommend that a quarantine tank not be set up as a permanent feature. There will be no parasites waiting for the next opportunity this way.>
After recently purchasing a purple tang that looked perfect at my LFS but appeared as if had been "sugar-coated" the following morning, I feel inclined to always keep Cu in my QT.  To copper or not to copper... that is my question.
<Well, copper is a beneficial anti-parasitic medication, it should not be used unless required. Many fishes do not take well to continuous copper exposure. Plus, you need to test continuously to assure a proper therapeutic level of medication. I'd recommend a freshwater dip prior to placing the fish in the quarantine tank. Then, if medication is necessary, you can safely medicate in this tank, and enjoy a greater measure of control.>
By the way, all crypto disappeared from this purple tang within a day of adding Cu to my QT but, as the life-cycle goes, I woke up two weeks later to find this fish covered in ich again.  I gave the tang a freshwater bath (pH/temp adjusted) and added formalin & malachite green to my QT in addition to the Cu.  All white spots have now been gone for about a week but, since I had this second outbreak only one week ago, should I keep the fish in the QT for another four weeks (a total of six weeks)?  
<Yep...I would. In my opinion, I would have followed the full course of treatment with copper, rather than "hit and run" with copper, then move on to the next medication...Just a thought>
If so, should I be concerned about the extended exposure to Copper? Greg Wyatt
<Yep- as above...If you are using copper-or have been keeping it in the tank continuously- be sure not to use the malachite green/formalin product on top of that. Just too much for a fish to handle for extended periods...I'd check your copper level to make sure that it is at a proper therapeutic level....Be sure, also, to employ regular small water changes in the tank...All things to consider... Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Treating Fish In Quarantine
Hi WWM Crew,
<Scott F. here tonight>
I am hoping you can resolve a QT dilemma for me.  I have spent countless hours reading through the FAQs and information on your site and I am very grateful for all of the terrific information you provide! I am still a little uncertain about medicating my quarantine tank though... I have read several responses, stating we should not use medications in our tanks with knowing specifically what disease / parasite / fungus we are dealing with --that we should QT new fish for four weeks and observe for any outbreaks or odd behavior.
<Correct on both counts...You do not want to medicate unless you are certain what you're dealing with. And, I cannot think of a better place to medicate a sick fish than a quarantine tank. Never, ever medicate in the display tank.>
I have also read that Cryptocaryon is nearly always present on fish but that it is just not typically visible or does not become a problem unless the fish is stresses or has a compromised immune system.
<Lots of differing opinion on this...And the jury is still out...>
If this is the case, it seems probable that no outward symptoms would be noticed while keeping new fish in a QT for four weeks but these fish could be carriers of ich.
<Well stated...>
Introducing these fish into our display tanks would then be introducing ich...Just waiting for a stressful opportunity to take advantage of weakened fish.
<True, if you subscribe to this theory. I like to think that the parasites are present in the tank, rather than on the fish, where they can be in a "dormant" phase, waiting for the proper conditions before striking. Typically, if the fish's resistance is high, and the population of parasites is low, the fishes should be able to resist infection. This is one of the main reasons that I recommend that a quarantine tank not be set up as a permanent feature. There will be no parasites waiting for the next opportunity this way.>
After recently purchasing a purple tang that looked perfect at my LFS but appeared as if had been "sugar-coated" the following morning, I feel inclined to always keep Cu in my QT.  To copper or not to copper... that is my question.
<Well, copper is a beneficial anti-parasitic medication, it should not be used unless required. Many fishes do not take well to continuous copper exposure. Plus, you need to test continuously to assure a proper therapeutic level of medication. I'd recommend a freshwater dip prior to placing the fish in the quarantine tank. Then, if medication is necessary, you can safely medicate in this tank, and enjoy a greater measure of control.>
By the way, all crypto disappeared from this purple tang within a day of adding Cu to my QT but, as the life-cycle goes, I woke up two weeks later to find this fish covered in ich again.  I gave the tang a freshwater bath (pH/temp adjusted) and added formalin & malachite green to my QT in addition to the Cu.  All white spots have now been gone for about a week but, since I had this second outbreak only one week ago, should I keep the fish in the QT for another four weeks (a total of six weeks)?  
<Yep...I would. In my opinion, I would have followed the full course of treatment with copper, rather than "hit and run" with copper, then move on to the next medication...Just a thought>
If so, should I be concerned about the extended exposure to Copper? Greg Wyatt
<Yep- as above...If you are using copper-or have been keeping it in the tank continuously- be sure not to use the malachite green/formalin product on top of that. Just too much for a fish to handle for extended periods...I'd check your copper level to make sure that it is at a proper therapeutic level....Be sure, also, to employ regular small water changes in the tank...All things to consider... Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

- Quarantine Issues -
WWM crew,
Great site and great books (BF and AC).
I set up a 10 gal QT tank 2 weeks ago using a hang on filter, a piece of foam that I had in my main system for ~1 week and ~2lbs of live rock.  Last week I placed a cherub angel in there. At the time there were no detectable nitrogenous compounds. <I wouldn't expect any on a tank you 'just' set up.> That little guy is awesome and has already overcome his shyness and is eating well.  I've been doing water tests on the tank to be sure things are ok.  While I expected to see some nitrates (they are now at  ~2.5ppm) I'm also detecting nitrites too (0.3ppm) and this worries me (should I be?). <Yes.> I don't detect any ammonia otherwise I'd be real worried. Is it possible that the rock I put in there is cycling again? (die-off from the lower lights in my QT tank?) <I doubt that, but it is obvious to me that your tank is cycling.> I have stopped feeding (for now) and have started daily 10% water changes by adding water from my main system tank, which is what I filled the qt tank with in the first place. <I would do the changes with fresh mix water, don't use the tank water at this point.> I figure I can always just abort the qt and place the little guy in the main tank. <If you choose this route, consider a pH-adjusted, freshwater dip before you place that fish in the main tank.> Thanks in advance for the help.
-matt
<Cheers, J -- >

A Disagreement of Opinions Among Crewmembers Re: QT?
>I just read in your hippo tang FAQs where it says not quarantining and placing new specimens in the main tank after a FW bath was preferable.
>>(Groan)  This woman STRONGLY disagrees.
>I find that surprising since I have read on the site hat "everything wet" should be quarantined before entering the tank.
>>Let me just say that the majority of us are in total agreement of this policy, though we might disagree about sufficient q/t time (I'm a strong advocate of a 30 day minimum).
>I have a relatively new blue tang addition to my 90 gal which I didn't qt and he has had mild ich since a week after arriving.
>>Uh oh.
>It wasn't the advice of WWM that precluded me not QTing,. It was the fact the damsels in the tank for 2 mo.s previous never showed signs of any problems.  Joe Culler
>>I will strongly suggest you look for the writings of Terry Bartelme on ich and its lifecycle, how and why it may rear its ugly head. You will also find in his writings and hear what to do now that you have an infestation in your display.  Marina

QT protocol 10/7/03
All fish would be out for 120 days. Leaving existing rock, shrimp, snails. So you are saying 30 day q on corals and inverts also??   
< it is the most critical aspect of animal husbandry. No exception here if you goal is to be pest and parasite free>
All the LFS people I have talked to say inverts need not be quarantined.
<you (and they) are missing the big picture here mate. Pathogens are carried in the water as easily as upon a host. The inverts are just as risky (with many of them being actual carriers in critical life cycles of some parasites and pathogens). Your LFS is point blank wrong unless they only have fishless systems and they never dip a wet hand, net, feeding spoon, etc. from a fish tank to a fishless system (which is not possible in a retail shop with both). Algae scraping, maintenance, etc. We are not talking about lab trained aquarists here (sterilizing hands and equipment between uses)... we are talking about LFS employees making little more than minimum wage. I assure you... you must QT all livestock.>
Is it because my tank has been exposed to the parasite or is qt' ing all "wet" life the way to go??
<the latter my friend... and we have a ton of info (articles and FAQs) on this subject in our archives here at wetwebmedia.com if you will take the time to read it. Speed up your search by using the google search tool on the main page. Best of luck. Anthony> 

- Quarantine Dilemma -
Hi,
I obviously made a mistake with this quarantine tank and now it is showing ammonia spikes... despite repeated water changes using the display tank water for the changes (along with some premixed salt water)... I am having trouble getting it to cycle...
<Please don't bother with cycling a quarantine tank. The whole point is to have a place that is suitable for treatment with harsh chemicals that would do damage to your display tank. Along with that is a regimen of daily to every other day water changes between 25-50%. Basically, you are avoiding ammonia build up by changing a lot of the water.>
Do you think that I could remove the clown fish... only one remains... to a small goldfish type tank and replace the water in that every 12 hours with the display tank water or some such crazy thing... <I'd really start using fresh-made salt water for this. Using tank water for the change is good to start, but even that will have some portion of dissolved organics and nitrogenous wastes. I'd leave the clown where it is because the goldfish bowl will need aeration and some form of filtration for the clownfish to survive in it.> I really want to get him out of the quarantine tank and let the quarantine tank cycle... <Again, forget about cycling the quarantine tank - just do a 50-75% water change with new water.> Not at all happy about this... or should I chance him in the display tank... I am 'assuming' that the ammonia did in the other clowns but it could be a coincidence... maybe they died of something else... <Maybe, but ammonia is quite toxic.>
I will take out the snails etc and put them in the display tank... of course now I am nervous about doing that...
I am not really sure what happened with this tank but I will try to figure that out later, probably with your help... thanks... H
<No real mystery here. Do a couple of large water changes with new mix water and things so go back to a more even keel. Cheers, J -- >

- Quarantine After the Fact -
Background:  I have an established FO tank (along with two Featherduster worms).  It is 150 gallon tank with a protein skimmer, a 25 gallon wet/dry filter and sump with bioballs, a UV sterilizer which is currently turned off, 125 lbs of live rock, and 2 inches of crushed coral.  The tank currently has a 4" Green bird Wrasse, a 4" Maroon Clown fish, an 18" Snowflake eel, two 1" Yellow-tailed Damsels, and a 2.5" Panther Grouper.
Problem: I made the mistake of adding a Regal Tang to the tank without quarantining it.  Ironically, I received both the Tang and the quarantine tank for my birthday.  Within two hours of placing the Tang within the my main tank it was covered in ich.  Immediately, I set up the 10 gallon quarantine tank, pulled one of my sponge pre-filters, a small live rock, and 20 bioballs from the established tank, and I moved ten gallons of water from the established system to the quarantine tank. After placing the tang in the quarantine tank, I waited a few more hours to see if it might show signs of improvement on its own.  The fish got worse. It was apparent that the fish was succumbing to ich, so I dosed the tank with Cupramine. <Hmm... you really should pull that rock and toss it out. Quarantine tanks should be set up bare - no substrate or rock as both of these will absorb copper and make it more difficult to reach the dose appropriate for treatment. Decorate instead with large PVC fittings, which don't react with copper.>
Within a day the ich seemed to go away, and I planned to keep the Tang in the tank for a total of three weeks to ensure that no ich returned. <Well, for a copper treatment to be effective, you need to dose the copper continuously for 14 days.> Unfortunately, secondary infections seemed to occur in the form of red spots and raised bumps on the fish's body. <If you haven't been doing daily water changes, then you probably have water quality issues that are making matters worse.> I waited a couple of more days to see if the fish might get over the secondary symptoms, which it didn't. Additionally gray, fuzzy spots and indentations showed up and spread along the fish's body.
The fish had no appetite and would not eat anything.  To make matters worse, ammonia levels started to spike in the quarantine tank, so I had to change out water a few hours after every attempted feeding.
Finally, I treated the water with antibacterial/antifungal medicine from Mardel, which isn't recommended to be used with any copper treatment.  As such, I didn't re-dose the water with copper after the water change prior to using the antifungal/antibacterial treatment.
As the situation now stands, the fungus/bacterial infections have only gotten worse (red spots, grey patches, raised bumps, and body indentations), the ich has returned, the fish has eaten nothing for over a week, and it is becoming lethargic.  I fear that the fish will not live, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to try and keep it alive if possible.  On the other hand, I don't really want it to suffer much more than it has if this is a hopeless cause.  Do you have any suggestions? <Hmm... besides pulling the live rock, I'd skip the anti-fungal treatment and go back to the copper. Start with a pH-adjusted, freshwater dip and then medicate copper consistently for two weeks, along with daily water changes. I agree with your assessment that this may be a lost cause, and that would be a shame, but any fish can take only so many insults before it simply gives up. As a post-facto item, unless you selected this fish and gave it to yourself as a gift, I would make clear to all concerned that gifting fish is not in your [or the fish's] best interest. If someone wants to buy you a fish, they should take you to the store and let you make the selection. I'd be willing to bet that this fish wasn't looking so well at the store and was doomed before you got it.> Would a freshwater dip help with the apparent fungal and bacterial infections as well as the ich? <Yes, is where I would have started all this.>
A second question:  The day after I removed the Tang from the main tank, I noticed trace amounts of apparent ich on the Green bird Wrasse.  I waited to see what would happen, as I had no room in the quarantine tank for it, given the fact that the tank hadn't been cycled. <Cycling a quarantine tank is not important, treatment is. The standard operating procedure is to have make-up water in a constant state of readiness and change 25-50% a day to every other day depending on conditions. Copper, formalin and other compounds used as treatments in quarantine will stall biological filtration so it makes no sense to try and establish it.> After a couple of days the spots disappeared.  A week later, they reappeared, and a day after (today), they are almost gone again. <Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasiti.htm
The best example I can think of is fleas; if your dog gets fleas then the fleas lay eggs, and while the fleas might seem to go away, later on the eggs hatch, and now your whole house has fleas. Very similar with ich - is able to reproduce at a very rapid and prolific pace. So... the white spots will come and go on their own, but become more virulent all the time.>
No other fishes in the main tank have shown any sign of ich.  My question is this:  should I turn on the UV sterilizer? <Yes... make sure the flow rate is slow enough to kill protozoans. This will depend on the wattage of the bulb, but as I recall, a 25 watt bulb will kill ich at a flow rate of no more than 150 GPH.> If so, will the sterilizer harm the invertebrate food that I'm feeding to my Featherduster worms? <I'd be willing to bet - unless you use DT's [which is too large a particle for feather dusters] - that your 'food' is already dead.> If the ich disappears completely from the Wrasse in the next day, do you think I might have averted an outbreak in the main tank? <Most likely not. Please read the following articles - will provide some background:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/treatmen.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm >
Your help is greatly appreciated.
T. Cave
<Cheers, J -- >

Consecutive Quarantine Residents?
Good morning Scott F.

QT methodology
Dear WWM QT-guru:
I've had a juvenile Coral Beauty in QT for about 2 weeks since I purchased it from an LFS. This fish had been there for about 6 weeks and had contracted a mild case of ick that had 'almost' completely subsided by the time I bought it (without it going into the LFS' sick tank.) My thinking is that if this fish survived 6 weeks in my LFS and came out of an ick cycle seemingly unscathed, then it should be relatively hardy.
<agreed>
Within 1 day of being in QT it lost the single remaining white cyst on its fin, or at least I can't see it anymore. I haven't done any kind of dips or hyposalinity treatments or run copper; I just used a liberal amount of Methylene blue in my acclimation tank (also known as a Rubbermaid bucket) during the acclimation procedure, for about 30 minutes.<ok>
Now I know that using M.B. as a dip alone isn't really an effective treatment against the embedded-in-the-fish part of the ick's life cycle, but I'm curious why the ick seems to have just 'gone away' so quickly,
<because it probably is reproducing in your QT container. and believe me it will come back in record numbers!>
especially after removing it from a constantly coppered LFS fish tank.
So (here's the question:) what would you recommend doing besides my waiting the 30-days in QT to ensure I've really nuked the ick?
<nothing unless your fish shows signs of ich>
I do the every other day or so vacuuming of the entire QT floor, and I take out and sterilize the minimal decorations in the tank at the same time, but that's it. Should I try a freshwater dip and return the CB to the QT after changing 100% of the QT water, and sterilizing everything (filter, decor, etc.?) Or should I try the hi-temp & hyposalinity thing for 14 days? Copper? Or, just do nothing
and keep watching the CB for 30 days?<I would just keep watching and see if the ich does come back, I would not treat the fish unless he shows signs of the ich.>
Your advice is greatly appreciated and taken to heart .....
SLC <IanB>

QT aquarium
I've read that you can set up your q-tank using water from your main system. <yes you can> I did that with my first one. It worked great for making the q-tank stable. <ok> Now I have had ick in my main system and am letting it sit empty of fish. Is it a good idea to use that same water in the q-tank as well?<yeah you can use this water. the parasites reside in the gravel and rocks>
<<No! Ian... the tomites are free-swimming... RMF>>
 It doesn't sound too smart to me.<it should be ok.. and if you treat the qt aquarium with copper sulfate all the parasites will be killed> Wouldn't that just be introducing the ick to the q-tank?<not necessarily> I need to know because I am starting the q-tank again. Also, if you already have a fish in quarantine and need to remove a fish from your main tank is it ok to put the ill fish in with the new fish and extend the quarantine on the new fish as well then?<yes, but make sure you treat them> This hasn't happened to me yet but I want to know in case it ever does. How do you clean the q-tank after having disease in it?<you just wash it out with soap and water.
<<What? No! Do not use surfactants in or around biological systems. RMF>>
but make sure you rinse it well, Good luck, IanB>

Skimming the QT? 8/16/03
Thanks for the reply.  I am more secure now.  One additional thought or rather question.  Should we be protein skimming the quarantine tank? Thanks again
<not necessary for the amount of water changes that are patently necessary for the brief term of quarantine. Anthony>

Refugium Q
Mr. Fenner:
<Steve>
First off let me tell you what an honor it is to have your ear here, after all you have done and brought to light in the aquarium keeping business!
<An honor to serve>
My original letter was... currently have a:  45Gallon, 35Lbs LS, 45Lbs LR, 2 False Perculas, 2 Chocolate Chip Stars, 1Peppermint Shrimp, ~15 blue and scarlet leg crabs, 3 Bumble Bee snails, 1 Nassarius snail, ~2 Queen Conchs, Equip: AquaC Remora Skimmer w/MaxiJet 1200, Magnum 350 Canister, ZooMed PowerSweep powerhead, Coralife 96W 36" 50/50 10,000 Kelvin/Actinic Blue VHO lights.  In the next few weeks, I am planning on setting up a refugium...so that I can just use the Magnum on a very occasional basis to clean the particulate stuff in the tank, set up MH lighting in the main tank, move the stars and current lighting to the to the refugium so I can place some corals in the main tank.  My question is this...space is very very limited, and I was wondering what the smallest size of a refugium I could setup...and still get all it's benefits, and how much LR, and LS should be in it?
<At least ten gallons... minimum. "The bigger the better"... twenty or more if you can fit it in>
Thanks in advance!!
Cheers!
Steve
<Thank you for writing. Bob Fenner>

Quarantine Quandary
Hi WWM crew,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you tonight!>
Sorry to write again so soon. But here is the thing. I just had a very pretty Coral Beauty die on me in my QT.
<Must be a lot of that going around with Coral Beauties these days...>
I feel I may have killed it but wonder if it might have been the reverse. The tank was started over---here is what I did:
I put a new sponge (Whisper) in my main tank for 3 weeks. Then I put in maybe 6 gals of new water and added 4 gals of water (maybe more) from the main tank.
<Good, although you could have used 100% tank water, too>
The main tank is doing nicely aside from some nasty algae
<This, too, shall pass>
, but everything is thriving, and it has been going for over a year. The QT sat around like this for awhile.
<Remember, a QT is not a permanent feature...You break it down when not in use>
Anyway on to yesterday:
I had the fish just about two weeks.  I had just done a water change (1 gal), this is in a ten gal. This was the second water change. The water change is from my main tank. During the water change I pulled some PVC around and the fish swam
about briefly. It looked healthy but has been rather shy. Yesterday sometime or other the fish died.
<Bummer...>
I was rather busy yesterday and I think pulled the dead fish out today.
<Not the best practice, but we all have busy lives to lead....understandable>
Post mortem revealed no burning, spots or marks of any kind-- darn
healthiest looking dead fish I have ever seen. When the fish was alive I don't remember seeing heavily clamped fins or trouble breathing. I turned the Whisper off last night.
Today I did a water test on the Qt and found the following rather
alarming figures. I must say maybe I have gotten a little unconscientious on the water tests.
<Oops>
Both tanks are usually almost boringly stable. Even the Qt. But anyway here are the test results: temp 7.8; SG 1.023; ph 8.2; ammonia .6 !; nitrite 1 ! and nitrate 10.
<Don't like that ammonia level. or the nitrite level..>
To me this looks like a cycle or maybe a recycle. Could a dead fish have caused this?
<In a small tank with minimal filtration, it's entirely possible...>
Or could the fish have lived that long in water that bad? I know a
damsel might but this was a Coral beauty. Or was the tank just too unestablished? (BTW, this doesn't sound too dissimilar to how I have started up a QT in the past.) I can't say I have not had unexplained deaths in the past. Would I see no distress in a fish with this water quality or lack thereof?
<You would most likely see distress of some sort...Again, I'd opt to break down the QT between uses...Do test the water during the QT period...Hard to be sure exactly what it was that killed the fish...It could have been the ammonia and nitrite levels, if they were detectible prior to the fish's death...Or- it could have been poor collection practices (entirely beyond your control), etc. Don't be discouraged...Hang in there! Regards, Scott F>
BTW, I did look in the FAQs but didn't find anything quite like this
mentioned.
Also what to do at this point with it? Big water change or let the tank
just cycle itself out.
Only biomedia is the sponge in the whisper.
Thanks.
--des

Quarantine Quandary! (Pt. 2)
A couple more questions. Don't worry we won't have a round like I did on the algae. :-) Thanks for your reply.
<No problem!>
Have you seen a lot of problems with Coral Beauties? I have heard someone in Texas mention this-- that several friends of theirs lost  CBs under similar circumstances.
<I have heard of quite a few people having problems with Coral Beauties lately. I have a feeling that a lot of the problem stems from collection and handling. Unfortunately, some of the CB's coming in from the Philippines are still collected under suspect conditions (i.e.; chemicals), and this may contribute to the problem. Perhaps it may be worthwhile to ask your retailer to obtain stock that are known to come from other regions. Australian Coral Beauties are great fishes, conscientiously collected, well-handled, and of high quality. You could purchase some from Marine Center, where they actually list them as "Australian".>
Perhaps I should look for a different dwarf angel for the tank. I was going for the CB as I have reason to believe they might be a bit more reef "safe" (relatively I mean!) than say a Flame and easier to find than an Argi (though I just love these).
<I personally keep a Coral Beauty in a reef system, and have never noticed a problem. This doesn't mean that they are "reef safe", of course- just that I have a specimen that likes what I'm feeding him better than the coral foraging in the tank! I do believe, however, that they are a bit more "reef friendly" than some other Centropyge. BTW, C. argi are also one of the more safe choices for a reef system, IMO.>
Are there just not such good ones now or something? BTW, I did not mention but this was an unusually small one, maybe an inch long.
<Well, sometimes, small Centropyge angels don't travel or acclimate well. This could have been another factor...>
BTW, my corals are all softies and 'shrooms.
<I think that, as Scott Michael says, some of the "more noxious" soft corals are safer than LPS when kept in the company of angels>
The main tank is doing nicely aside from some nasty algae
<This, too, shall pass>
Hopefully. Actually I believe it is looking a bit better the past
couple weeks.
<Consistent, aggressive maintenance will win out!>
I've been changing and adding fish though. Due to the weirdness of the Albuquerque market I have only 2 fish in the tank. A variety of inverts though.
<That' under crowding...I like that! LOL>
Long story.  
I must say maybe I have gotten a little unconscientious on the water tests.
<Oops>
Yep I think I learned my lesson. And as for aquarium lessons it was probably a cheap one. :-}
<Yep, in the scheme of things...The key word is "learn"!>
Ok which of these would you recommend. I am trying again with another fish. Should I do the large water change or let the tank (re)cycle.
<I'd let the tank cycle at this point...>
Hey this time I'll do the water tests!!
<There ya go!>
Thanks again, Scott,
des
<My pleasure! Ahead Warp 1! Regards, Scott F>

Quarantine Quandary? Pt. Nth
Scott,
<Hey there!>
O.K., I lied! (about leaving you alone).
<I like the company! LOL>
Have spent several hours again today reading through articles and FAQs (really liked the one you did on quarantining inverts)
<Glad you like it! An oft-overlooked procedure, IMO!>
and have a question I could not find an answer to.
<Ahh...ask away...>
All the hardware is up and running, the rock is in, the water is pristine (all thanks to you), so working now on the lighting and quarantine and stocking plan.  
<That's the fun part!>
Since I have at least a few weeks before I can do any stocking (checking ammonia, nitrites/trates every day just so I can see what is going on), and will need to quarantine the fishes for another four weeks, can I actually start quarantine now, without any bacteria-rich filtering media (don't have any as display is only on third day of cycling) by doing say, 25% water changes every other day?
<You can, but this is an instance where I'd be inclined to use one of the "instant bacteria" cultures (such as "Fritz Zyme", "Bio Spira", "Cycle", etc. to "kick start" the QT filter...>
The set up I was thinking about was a 20g aquarium I have with a hood, following all the guidelines on WWM (sponge filter, no substrate, pvc hiding places, freshwater dips, etc.). Thought was to put in the two small Amphiprion percula and 3" Paracanthurus hepatus.  Once those are QT'ed for four weeks, then start on whatever the next addition might be.
<Perfect! Should work really well, and a great practice to get in to!>
Assuming this is even workable without the bacteria, is this too much load?  I also have a 55g that I have not set up yet, but if I can avoid changing out that much water every other day (or every day if necessary) would like to.
<In a QT tank, I'd monitor water quality just as in the main tank, and would go for the twice weekly (or more frequently, if you're a water change geek like me) changes to maintain high water quality.>
Finally, in reading FAQs I read a response from Bob that said there are two types of quarantines, one for actually treatment of disease, that should be at least 4 weeks, and one for just checking out the new fish to make sure he is acting right and shows no visible signs of stress or disease, that can last for as little as a few days or a week.  Only saw it in one FAQ and wondering is this is a workable approach.
<Well, for certain fishes that have a reputation for being "clean", or which have extreme hardship during a prolonged quarantine process, it is sometimes possible to keep them in a QT for "hardening" for a shorter period of time. For most of us, however, I would adhere to the 3-4 week rule without exception>
The fish store I finally found has a pretty strict quarantine system and pretty low turnover (they only get fish once every 4-6 weeks, so most of the fish there have already been quarantined and in the tanks for at least a few weeks).
<Well, remember, once they are placed in the dealer's system, they are subjected to all of the potential diseases that may be in the system...I'd err on the side of caution and quarantine the full 3-4 weeks...>
Thanks again.  If I am abusing my privileges, just let me know :o)
Best regards, Jim
<Not "abusing" at all, Jim! That's why we're here! Feel free to write any time! Good luck with the new system- wishing you success! Regards, Scott F>

Quarantine Concepts
Hi there
<Hello! Scott F. with you tonight!>
Great site by the way! I can't believe just how much useful information there is on this site. However, I've searched high and low and I don't think this question has been answered yet...
<Well- let's give it a shot!>
I have a question re setting up a quarantine system:
I have a 150 gallon tank set up, with sump, skimmer, refugium etc and a circulation pump back up to the main tank. As the 'cleansed' water goes back into the main tank from the sump, can I take a drip-feed off the return pipe that goes into a separate tank (the quarantine tank). Once this quarantine tank is full up, it will overflow into a waste bucket which I empty every few days when it is full. The lost water from the main tank (that fed the quarantine) is replaced, just like I replace water lost through evaporation.
<Interesting...>
The advantages of this are that the quarantined fish is being quarantined in the water in which it is eventually going to live in, there is no feedback from the quarantine tank to the main tank, the water in the quarantine tank is continually being flushed through and is of the same high quality as my tank. Best of all, its cheap! Please let me know if this is possible.
<Agreed- a unique concept. However, I tend to favor a more simple concept in a quarantine setup: A separate tank, set up on a temporary, as needed basis-without any interaction whatsoever with the main system. Although your concept is novel, and the likelihood of serious malfunction is low, I'd keep it as easy as possible...Good old fashioned sponge filter with in a 10-20 gallon tank. Use water from the main tank (like what you are correctly thinking of using), and there you go! Easy>
Thanks! Gubs
<Again- I like your idea- I just like a more simple application. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Rockin' In The Quarantine Tank!
Hello Scott. F
<Hi there!>
How are you today??? I hope you had a GREAT weekend!!!
<Doing great! Hope you're doing well, too! My weekend was about two days too short! LOL>
Well, all is good so far with my Royal Gramma!
<Glad to hear that! Aren't they awesome fish? Even as an admitted Indo Pacific "snob", I love grammas!>
My next two fish are going to be 2 Banggai Cardinals. I would like to buy a male and a female, how can I tell them apart???
<My understanding is that there are some external sex differences, but they are somewhat unreliable. I've heard that the females have more full bodies, other people swear by the fins- more rounded in the females...I dunno-none sound too reliable to me. If it were me, I'd either shop for a proven pair, or consider a small group to allow them to pair off on their own...>
Also ,do you think is a good idea to put 2 small pieces of live rock in my QT tank for more bio filtration for my 2 fish, then when the QT is over put them back in my main tank???
<Honestly, I favor inert materials in the QT for a couple of reasons. Number one- even live rock carries with it the possibility of "on board" parasites or other undesirable animals. Number two- If it becomes necessary to medicate, live rock can essentially "suck up" medications, making it more difficult to maintain a correct therapeutic dosage. I'd use inert products (PVC or ceramic flower pots) for hiding places. I do occasionally make an exception and use a piece or two of cured live rock when attempting to acclimate fussy Centropyge angelfish, which may "graze" on it as they transition to captivity. However, for most situations- I'd pass on any live materials in quarantine...>  
Thanx for all you do, talk to you soon Alex
<Any time, Alex! I wish you luck with your efforts! Sounds like things are going well! Regards, Scott F.>

QT setup
When you say bottom should be bare, does that mean no live rock?
<Yup, no substrate, no live rock, just a filter, some hiding places (PVC works well), and frequent water changes and testing of water to ensure quality water.-Gage>

Quarantine 411!
I was convinced to quarantine new arrivals per the encouragement of Bob Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist and Anthony Calfo's book on coral propagation.
<Absolutely...Probably the best thing a hobbyist can do to ensure success and health with new arrivals>
However, my first two subjects -- a blue tang and a pygmy angel -- nearly died.  After 24 hours in the QT, they were both laying on their sides on the bottom breathing heavy.  I transferred them to the main tank, and a week later they seems to be doing fine.
<Hm...>
The QT tank was about 20 gallons (it's about a 1/3 section of my 60 gallon refugium that I can feed from the main tank or not as I choose, and the dimensions of the QT portion  are approximately 12"L x 24"W x 16"H). There wasn't much current in the QT, just a sponge filter, and the air pump on that sponge filter was a bit tired. The sponge filter was in the refugium a week prior (on the theory that it would soak up good bacteria>)  The water in the QT was from my main tank, and I transferred in some live rock to the QT, and there was also some macroalgae in there. In the 24 hours that the fish suffered in the QT, I did two 10% water changes, again using the main tank water.
<Well, letting the sponge acquire beneficial bacteria in the main system is a good idea...It may have been detrimental to utilize a pump that couldn't produce enough bubbles to help aerate the system...A thought>
What can I do to improve the QT?  Perhaps I should  not put in live rock or macroalgae?  Should I put in a powerhead?  What kind of filter should I use instead of the sponge filter?  A protein skimmer?  A bio-wheel?  A wet-dry filter?
<Well, my concept of a quarantine system is a completely separate tank or container, which is not attached in any way to the display tank. I generally use a sponge filter (which sits in my sump when not in use). Do power it with a sufficiently powerful sump. You could add a powerhead for some additional circulation. Bottom should be bare. Change water frequently (2 to 3 times a week is optimal), and utilize overall good husbandry techniques...Should be fine!>
Please help.  My first attempt at using the QT was pretty discouraging.
<Do retry with the very minor modifications that we discussed here. Also, do check the WWM site for more details on the quarantine process...Lots of good stuff here. Most important of all- stay with it! Don't give up this process because of this one bad experience! You'll be fine! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

QT Problems  7/9/03
<It appears that another crew member helped you out before.  I'm gonna try and fill in for that person.  So tonight you've got crew member Phil w/ ya!>
*Note this is the current tank info*
recent readings:
7/3 (day before I went on vacation) ammonia 2.0, nitrite 5.0 (I think, hard to tell with the kit when nitrites are high), nitrate 20 <All the levels are too high.>
7/6 (when I came back) ammonia 0.5 nitrite 5.0 nitrate 20 <Still not good, do more water changes.>
I did a 20% water change the day I came back, and 2 x 20% water changes 6 hours apart the next day (to try and get the nitrites down). The original response said to use cycle (bacteria colonization product), but if the fish is due to be moved out of quarantine this week anyway, wouldn't large water changes be more useful?
<Yes, but in the future make sure the QT is cycled so this doesn't happen again... LOL>
Also, I'm seeing some talcum like particles around the heater, etc.  it's sort of reddish.  I can't tell if it's undissolved salt that has been colored by the Gracilaria (there was a dusting of undissolved salt on the bottom that never seemed to dissolve for some reason ever since I mixed the saltwater), or if it's ich. Fish doesn't seem to be showing symptoms of ich.  saw 2-3 white dots before I went on vacation, but these have since disappeared.  If it is ich, how do I tell?
<It would be tough, your best bet is to just remove it.> 
Also, how did it get there, as I originally did a 12 minute Methylene blue freshwater dip?<Sometimes a few particles get through and can cause ICH.  Another great reason for a QT.>  
could it have hijacked it's way on the
Gracilaria?
<Doubtful, most likely on the fish itself.  If it is indeed truly ICH.>
thanks in advance,
<Hope this helps and good luck.  Phil?

The Voyage Home (Returning From The Hospital Tank)
Good morning WWM team:
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today!>
Quick question - my aquatic family has been in Q for 5 weeks while display tank fallows (ick). Is there a preferred protocol for returning to the display? As in - do you send in one volunteer to check for ick return or return all to the display at the same time (in aggressive order)?
<Personally, I like to get all of the fishes back in at one time. It's certainly acceptable protocol to add them gradually, too-in "aggressive order" as you suggested. It's just a matter of personal preference. Since I assume that your biological filtration has been continuing in the fallow tank, I'm sure that the organic processing capabilities of the tank are intact. If you feel it necessary, than by all means proceed slowly with re-stocking>
Follow up question: do you prefer gradual transfer of display water to replace Q water over a week or two for acclimation or standard float, acclimate as if coming in from outside supplier?
Charlie Shatzkin
<Well, Charlie, I'm an advocate of using display tank water in the quarantine or hospital setup, so that the fishes are adapted to your display tank's conditions. If you have been using other water for the QT, I'd begin replacing the QT water with display tank water for a week or so. This has two advantages: 1) It will allow the fishes to re-adapt to their home environment again 2) If there are some free-swimming parasites still about (unlikely, but a theoretical possibility), it's a lot better for your fishes to become "re-infected" in the hospital tank, where they can be readily treated again if required. You've done well so far- just proceed slowly, in a manner in which you are most comfortable. Hang in there, and good luck! Regards, Scott F>

- Quarantine and Treatments -
Dear Crew:
Thank you all of you. I really want to buy you guys' dinner because all of you save me thousands! <I won't say no.>
Anyway, I have a question or two. First I have 2 fishes in QT, luckily I did this because the juv emperor appears to have ich all of a sudden, and really, when I bought the specimen, no visible spot on it.. (Please post this into the faq because I finally realize the qt save me money). Anyway, I discover a couple of spot on it's fins on the morning, and by afternoon it has already spread to the body, so I decided to administer Cupramine. With the blue hippo seems unaffected.
My questions are:
1. if I follow the recommended dosage by SeaChem, and use SeaChem test for copper, but the result is less than 0.05, should I trust the kit or recommended dosage? <Make sure the kit is appropriate for the Seachem copper - although I can't recall this exact product, it may be chelated copper which requires a specific test kit.>
2. When I follow the treatment for 14 days, do I keep both specimen in the qt a little longer even they show no ich, and cut copper with carbon?? <That would be fine.>
3. I used 2 sponge filter for biological filtration, and usually I keep it in my display sump (like you recommended) after cupper treatment I am a little bit weary about putting it back in, even I will use carbon to take cupper out.. Is there other way the sponge can be reuse? <No, I'd toss it.>
4. For dips, I read an article saying using Formalin.. Where can I obtain Formalin and how to administer? <It's available straight up and in mixes with malachite green - Quick Cure is one of the most popular of such mixes - do be careful when you dose Formalin - it is toxic and overdoses will kill. But do keep in mind that with angels/tangs - Formalin is actually preferred over copper because of the sensitivity of these fish to copper - not to say they can't take copper, you just need to be very careful of the dose.>
5. Is lighting period important in the qt?? <No... I'd even just leave the light fixture off the tank - subdued lighting will help keep the fish at ease.> What is the minimum lighting period and how it is affecting the fish? <I'd just use whatever daylight is available.> Is it suppose to leave the QT dark? <Perhaps not a complete absence of light, but certainly a night/day cycle of lighting in some form would be best.> I think my specimens are already getting used to 10 hrs photoperiod. will it stress them out? <Not really.>
6. I am using vitamin b complex and c tablets, dissolved and soaked the Mysis shrimp before feeding, can vitamin soaked food be refrigerated? <Yes, but if these are vitamins made for human consumption, I would stop adding these and switch to vitamin compounds made for aquarium use.> Will the vitamin disintegrated? <Only over long periods of time.> Can vitamin be overdose? <Yes... more the reason to not use vitamins meant for human consumption.> If so how much is good? <Purchase aquarium-use vitamin formulas - Boyd's Vita Chem, Selcon, etc...>
7. I currently have angels and tangs, also some Anthias in the tank, can Nori be a main staple food source for these fishes? <Not for the Anthias, and really not for the angels either - most all angels need some meaty food in their diet, and the tang would likewise benefit from such offerings.> I heard dried Nori seaweed are better food because they have less organics (problems of overfeed.) is it true? <Don't know - haven't heard this rumor, have no way to substantiate it.> I am currently feeding 50% Nori and 50% Mysis. And I think feeding is a main source of problem for my recent algae boom (red slime).
8. Can I "overdose" carbon? <Yes.> Will carbon harm fish? <There is a condition known as carbon shock, where too much carbon is added to a system, and the carbon changes the water chemistry instantly and drastically - just avoid using excessive amounts of carbon and you should be fine.>
Thank you very much!
Waiting to hear from you guys!
Sincerely,
Eric
<Cheers, J -- >

Qt trouble
Mr. Fenner,
Great forum, been an eye opener for me. I have set us a 210 gallon FOWLR tank 3 months back. Not being aware of proper quarantine procedure, we stocked it with the following.
1 Maculosus Angel 3-4"
>1 Yellow Tang 3"
>1 Starcki Damsel 3"
4 Clownfish 1.5"
2 Scooter Blennies 2"
2 Neon Gobies.
After much reading decided to employ a QT for new arrivals. Set up a 10 gallon for this purpose, purchased a Hippo Tang and a  Coral Beauty placing them in the tank for the prescribed time.
<Wish this had been a larger QT tank>
However we noticed a few spots forming on a couple of the fish in the main tank. Not knowing for sure we paid the owner from our LFS to come out and have a look.
<Good idea>
He informed us that we have Marine Velvet. We Immediately purchased a 40 gallon and set up another QT for a sick tank and removed all our remaining fish to it after a FW bath for each. ( I am still to this day not convinced after much reading, that we had anything at all). They have all been clear of visible parasites since, however we have been battling (in both QTs) with Nitrites and ammonia the whole time. Both have been running between .5 and 1ppm. I employ daily 25-30% water changes and have added Bio Spira to try and kick in a cycle.
<Good moves>
The fish have been in quarantine for 16 days and are doing much rubbing on their gills and jerking, obviously bothered by something. Also the Starcki and the Yellow Tang are showing a bit of fin deterioration.
I mistakenly transferred the Coral Beauty to the larger tank because of the ammonia level in the 10 gallon and she was picked on horribly. She developed pop eye on one eye and was scratching a lot, so I moved her back to the 10 gallon. Since this time my other fish have been scratching even more, but not showing any signs of parasites. I have lowered the spg to .012 and raised the temp to 80 degrees on both tanks , dipped all the fishes and am using no meds.
<A shame... I would have administered copper, chelated or not>
Is it possible the Coral Beauty brought a bacterial or fungal infection to my other fish?
<Not bacterial or fungal... these are almost always very secondary to other causative factors... perhaps parasites though>
Or might it just be the water quality causing them to scratch?
<Might well be>
Should I medicate with some Maracyn just in case?
<I would not>
My plan was to allow the main tank to run fallow for 4-5 weeks. But I need to decide if the treatment is possibly harder on them.
<You are wise to consider this>
My temptation is to move them all back to the main tank, I am still not convinced that we had ich or velvet for that matter at all. It seems that the treatment may be more stressful on them.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Kind regards,
Kurt
frigid NE Ohio
<Wish you were out here in HI with me... it's actually getting lonely diving day to day! I might well move all into the larger, more stable system and hope for the best... as you suggest, this may well be the better choice. Bob Fenner>

Quarantine Quandary
I had ich before, and as of right now my main tank has been fallow for about 40 days. I also have two q-tine tanks. a 10g with a flame hawk and 4 Chromis in it, they've been in hypo for about 3 weeks and have seemed symptom free ever since. My other is a 30g, that contains a juvenile. Maculosus Angel, Blackback Butterfly, and an Australian Harlequin Tusk. The Mac and the butterfly have been there about two weeks and the Tusk only a week. The Mac and butterfly have been eating good and I have yet to get the tusk to eat. My plan was to keep them in there until they all starting eating and then do hypo for about three weeks just to be safe, before introducing them to my tank. But now the Blackback appears to have a couple ich spots and I'm not exactly sure how to go about treating him.  I really hate to treat the tank its in because the tusk is not eating and I'm afraid if I add any copper or use hypo it will further prolong the feeding strike.
<A logical concern on your part>
Assuming this, my options would be:
1)Add the fish from the 10g to the main tank even though it hasn't been a full 6 weeks, and putting the butterfly in the 10g for treatment. From what I understand, both the Mac and Tusk are relatively tough and might not ever show symptoms of ich, so they might be fine if left in the 30g.
2)Move both the Mac and the Blackback to the 10g (they are both small) so that I can make sure they are disease free before adding them to the tank. I want to leave no doubts, and would use either copper or hypo?. This option would also give my tusk the 30g to himself, and I could use room lights only, he hates the tank light what are your thought?
<I kind of like plan B. I have never been a big fan of hyposalinity as an ich therapy, but I guess that if it's been a full three weeks, you could take a calculated risk here. Besides, this frees you to treat medically the fish that need it, and gives the Tusk a chance to acclimate better.>
Also my Tusk is my most prized fish, he is by far the best looking one I've ever seen, and is quite large (about 5-6in) even though I ordered a medium. I'll kill myself if I lose him. What can I do to make sure he begins eating?
<Keep the water quality high, the food plentiful and of good quality, and the lighting subdued...>
he just always hides and doesn't seem interested in clams, mussels, squid or Mysis. And at what point should I begin worrying?
Thanks so much. Brandon
<Well, Brandon, it's always appropriate t be concerned when a fish does not eat. However, the Tusk is a fairly sturdy fish, so I'd keep attempting to feed him with a variety of foods. You may also want to introduce some liquid vitamin preparation, such as Vita-Chem, directly into the QT water, as fish do drink, and can derive some benefit from the careful use of vitamins. Keep trying. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Update on "The Plan" - QT Crowd and Ammonia
Actually slight modifications after much ready.
<It's good to be flexible.>
Updated plan.
<Lay it on me.>
Pull fish , FW dip with Meth Blue.
<Check.>
Into the QT without the skimmer.
<Ok (skimming is fine if you're NOT medicating, btw).>
Hold off on copper, instead lower salinity (should I do this gradual) 1.010 and raise temp 83-4.  Couple this with daily FW dips with Meth Blue.
<The salinity can be lowered over the course of a couple of days, I like a slow drip, but you'd need to make a device.  Very easily done with silicone (or waterproof epoxy), an airline valve, and a plastic jug (2 liter soda bottle, milk jug, something like that).  Just make your hole to fit, silicone in place, add airline, set drip rate.  Voila.>
If this doesn't do it, add copper.
<That or the Formalin (though you already have the copper).  If your fish aren't severely stressed by now, I very much doubt it's velvet you're dealing with.  Be thankful for small favors.>
The copper scares me and the fish are not that sick yet.
Thanks again, Kurt
<Understood.  I honestly think that between the hypo and daily dips (don't leave out siphoning off the bottom of the tank after dipping and feeding - you can do this with a bit of airline tubing for better control), and the fallowing, you should be golden.  The fish will be doing MUCH better in a 40 gallon, but you will likely be forced to do the water changes on a rather large scale.  Good news is that you CAN use a sponge filter for bio-filtration, the hypo won't  kill off the bacteria the way the meds will.  You can also skim, it just won't be quite as efficient.  I like your plan, Kurt!  If the copper can be avoided, let's do try.  Marina>

Quarantine Questions...
Hello,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today!>
I was wondering: I have a 100gal reef tank with a red sea Sailfin tang, gold bar fairy wrasse, peppermint hog and numerous inverts and corals. I had a bout with ich about a week ago and lost my chevron tang. All fish are fine for now.
<That's the key word here..."now". Do keep a close eye on things and assume that the tank is a "hot zone">
I'm just about ready to add a bunch of various zoanthids and a
lineatus wrasse. Obviously I have a Cryptocaryon irritans problem. I was wondering if it makes sense to attempt and catch the three remaining fish and quarantine them in a hyposalinity situation for a month.
<Absolutely! Good move...Let the display run "fallow" , without fishes, during this period of time>
If so, after I re-enter them and decide to put another piece of coral into the tank, do I have to quarantine that coral for a month due to torments that might be attached?
<I'm a quarantine freak. I quarantine all new arrivals-fish and corals. However, in a "fish free" environment, it is quite likely that the majority of the causative parasites will die for lack of fish hosts, so you might as well leave the current coral residents in the display.>
Or, should I add the lineatus (which has been in a tank without ick
for a month) and hope that all fish in the tank build up a tolerance. Don't know which one is more stressful.
Thanks Scott
<Well, Scott- I have two options for you. Set up another quarantine tank for just the wrasse, or ask the LFS to hold the fish until quarantine space is available. Either way-it's less stressful on both the fish to keep them in a disease-free environment. Patience! Regards, Scott F>

QT/Treatment questions (1/13/2004)
I have a question for you guys <Steve Allen tonight>; What's a good chemical to quarantine a moray in?
<Is it sick? If we're talking quarantine before adding to a tank, no chemicals are needed. If we're talking ich, that's a different story.>
I know because they are scaleless that copper is extremely dangerous
<risky indeed, can be done carefully, but I would not try it myself--better options are available>
so how could I quarantine them with other fish if chemicals are a threat?
<Use something other than copper to treat.>
Also when doing a freshwater dip practically what you're doing is letting them lay in conditioned tap water for a certain amount of time to allow any external parasites to release under the harsh water conditions? <Yes>
And when doing a dip is there a need to add any chemicals to the freshwater, or just the fact of a being in freshwater work?
<The FW helps, but if there is a serious infestation, the addition of Formalin may be helpful. Be careful with it though, it's toxic. Read/follow instructions carefully. When dipping most fish in FW, I like to add Methylene blue. However, I recently learned that this is not good for eels. For other fish, it increases oxygenation of the water. I also think the darkness of the water helps to calm them. If you do dip an eel, be really careful--it'll try to jump out.
Start reading here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichart2mar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/copperfa.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/martrthyposalfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm
Hope this helps.>

- Quarantine Quandary - 
Hi again Crew, 
Been sending you e-mails for a while now. I've lost probably 6 Rabbitfish, but damn it, I've ordered another one, and I hope to not make the same mistakes again. 
Anyway, my questions (and please, please, please, don't be vague in your answers, it's been a year, no livestock, I'm getting very frustrated): 
1) Last Rabbitfish I got was from an ich infected tank (yeah, I know, bad move). I Methylene blue dipped it.
<I'm assuming you meant with pH-adjusted freshwater with Methylene blue in it??? Flesh dripping off sounds like something was very wrong with the dip.>
Looked like the flesh was coming off it when it died (could see the "teeth" under a flapping upper lip). Did I dip it too long?
<Well... you haven't given many details about the dip, but it does sound like it was flawed somehow.>
It was maybe 3 inches. Dipped it for 12 minutes.
<That does seem a bit long - probably doesn't need to be any longer than five minutes.>
It never tried to torpedo out of the dip.
<Might well have been doomed before the dip.> 
2) I ordered another one, along with a Scott's fairy wrasse. Should I bother dipping them? Haven't had much luck.
<I dip all my fish, even the expensive ones - you should too. Check your protocol, perhaps you've been doing something wrong. More details here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm > 
3) Will they get along together in a 15 gal QT tank?
<The wrasse and the tang? Yes, I think so... fairy wrasses are fairly easy going, as are Rabbitfish.> 
4) Is it advisable to put 2 fish in the same QT?
<Wait... didn't you just ask that question? Honestly, I wouldn't - will affect your ability to control water quality - would be better to put them in individual quarantine.> 
5) I have a UV sterilizer I used with the display tank. I've been told that it might be a good idea to hook it up to the QT.
<Might be a better place for it.>
Isn't that just delaying the inevitable if the fish are sick?
<I don't follow... isn't quarantine the place you'd want to treat such problems?>
Or is this a good practice? <Is where I run my UV.> 
Thanks in advance,  Rob 
<Cheers, J -- > 

Cloudy eye on PJ cardinal and quarantine practice.
Hello,
<Hi Laurie.  Adam here today.>
I have a 3 year old 46-gallon bow front reef tank with 1 Percula, 1
Bicolor Angel, 1 Neon Dottyback, and 4 Bar Gobies.....all healthy.  I also have many  mushrooms and polyps and a couple leathers.  I recently added 3 small Pajama  Cardinals.  I am 50/50 about quarantining.  If the fish is a strong one (like  my Dottyback), I will quarantine.  These guys are so delicate I chose not to.
<I am befuddled by your logic.  I am strongly in favor of quarantine for all subjects, particularly those that are "delicate" or disease prone.  They are exactly those that are likely to carry or contract disease, not eat, etc.  In other words, they are the fish that quarantine is designed for!>  
After 24-hours they are fine.  Eating well and acting quite normal.  Only an  occasional curious peck from the Dottyback.  No one is really bothering them  too much at all.
<Good to hear.  Such docile fish are often the subjects of aggression.  Beware also that with three, two are likely to pair off and shun the third.>
One Cardinal, however, has a cloudy eye.  I don't want to take him out into the quarantine tank and put him back into the reef only to stress him out even more.  Will the cloudy eye go away by itself or do I need to treat it somehow?
<Effective treatment in a tank containing inverts is not possible (another good reason for quarantine!).  The cloudy eye could have many causes including Amyloodinium (velvet) which spreads and kills rapidly.  I would absolutely remove this fish to a quarantine tank ASAP.  One of the best ways to do this is with a tiny (#20 or so) barbless fish hook designed for fly fishing.  Bait the hook and catch the fish.  It may sound cruel, but it is quite effective and much less stressful than a chase with a net.  If you have the containers to do so, you could also drain the tank to within a few inches of the bottom, net the fish and re-fill.  Inverts should tolerate this for a few minutes to a half hour with no problem.>
A challenge in a reef with live rock, etc.  (I have a UV sterilizer with a brand new bulb.)
<See above tips for removing fish from a reef tank.  Also, you may want to move the UV to the quarantine tank if practical.>
Thank you in advance for your help.
<Good luck!  Adam>
Laurie

- Copper and Scaleless Fish -
WWM : I'm moving all my reef fish into a QT tank to begin a serious treatment for ick. I'm planning on using ionic copper, but I wonder if I should put the scaleless fish like the firefish, blennies and gobies into a separate tank and treat some other way, such as with malachite green? <Not a bad idea.> Any advice would be most appreciated. <Well... scaleless fish can put up with copper, but likely you need to reduce the dose a tad so that they aren't overly irritated by it.>
Thanks, SLC
<Cheers, J -- >

Disease in the QT 12/22/03
I have had my Quarantine Tank and Main Tank setup for almost 1 month.  Both are cycled, Main Tank with Live Rock, Quarantine Tank with 3 Domino Damsels. Main Tank is still fish free, my question is on my Quarantine Tank.  Three days after we got our first damsels, we lost the smallest one to what I presumed was ich (body covered in white fibers, like it had been through a spider web).  I had a chunk of live rock in the QT (as seed) so I did not add copper at that time.  The other two looked fine so I replaced the third musketeer the next day.  Ten days later, I removed the live rock and immediately began to add copper.  Gradually over the next 5 days I got the copper level to .10 and was inching it up toward .15, intending to keep it there for two weeks to rid the tank of ich.
<Congrats on having the dedication to set up a quarantine tank!  See here for info on dips: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm  I am a big fan of prophylactic FW dips for most all fish, and Methylene blue when Ich/velvet are suspected.  I am also a fan of hyposalinity for disease treatment.  Over a period of a few day, reduce your QT specific gravity down to the 1.012 range and hold for two weeks.  Raise back to normal over another week.>
A day or two later a small white spot appeared on the smallest damsel (size of a grain of rice, fuzzy whitish gray on the flank more than halfway back and below center).  I¹m still thinking ich so I keep bumping up my copper gradually until I am at .15.  Five days later our little damsel stopped eating and the area behind the gill (towards the top - directly behind the eye) is looking pinkish (in a vaguely triangular patch).  I watched for a day as he became increasingly lethargic.  I performed a freshwater dip (about 20 seconds, he seemed REALLY unhappy, I buffered the ph of filtered water but I was still afraid I was doing more damage than good, so I got him out).  That was 24 hours ago, he is still swimming around (not at the usual feisty clip) but not eating and mostly hanging out in the bottom corner by the air stone.
<It is hard to guess from this description what might be going on, but FW dips are always quite stressful.  In my opinion and experience, a FW dip of less than at least 10 minutes won’t help, and if a fish dies from a properly conducted FW dip, it was doomed anyway.>
He is "breathing" more rapidly than his tankmates, both of whom appear totally unaffected.  Water is good - PH 8.2, SG 1.023, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5.
<Please confirm these values (particularly Ammonia) with another test kit.>
It has now been 9 days that the level of copper (Cuprex II) has been over .10, the last 5 days have been over .15.  After reading more and getting the sense that copper isn't working, I am starting to worry that this is velvet.
<Quite possible.  Velvet often has inflicted deadly harm by  the time it is diagnosed, but do try the reduced salinity.  I have found it to be quite effective.  It not only inhibits the parasite, but give the fish a metabolic advantage since much of their energy is expended getting rid of salt.>
My plan is to wait and see what happens.  Should I switch the filter for fresh carbon? (I haven't because I don't want to pull the copper out). Any thoughts on how to proceed, what to look for, or what to avoid would be greatly appreciated.  The temptation is to take the Dominos back to the LFS, tear down the QT clean it, leave it dry for a week and restart it.
<I would discontinue the copper and follow the steps outlined above.  Carbon will be a matter of personal preference, but probably won’t hurt.>
Secondary problem (potentially much bigger screw up):  Like a moron I put the Live Rock from the QT in the main tank (I know... but it had these really cool zoanthid polyps and I was so concerned with protecting the polyps from the copper that I didn't consider the rock as a vector to introduce disease to my main tank).  How long should the main tank remain fish free to safely insure that whatever is going on in the QT doesn't affect the main tank?
<30 days should be sufficient.  By the time you complete the hyposalinity protocol, you should be pretty close.>
As always thanks for helping the bumbling newbie.  Arnold
<Don’t sell yourself short.  Even if you lose these fish, you are ahead of most beginners by having a QT tank.  Also, do read up on the info here at WWM on selecting an quarantining fish.  Adam.>

Quarantine length - 12/11/03
Crew:
I have a Sixline Wrasse in Quarantine for 2 weeks now.  I have read that it mainly eats infauna from the LR. <For the most part but I have heard of some accepting prepared foods>  I had a clown goby that Bob recommended I shorten it's quarantine for danger of weight loss/overall health. <OK>  Do I need to shorten my sixline's stay in quarantine and move it to my 55 FOWLR early to meet it's dietary demands? <Have you tried feeding it or is it eating?? Try Cyclop-eeze or mysids? Try to see if you can get it to eat before releasing it from quarantine, in my experience ~Paul> Thanks, Rich.

- Fallow Long Enough? More Follow-up -
Thanks for your advise, <My pleasure.> I will leave him in the tank by himself for a few weeks and observe him.  I went home last night and looked at him and the white dots on his fins were gone, but the fins seemed to be scarred up and cloudy.  But he is otherwise eating normally, and I have not observed him scratching on rocks, or swimming against the water flow.
<The latter is not an indication of disease.>
I did notice that he seemed a bit more red around the nose area.  If he does become heavily infested, I can always put him back in the quarantine tank for another month or two.  One other question I had was.  I had a few hitch hikers with some live rock I purchased; namely bristle worms and a small shrimp like crustacean about the size of Mysis.  They have obviously been multiplying in my tank.  They seem to help keep the tank clean now but I have been told they are a problem for a reef tank.
<Don't agree with this... these are mostly detritivores and will do as you suggested and help keep things clean, but you need not worry about their impact on a reef system.>
Will they present any problems when I begin to add live corals to my tank next month?
<No. There are reports from place to place of bristle worms eating corals, but what usually occurs is that the coral was already dying on its own and the worms were taking advantage of an easy meal.>
I was waiting till next month to add corals for my new halide light system and for the tank to season one year. <Good plan.>
MT
<Cheers, J -- >

Should a quarantine tank be cycled?
Hi Gang:
<< Blundell here. >>
Having been won over to QT practice by WetWeb (fortunately before disaster struck) I was confused by a recent answer to a quarantine question. The response indicated hi ammonia/nitrates in a QT tank was likely due to the tank cycling. . . and although the person who posed the question was trying to control the matter with frequent partial water changes (my technique), they were told that a QT tank should be allowed to cycle before adding livestock, and kept cycled on a permanent basis.
<< Not sure who said that, but I agree with them. >>
I thought the recommended QT procedure was essentially a bare tank. . . with no sand or live rock, to limit available biological niches.
<< I don't like bare tanks at all.  I think they are very hard to manage. I know lots of people do that for a hospital tank, but not me.  I like to have my fish in healthy active systems. >>
Am I missing something?. . .
Chuck
<<  Blundell  >>

Substrate In The Quarantine Tank?
Scott:  What do you do with the substrate after you've broken down the quarantine tank?  Rinse it and save it?  What do you save it in?  Please advise.  
Cyndy Monarez
<Well, Cyndy- as you may gather from reading some of my articles and FAQs, I'm not a big fan of using substrate in a quarantine/hospital tank. In most cases, a substrate is not required. In a hospital tank, you really don't want a substrate either, because medications can be bound up in various substrate materials, potentially rendering them ineffective. Anyways, you already have substrate material, don't you? So, what I would do would be to rinse it thoroughly in very hot water several times, then dry it out completely. Again, I'd ask you to reconsider not using substrate materials in the future for this application. Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F>

Keeping An Extra Tank At The ready
Dear WWM Crew:
<Scott F. on call today...>
I've just finished cycling a 10 gallon hospital tank, and its occupants
have now been moved to my main tank, so there are no longer fish in there. My question is this:  should I leave the filter going in order to maintain its' readiness for future use?  What do I need to do when I need to use it? Water change beforehand?  Change filter cartridge?  
Please advise.
<I commend you on your use of a separate tank for treatment/quarantine of fishes! It's a great way to stay in control! However, IMO- the quarantine or hospital tank is NOT a permanent feature: You simply break it down when not in use. What I do is to keep a fresh filter cartridge or sponge (I tend to use sponge filters in my quarantine/hospital tanks) in my display tank's sump at all times (some people have several in there at all times). This way, I always have "pre-colonized" biological filtration media ready to go at a moment's notice. Since the water that I use in the tank is from my display system, it's really an easy process when you need to set up the hospital/quarantine tank: Just fill with water from the display, add the media to the filter- and you're good to go. A caveat, however- when you are done with the media (especially if it was in a tank with sick fishes), either thoroughly sterilize it before placing it back into your sump, or simply place a new one there. Either way, it's a simple procedure! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Cyndy  

Quarantine Questions (8/25/04)
Hi Crew <Steve Allen tonight.>
I have ordered some fish from an online source. I would much rather buy at the LFS but the 2 I most frequent in the Tampa area have a very poor selection right now and there systems seem to be going disease problems. <Too bad. Are there not others? Do check this forum and consider joining & asking about Tampa. Some of the folks are in that area: http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/forum.jsp?forum=13 >  I have a 20 gal qt set up with unlimited fresh water for water changes. My question is in a 20 gal tank can I qt 6 green Chromis and 2 small wrasses at the same time??. Is it too much load??   My BioWheel has been sitting in my sump of the main tank for months and is heavily colonized with bacteria. I also have a small HOB protein skimmer. and also a UV which I may or may not hook up to the QT, based on your opinion. Thanks, Joe <I'd say that frequent water changes will be the key, but if you have already ordered the fish, this can work. The skimmer should help too, but the UV is questionable. It will only remove bacteria and other microorganisms, which can be a good thing, but will have little effect on water quality.>

Quarantine Quandary!
Hello WWM crew.
<Hi! Scott F. here today!>
I haven't bothered you guys in a long time, but I have a question about QT'ing fish -- and I know you guys have an opinion on this subject!
<Not me...! LOL...Well... yeah...>
After months of preparation, I'm just setting up my new 90-gallon reef tank this week.  I'll also be setting up a QT tank soon in anticipation of my first fish.  After reading QT articles on WWM, I bought a sponge filter, and I plan to put it in the sump of my main tank before placing it in my QT tank (which I haven't bought yet, but will probably be a 10 to 20 gallon aquarium, bare bottom with a heather, thermometer and a couple of pieces of PVC pipe).
<Sounds great so far...>
I may also add Marineland Bio-Spira to the QT tank to ensure that there is adequate nitrifying bacteria.  (Question:  should I keep it at low salinity, and if so, how low without compromising the health of the fish?)
<Some people do this. I do not. My thought is that the potential benefits to be gained do not outweigh the difficulties associated with acclimating the fish to varying specific gravities>
Now, I'm generally on board with the concept of QT'ing my fish, as I recognize a whole host of benefits.  Some of the fish I plan to purchase, however, are  notoriously bad shippers and get completely stressed out when transported to a new tank.  I'm referring here to fairy wrasses -- I plan to purchase two down the road (a flame (jordani) and an as-yet undetermined species).  I'm a little hesitant to add to the wrasses to a QT tank if that'll only increase their stress.  I also can't imagine keeping an active fish like a flame wrasse in a ten-gallon tank for a month.   Do you think it's a justifiable risk to put a fairy wrasse in the main tank right away?
<Honestly, I would not. The very fact that they are prone to shipping stresses is what would move me to quarantine them. I have quarantined Fairy Wrasses many times, and highly recommend it to others. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages here, IMO>
Also, my first addition to the tank will be a Helfrich's firefish, and I have to admit I'm very nervous about putting such an expensive fish in a QT tank instead of my main tank.  
<I', more nervous about putting this expensive fish in a newly established system...!>
I have this prejudice against QT tanks -- like they're the Motel 6 of the aquarium world and are more likely to add to a fish's stress, discomfort and possible demise.  Please help me get over this (hopefully irrational) fear.  Thanks.
<Your concerns are certainly understandable, but I don't think that you need to be too stressed out about it. Yes, a quarantine tank is not the most attractive thing in the world, and it is frustrating to have to look at the fish in a bare tank with PVC hiding places for 3 weeks, but it gives a stressed out fish a chance to recover from the rigors of capture and shipping, and gives you the chance to catch diseases before they end up in the display tank (a REAL nightmare- believe me!). In the end, a well-managed quarantine system is the best line of defense against all sorts of potential problems. Once you utilize this practice, you'll be glad that you did. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Hyposalinity In The Quarantine Tank
Thanks for the input on recommending 1.025 salinity for the main tank as opposed to 1.008 to 1.012 for the long term health of the fish..  
<You're quite welcome! I think that your fish will definitely benefit>
My question now is whether or not keeping the Specific gravity at 1.008 or so in the QT tank for about 3-6 weeks before slowly raising the salinity back to 1.025, would be safe for marine fish?
<That would be fine. I prefer "normal" specific gravity all the way, as it simply is one less acclimation when it's time to add the new guys to your display tank, but there are many people who use hyposalinity in quarantine with no problems at all.>
How long would you recommend fish should remain in 1.008 without ill effects?
<Weeks, in my opinion>
I just read some info about keeping the salinity this low in your QT will dramatically reduce the length of time your new fish should be QT'd, say from about 4 weeks to about 2 weeks or even less due to the fact that some marine parasitic infections are easily killed off without the use of copper or any other chemical based fish medications in near brackish water conditions. Is this true?
<Umm, partially. Hyposaline conditions can help prevent some parasitic conditions, as many parasites cannot tolerate lower specific gravities. However, I would not use hyposalinity as a "shortcut" to lessen the quarantine period. The full 3-4 week period is enough for most symptoms of dreaded parasitic illnesses (like marine ich or Amyloodinium) to manifest themselves.>
Also, is hyposalinity effective for eradicating awful and virulent diseases such as Amyloodinium or Brooklynella, since I plan on adding clownfish to my main tank?
<Well, there is still much debate on this. I've even read some reports that say that freshwater dips are relatively ineffective against these illnesses. However, I'd rather try them myself before chemicals. The best way to prevent these scourges is to select your fish carefully, and to use the full quarantine period. Make sure that you obtain captive-bred clownfish, as wild-caught ones are more prone to these virulent illnesses. Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.>

Quarantine Crisis?
Greeting on a night that is not so great.
<Sorry to hear that>
Just lost my Black Cap Basslet and Long Nose Hawk while in quarantine. Apparently to a high nitrite situation. The fish were purchased a little over three weeks ago and placed into a 10 gal quarantine tank which had been running for three or four days.  It was running bare except for heater, sponge filter with sponge cultured in over flow box of display and a small whisper power filter.  All went well for the first three weeks, fish eating, active and no signs of disease. I had been doing 5 gal weekly water changes using water siphoned from the display (no fish yet, just snails and lots of happy live rock).  Late last week I had a high Ammonia reading and did a water change.  Ammonia has be Ok since and is Ok as I write (0).   pH about 8.2. , temp =80 f. This morning, when I left to go to work I found both fish hanging out on the bottom.  They expressed no interest in feeding (yet were fine the night before).  When I got home, they appeared to be in worse condition.  Quickly checked pH and ammonia and found as above.  Nitrite was over 1ppm.  By the time I finished running the tests they were gone.  To say that I am bummed out about this would be and understatement.  I guess my question is, Why would the nitrite go nuts given the periodic substantial water changes and what I would think is heavy filtration for such a small tank.
<I guess my initial thoughts would be to check the display tank water to make sure that it was cycled itself. Assuming that the display water checks out, I'd move on to the next possibility. Were you using any medications or chemicals in the quarantine tank that could have disrupted the filtration? The other possibility is that the quarantine tank may not have completed cycling, and that the water changes (although beneficial, for the most part, IMO) could have disrupted the biological filtration.>
After this I rechecked my parameters for the display and confirmed that my NH4 and NO2 were both 0.  I was concerned cause I was doing the water changes with tank water and backfilling the display.
<You mean that you were taking water from the display tank, and filling the quarantine tank with this water, right? By "backfilling", did you mean that you were putting water from the quarantine back into the display tank? I hope not- because that's not good practice. I'm sure that I'm just mis interpreting what you said here>
Any advice or guidance you can offer would be much appreciated.  I have no interest in making a hobby of doing in fish if I can at all help it.
<I'm very sorry to hear of your losses. I think that the cause of your high nitrite peak had something to do with disruption of the biological filtration process. If necessary, I will occasionally use a "bacteria in a bottle" product to help "kick start" the cycle in the quarantine tank, which can help possibly prevent an episode such as the one that you suffered. Please don't be discouraged. Your techniques sound okay, your dedication is inspiring, and your effort at embracing the quarantine process will not be wasted. I'm sorry that I cannot give you the absolute answer here, but I hope that I supplied you with a few leads to follow up on. Best of luck! Regards, Scott F.>  

Quarantine Question 7/29/04
OK--<Hi Again Janet, MacL with you again.>I bought the Hippo Tang today and he is a beautiful fish. <Congratulations> He's
supposedly from Christmas Island (?) and has really striking coloration. Everything I read in the FAQs says he should be in a QT, which he is right now, but when I read the article on WetWeb, it says quarantine can do more harm than good because the fish will feel isolated. <I believe that quarantine is important because it gives you a time period when something that the fish has might become active. Something that you Do NOT want to put in your tank.>  This is somewhat confusing. <Some fish don't do extremely well in quarantine and I think that's where the confusion comes in. Personally I put all tangs in quarantine because they often get ick.> Assuming I decide to keep him in quarantine, how long should he stay,<A month's period of time is good.> should I treat him with copper, <I don't ever recommend treating with anything unless or until the fish has a problem.> or just wait to see what happens? <Waiting to see what happens is for the best Janet, then address any problems that come along.>
Thanks again! R/Janet

Quarantine
Thanks, Mac. <Hi again Janet>  As it turns out, I was feeling sorry for the fish and was
considering abandoning the QT--the QT is only 10 gal and I was worried it wasn't going to be big enough for a month. He's not a small fish--probably close to 5". <Youch that's tiny> I got him to swim into a bag so I could look at him closely and I saw a few white spots, but I wasn't sure if he was just stressed because his color was a bit irregular, or it was some sort of parasite, so I decided to treat him with copper-followed the directions carefully. <That's a small tank for a big fish and very small to treat with copper. I hope you are able to test the dosage?> Does he need to be treated for one month? <Most people that use copper will only use it short term and start diluting it with water changes within the next week.> Will it harm him? <In all honesty it can do damage to the delicate digestive system of tangs.> People say not to use it except as a last resort, but all the local fish stores keep it in their tanks at a therapeutic level. <And all of them risk doing long term damage to the fish that might not show up for quite some time.>
Also, what should I feed this fish in the tank? <A good vegetable based flake while its in the quarantine or some brine soaked with Selcon, or perhaps some Mysis shrimp but just a very tiny amount a day or you will have problems with ammonia in the tank.> Is it best to hang some algae? This QT is pretty barren. <It should be, you've done a good job.> One of the guys who works PT at the LFS told me there shouldn't be any gravel because ich can get into it and wait to prey on something else. <Its easier to clean out a barren qt as well.>
Thanks in advance. Janet

Mandarin Quarantine Procedure?
OK here's where I'm at.
<Fire away>
72G+10G fuge, 0/0/10 Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate, SG 1.023. We are in our 1st week of (intended 8wk) fallow period. 4 fish (1 Ocellaris, 1 Checkered Goby, 2 Chromis) are in QT for ich. Combating ammonia/Nitrites in the QT w/aggressive water changes
& HBH Ammonia removing media. I changed to this after trying Penn Plax Ammonia cartridges; if I've got this right-- Zeolite based, no good for saltwater, right?  Is HBH ammonia filter media any better? I chose this over Poly Filter because Poly Filter would remove the copper (saving for after treatment).
<I'd attack the water quality issue with an aggressive water change schedule, and avoid chemical filtration media until you are done with the disease treatment>
Cleaner shrimp (Amboinensis), Sandsifter star & Spiny brittle star remain in tank, but for the 1st time I have really noticed, I have *swarms* of copepods & isopods. I've been seeing them in slowly increasing numbers over the last few weeks (tanks running about 9 wks now), but never in these quantities. Some of them are getting big, too-- 1-2cm (shrimp I think).
<Amazing what happens when the predators are taken away, huh?>
So I'm starting to wonder about how soon the tank will be ready for my primary goal fish, a Mandarin Dragonet. I realize the concerns about aquarists buying these fish & their dying of starvation, which is why I'm taking steps to make sure I have a proper environment to keep one.
<An excellent concept>
But here's my concerns...
OK-- let's assume I've completed my isolation & fallow period for ich. How does one isolate a Mandarin before moving him to the main tank? My concerns are making sure he eats, but what's the best way in a bare QT?
<Good question. Lots of thought on this issue. My personal recommendation with this fish is to provide some live rock and possibly some macroalgae in the QT, which may provide a bit of foraging for the fish.>
Should I try to scoop out some of the critters floating in the main tank's currents, & introduce them to the QT? (assuming I can keep the ammonia under control, besides)
<Yep- that was my next recommendation>
I'm wondering now, though, perhaps I can take advantage of the other fishes' isolation, & basically quarantine a Mandarin in the main tank. If I'm understanding these fish correctly, their slime coat is protective (partially? completely?) from parasites & infection (I'm not sure where I read this, is this true?).
<It is thought to provide some resistance to parasitic infections>
What if I were to wait 4-5 weeks into the fallow period, after I can be semi-confident that the ich cycle is broken, & have him 3-4 wks in advance of the other fish? Is he resistant enough to ich to be considered effectively a 'non-fish'? Or would waiting
about 4 wks be sufficient that it shouldn't be a concern, even if he weren't resistant to it?
<I see what you're thinking about here...Good thought, under the circumstances. My only concern is that the Mandarin, although it may be resistant to ich, could bring this into the tank yet again...A real Catch 22! I'm a firm believer in quarantine of every new introduction, period. I'd opt for the specially "quipped" quarantine tank, myself!>
In either case, in 4 wks time, I'm anticipating that there should be enough live food available that he might need help eating it.
Let me know what you guys think...
Pete Cushnie
<Good thoughts, Peter- and there is no shortage of controversy on either side here...I suppose that, in the end, it's best to err on the side of caution. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Quarantine procedure questions
Hi Bob,
<Devin>
Well after having my first fish infection/parasite, I think I am sold on the quarantine concept!  Anyway I purchased a 10 gallon tank.  My question is in regards to procedures, for example do I need a separate gravel siphon, salt hydrometer meter, etc for my quarantine tank?  the reason I ask is because their may be times where medications such as copper are used in the quarantine tank and I would want any of that copper to get in my show tank.
<I would get/use a separate siphon (no gravel vacuum likely needed) and net... for the reasons you state. The hydrometer is likely unnecessary... as the water can be checked before adding to the Q tank system>
is it possible to simply wash the above items with a mild solution of bleach, rinse, dry and then use in my main tank or do I need separate items for each tank?
<Yes. Good procedure. Bob Fenner>
thanks

Quarantine procedure questions
Thanks Bob for your super fast responses!
<Welcome>
In the mean time I have been reading your wonderful site and have come up with a couple more questions.  I always read how important it is to acclimate new fish when moving them from one tank to another.  What completely boggles my mind then is all the advice regarding freshwater dips!  How come we are being so careful about .001 salinity changes from one tank to another but can take our livestock and then dump them in freshwater and then place them in saltwater again without any acclimation other than temp and PH.
<Does seem incongruous>
This information seems contradictory, as on one hand we are emphasizing slow changes and constant conditions and then on the other hand we are dumping fish from 1.025 to 1.000 water!  Is one of my hands doing the wrong thing?
<Not as far as I can tell...>
Am I missing something here?  thanks.
<Is an anomaly... but a good practice when not doing FW dips>
For locally purchased fish, does my QT procedure seem correct:
1.Upon arriving home I perform about a 3-5 min freshwater dip using Methylene blue (ph and temp adjusted only)
2. Fish is moved to a QT with 50% tank water and 50% new saltwater with a heater and sponge filter from the main tank.
3. fish is left in QT for 14-21 days (should I be using any copper or Methylene for any portion of the QT period?
<I would not use anything unless there is a specific pathogen/concern>
Thanks again bob for your professional suggestions.
<Glad to share. Bob Fenner>

Quarantine Systems For A Retail Store
Hey Bob/Crew
<Scott F. here today!>
I am operating a fish dept. at a new pet store in Newberg Oregon.
Basically I have been browsing around trying to figure out the best way to acclimate my new fish with out having to take up half of my day. We have been having a problem with ich in our systems (mostly marine- little freshwater) and I was wondering If that could be a result of bad acclimation. Do you recommend the use of StressZyme or a similar product?
<I personally do not use such products during acclimation, but they are certainly a help if used properly>
I was also wondering about quarantine tanks – SW and FW. What size of tank do you recommend if it is being used for a store? We currently have about 1200 gallons of SW and 1500 gallons of FW We have been using a fish vet product for ich, but don’t treat for much else. Do you recommend regular feeding in the QT?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew Bellamy
Partner/Aquarium Guy
Critter Cabana, LLC
<Well, Andrew, as a big fan of quarantine, I would highly recommend several tanks devoted to the process. It would be great to have several tanks of 20-40 gallons each to quarantine your fishes. If you are receiving/selling larger fishes, then you might even choose to go with a 60-75 gallon tank or two. Since these are not permanent systems, you might even be able to use large Rubbermaid or other container to do the trick more economically. Aquatic Eco Systems has a nice selection of these types of vessels in a variety of sizes. As far as feeding in quarantine is concerned, I certainly do recommend regular feedings. Do conduct frequent small water changes for fishes being quarantined as well. We have a lot of good resources on the WetWebMedia site on the acclimation and quarantine process, all of which can be equally applicable to retail operations, so check 'em out! Regards, Scott F>
www.crittercabana.com
Aquariumguy@crittercabana.com

Re-Quarantining
Hi, <Hello Irene, nice to meet you, MacL here.>
I am the one who inquired with you about what to do with my fish: They had been in quarantine for about six days. I needed to leave on a trip. While I was out on a short business trip, I opted to place the fish back into the main tank with the risk of the fish getting ICH again. I found this the lesser of two evils, this being better than they getting toxic shock from an unstable q-tank since I could not do the water changes while I was gone.
<Okay, I understand>
I have since returned home and two of the four fish are perfectly fine, even better.  One is a little sick but that is the same as he was when I had left.   And one is sicker, a little worse than when I had left it. I have placed all fish back into quarantine tanks and have set up the main tank to run without fish again. This time, I hope to be able to do this with no interruptions for one full month. Luckily, the q-tanks are finally cycling and I will be able to keep my fish in quarantine without worrying too much about toxic shock.
<Good to hear.>
I actually dreamt that my puffer fish had died and that my main tank had grown to 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide. <Nightmare!> The fish inside weren't even my marine fish. They were someone's freshwater fish. Talk about worrying!
I thought I'd keep you updated, at your request.
<I hope all of your fish get better quickly. Keep them in the full quarantine time though.>
I will let you know what happens in about two weeks or so.  Thanks.  Irene <Good luck Irene>

Bacteria In A Bottle...
I am the one who is going on a short trip soon and need to take care of four fishes with Ich.
<Hello again!>
Your recommended "bacteria in a bottle" to jump start my quarantine tanks. Where can I get this "bacteria in a bottle?"  (Are you talking about something
like BioZyme?)   
<Exactly what I'm talking about...I don't normally use these products, but in a situation like yours they can help! You can get these types of products at most fish stores.>
Thanks for your kind response.
Regards, Irene
<My pleasure, Irene...Have a good trip. Let us know how everything works out, okay? Regards, Scott F.>

Re-use of Quarantine Tank
Hey crew! <Hi there you have Leslie here today>
Sorry to keep bugging you but I have another question for you.
It's not a bother at all. That is what we are here for >
I currently have a small Yellow tang in QT. He has been there for just over 5 weeks and approaching the 6-week release date into my main tank.<Good job!!!> 
He has been healthy, voraciously eating Selcon-soaked Seaweed Selects and Tang Heaven. Absolutely no sign of any disease during his entire time in QT. YAY!! <Congratulations!!!>
My QT tank is a 10-gal setup with a Whisper 30 filter and bare-bottom with some PVC. I transferred one of the TetraTec sponge filters from my main tank's Whisper 3 to the QT Whisper filter and it has kept the ammonia & nitrites at zero with only weekly 10-15% water changes.  Nitrates creep up to around 15 and pH is steady at 8.3.
<That's great!>
Now for my question. I have a gorgeous coral beauty on hold at my LFS <very nice! >(waited months for one like this to come in) and I am planning to take him home the day that I transfer my tang to my main tank. Since the tang has been totally disease free, would it be alright to just put the new Coral Beauty in the QT tank without totally breaking it down? I have a good bacterial filtration going on with the transferred TetraTec sponge and don't want to loose that.
<That sound's like an excellent plan.>
Sorry about the long question but there was some important background info that I felt necessary to include.
<No worries, I find that background info quite helpful>
Thanks again for all the help. You guys (and gals) are the best! <You are most welcome, glad to be of service>
I owe you a beer someday. -Ray
<Just may take you up on that one :) , Leslie> 

Quarantine Query
Hi, I've bought your book and I'm following your advice for ich treatment, so my two fish are in a quarantine tank for now. I have some questions that I haven't seen covered in your FAQs:
*If I notice the pH has dropped by say 0.4-0.5 how quickly should I change it back to 8.2-8.3? This doesn't happen in my main tank but it does sometimes in my quarantine tank, I raise the pH using calcium carbonate.
<In my opinion, all changes to environmental parameters should be made slowly, over the course of a day or so>
*How many ppms should carbonate hardness be? I've got a kit that has conversion factors to German and English carbonate hardness but I'm not sure which one you refer to when you specify a range of 7-12dkH.
<DKH is German Carbonate Hardness. I generally prefer milliequivalents per liter (meq/L) when measuring this parameter>
*How high would be a daily maximum ammonia level for a quarantine tank with a long horned cowfish?
<Should be zero. This is completely possible to achieve even in temporary quarantine systems>
I'm currently reducing it with Zeolite and water changes and trying to keep it below 0.5.
<Stay at it!>
*How long would you freshwater dip a cowfish for? Is it a good idea to continue to do this while he's quarantining or just before he
goes into the quarantine tank?
<I would not freshwater dip this fish. I'd acclimate and place in the quarantine tank. Usually, I freshwater dip new specimens just before placing them in quarantine, and that's it- unless you are treating a disease>
*At the moment, my main tank is fallow while I treat the cowfish for ich (I've only got him an a small bicolor blenny and there both
being treated in a quarantine), is it a good idea to just let the algae go wild on the sides/rocks rather than continuing to scrape algae off?
<I'd continue to perform all regular maintenance chores>
Thanks for your help, I find your advice the best on the web.
Matt
<Glad to hear it, Matt! Hope that I was able to clarify a few things for you. regards, Scott F>

Quarantine Query (Pt. 2)
Thank you Scott for your advice.
<My pleasure!>
A follow up question I have is why is it not a good idea to dip a cowfish? I have actually dipped him a few times for up to ten minutes and he did not seem to mind it at all and afterwards I could see that some of the ich had burst. I don't really need to dip him anymore however as the copper is working nicely.
Thanks, Matt
<Well, Matt, these fishes can release toxins when stressed or agitated, and this toxin can kill the cowfish or other fishes present in its container or tank. This is why I err on the side of caution with these fish. You're right, many specimens have no problem with such dips, but they can be stress-inducing, so be careful. Glad to hear that the copper is working well! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>