Quarantine tank

[garryp]

Scenario: I have a QT and when needed I move a filter from my main established tank to the QT to kickstart cycling for a fish that has ich.

So I treat the QT and cure the fish and a month later put it back into the main tank.

Now, what do I do with the filter which I moved from the main to the QT? Can I assume it is bug-free (as I just assumed that the fish is) and therefore simply put it back on the main tank until another need for the QT? Do I go through some sterilization process for the QT and all equipment including the moved filter?

I feel a catch-22 squeezing on my head! :duh:

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I would sterilize it, myself.

 

[unseenone00]

Clean it out just to make sure, then put it back onto the main tank and let a new colony of bacteria to build

 

[Rbishop]

Moving a fish with ich to a QT doesn't solve the ich problem in the tank it came from....

 

[unseenone00]

Maybe Rbishop, however if only one fish is infected since it is the one clearly infected, and the others have been fighting it off, keeping the ich from reproducing, might as well take out the only source. Besides then you can treat that particular fish easier and more cost efficient. (Taking a fish from a 120g to a 20g = 1/6 the medication used) and less competition for food in its weak state.

 

[Rbishop]

Just wouldn't be my choice of doing things, Nick. I use table salt for ich, so med cost really isn't an issue for me.

 

[garryp]

I appreciate your replies.

The point about moving an ich infected fish from a tank is well taken, on both sides. yes the main tank is infected. Yet a particular fish may become more weak than the others. But from a new addition viewpoint, the new fish could have ich when the main tank is clean, yaddaa yadda eetc.

Now the new questions:
1) how much salt is used for ich?
2) I have heard to elevate the temp to 86 F while treating for ich. Can most common community fish tolerate that temp for two weeks?
And 3) are most ich treatments also effective for most other parasite/fungus diseases?

I have had slow no-apparent-pattern deaths. A sick lethargic fish today, and dead tomorrow. . example:

Over 4 weeks: 1 of 6 neons, 2 of 4 cories, 2 of 6 tiger barbs, 4 of 6 tiger danios, 2 of 2 small angels, 1 of 3 black mollies, 1 of 3 lyre tail mollies. Also 3 swords tails that committed suicide by forgetting their space suit before leaving the water, and 2 guppies unfortunately still alive, wishing they would commit suicide because they are so obnoxious!

The reason I started treatment of main tank for ich is because I saw some fish (mollies and barbs) "flicking" themselves against hard objects. After two weeks of treatment there seems to be no more flicking.

The Q about QT is mainly for new additions, for I added someone that had ich.

And then there is the dwarf puffer that is so laid back that one could not tell if he is lethargic or not!

Thhanks again.

 

[unseenone00]

I used 2 teaspoons of aquarium salt per gallon method, while adding half the recommended dose of an Ich med and have the tank at 84F. Worked well. But an Ich medicine would not be mandatory I bet.
Just to make sure... you do NOT have a "scaleless" fish like a knifefish in your tank right? They are not treated the same since they are more sensitive. It is recommended to treat them with half the dosage of normal means. (Treat In a tank by themselves imo)

 

[unseenone00]

Forgot to mention to check sites that have information on the species saying what temperature is preferred. If a fish is a cold water species then the higher heat might be a problem, but the ones you listed all seem like they should do fine at 84-86F

As for other fungus/parasites I do not know anything about them being treated the same, sorry