Reef Discussion

[somethingfishy76]

Hi everyone.

A recent unannounced rental property had to get it living room carpet changed due to some water damage, unfortunately my 3x2x2 reef was in the way. 12 hours of toil later I had all back together with a pretty new aqua scape. All good until yesterday when I spotted what I know as white spot or Ich on just about all my fish. I have two clowns, a clown tang, bi-Blenn, flame angel all showing real signs of this parasite. Also in the tank are shrimps and clams.

Any advise on how to curb the damage? Free loosing all my fish on startup of this tank right months ago I slowly started stocking one fish every two months. They'd show slight signs of spot for a week or so and then never again. Only the newly added fish always showed signs.

I understand ich is in my tank and always will be. Running a UV for seven months now clearly did not remove all the parasite from my system.

I need help! Do not want to have another wipe of my tank as I did last time due to stocking too quickly and possibly bringing an infected Fuad home.

Does light duration decrease the attack caused by ich?
Is there any medicine that would be reef safe?
What about the shrimp? Is he safe from any medication that claims to be reef safe?

I know this discussion has been around but I can't believe there isn't a golden cure for this common problem.
Thanks guys! Appreciate the time.

 

[Dr. Schell]

white spot is a parasite specific to FISH. will not impact species oterh than fish.
To my knowledge there is no reef safe products to wipe this parasite out. I you do wish to treat, remove the fish into a treatment tank and they apply specific medications or use the hyposalinity method (this later treatment will aid in helping the fish to recover by redung osmotic stress).

Alternaitvely you could let the parasite run its course in your tank and hope that your fish develop an immunity to the disease. There is much published information on the net as to treatments. Alterations to lighting will not significantly change the parasites behaviour.
Make sure you geep your water quality up and feed your fish a nutrient rich diet.

Good luck with this one.

 

[Darren S]

I tried Medic when I had an outbreak when I first set up my tank, the whites pot did go away but I think it had more to do with low stress, frequent water changes and good quality food.

 

[Darren S]

I tried Medic when I had an outbreak when I first set up my tank, the whites pot did go away but I think it had more to do with low stress, frequent water changes and good quality food.

I should also add that I stopped adding fish for 8 weeks to let it all settle down a bit and to reduce the stress on the fish already in there. That was 12 months ago and have now added more fish and have had no new break outs of whitespot.

 

[Ian G]

Essentially you are dealing with the same outbreak you didn't deal with last time.

You need to remove all fish to QT for a start. Any way you treat the main tank will kill something. Leave the tank without fish for 60 days to break the cycle and treat your fish in a QT tank. Hyposalinity is the best method.

Previously I dealt with crypto (ich) this way and never saw it again, although I was using ASW. As doc pointed out in another thread, NSW may have the parasite, although I've not had the problem show up but then maybe our Vic water is too cold? (I started using NSW at the start of 2013).

@dr_schell . I understand it's all one species as far as we know, but I've often wondered if rapid water temp change hurts their cycle. I heat my water 25 litres at a time with a 300w heater on full. Only to hurry it up but I have wondered. I wonder if there has been a study on crypto's temp range and tolerance to variation..

I should also note that my water nearly always sits stored for a month minimum before I use it too so that probably sees the parasite die out for want of a host..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Does light duration decrease the attack caused by ich? NO (but it may decrease fish stress).
Is there any medicine that would be reef safe? NO
What about the shrimp? Is he safe from any medication that claims to be reef safe? NO

 

[somethingfishy76]

Ok it's been a few days now and unfortunately just like 9 months ago when WS wipped my whole tank, again I have lost my beloved Flame angel.

This morning I again unpacked half the tank to get the remaining fish out and into a QT. if WS killed all 9 months ago it can do it again.

Few questions...
Does WS come in with FSW
How do I make sure no WS gets added on water changes.
Does Copper really cause sterility in fish when medicating with it.
What am I going to do for 60 days....??? Is 60 days well and truly enough to kill these little parasites?
What size must a QT be and do I need to provide any kind of shelter? Other than live rock of course.

 

[Ian G]

What do you mean by FSW? (Natural Sea Water) = NSW?

1. May do....
2. Store your NSW longer than the life cycle of the parasite. Usually 60 days min. It will die without a fish host.
3. No idea about sterility but it kills most invertebrates (shrimp, anemone, snails, worms, etc-most of the beneficial stuff in your tank). Plus copper is absorbed into live rock and any other porous substance and will then then leach out killing things in your tank for years. You can use copper in a bare QT tank but it is like chemo in humans, it might work and might not but it will make the fish ill, just like chemo does to humans. It's really a last resort option.
4. 60 days will kill the parasite 95%+ of the time. Some say 99%+. Nothing is foolproof. What are you going to do for 60 days? Watch your fish closely, check your salinity daily (hypo treatment) & keep your partner entertained. ;)
5. NO LIVE ROCK in a QT. You'll kill the live rock AND provide a better environment for the crypto. Use plastic plants and pieces of pvc pipe. I use a 2ft QT for my 4ft tank as that's the size they are usually in at the LFS but it depends on how many fish and their size. Also species, eg you might get away with two blennies in a 4ft but they'll kill each other in a 2ft.

Now I genuinely mean no offence here, I am trying to be of help. The questions you are asking are very basic and indicate that you need to research this problem a lot more because you really must understand this parasite to deal with it effectively.


One mistake and it will survive and/or you'll wreck your tank and/or your fish will die , and continue to do so. Below is an unfinished (I stress unfinished) handout I've been putting together for a club presentation, it may give you a start but keep in mind that it is indeed an unfinished first draft AND it is based on my experience, not my education so take it for what it's worth. It may at least serve as a thought starter.



I've deliberately made it in small print as I'm not trying to publish it here. You can copy and paste it into your word processor and enlarge it if needed. Again I stress it's just an unfinished first draft, not complete, not revised and not even re-read by me yet, but you need some of the info. Googling will get you more.


Good luck


By the way, White Spot is a freshwater disease. Cryptocaryon irritans (marine ich) is a marine parasite. Very different things.
--------------------------------------

A Practical Guide To Medical Tanks​

By Ian J Gardener​

​

I see a lot of confusion in different forums about what I choose to call medical tanks. These fall into two types being the Quarantine Tank, usually designated as QT & the Hospital Tank usually designated as HT. If you’ve never needed one then you haven’t needed one yet. You will, probably late on a Sunday night when it’s too late to do much about it.
It’s already happened to most of us & given long enough it will happen to the rest. You’re admiring your tank or doing some maintenance & you see white spots on a fish, or an injured fish, even a bullied fish or one that’s too skinny. The scenarios are endless but the initial response often calls for removal and/or isolation.
So what’s the difference and do you need a quarantine tank and a hospital tank? Yes you do but they can be and often are, the same tank. Which works until you need both at once, but realistically most people use one tank for both purposes. It need not be expensive either. Mine is an ugly & scratched 60cm acrylic all in one tank that I bought on ebay for $10.00. My air pump and box filter new for $17, etc.

Insert my tank pic here
This is the tank I bought on ebay for $10 for use as both QT & HT.
1.Filtration
The number one golden rule for HT or QT setups is that before you even buy the tank, decide on what filtration it will use! You are going to need biological filtration for water stability plus a means of mechanically filtering out particle matter & toxins.
This can be as simple or complex as you like but I like simple. I keep three of those cheap green scourers from the supermarket in my sump always. Obviously they can’t be used ones but they are cheap, you can get them anywhere and they do a fine job of providing surface are for bacteria (biological filtration) & they double as filter pads (mechanical filtration). They live in my sump as a biological haven until I need them then I put new ones in the sump as I take them out to use. I throw them away after use, preventing transfer of problems back to my sump & display tank.
I have an air pump driven box filter into which I can put filter pads & carbon, thus providing mechanical filtration and a degree of toxin removal. As my tank is a hooded all in one I put additional filter pads in there too. This also gives me both the box filter and the hood filter oxygenating the water which is very important. I prefer a hood as it prevent jumpers and many fish will jump when stressed.


2.Tank
The tank needs to be big enough for your purpose, preferably with a hood to keep fish in & light out. Fish are less stressed in low light conditions & you only need a light for observation. I prefer all in one tanks as they have rounded corners, at least at the front. All organisms are less likely to harm themselves on round corners.
There is also growing evidence that marine ich need rough surfaces for one stage of their life cycle. Marine fish farms are moving toward round fibreglass enclosures as it seems to all but eliminate marine ich outbreaks.
3.Light
If you are dealing with creatures requiring light such as most coral & anemone, then you need a suitable light as well. Fish do not need it.
4.Substrate
None! It’s just another surface and another headache. Easier to clean a bare bottom tank and most creatures do not need substrate for 4-8 week stints.
5.Rock
None! Another unnecessary surface, you’ll never be able to put it back in your display & rock absorbs toxins, chemicals (ie copper) & phosphates. You do need plenty of shelter for the fish though, I use lengths of pvc pipe in varying diameters & lengths, bound in groups of three with electrical ties to prevent rolling and provide height choices. I also use plastic plants as these help the fish to be less stressed. After use you can boil your plastic pipes & plants to sanitise.
6.Tools & Equipment
You need a net for catching fish, but one that is never used in your display or sump. Nothing but the creatures should ever be returned to your display setup, (not even water) to avoid cross contamination. A good refractometer suitable for marine aquaria use (many aren’t) & a means of calibrating it (you should have these anyway). I find long (200mm) stainless steel tweezers useful but not necessary.
7.Treatments
I always keep Melafix http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=56 & Pimafix http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=57 on hand as well as well as Ammolock http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=45 for emergencies. I keep a trisulphate http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=66 on hand as an emergency last resort for some cases. Garlic additive or minced garlic mixed with food is a good general elixir. I’m a cheapskate I use use the juice from a jar of minced garlic which we always have in the fridge, one with no additives.
A Summary Of My Kit
·Biological filtration (scourers) seeding in my sump.
·A cheap box filter & air pump.
·A suitable tank & cover.
·A light, if needed.
·Pvc pipes of different sizes (scrounged from building sites) & plastic plants.
·A dedicated net. A refractometer & tweezers.
·Melafix, Pimafix, Garlic & Ammolock. Sulphur optional. NO COPPER TREATMENTS.
·Patience, observation & research.
Total cost of my setup was under $75.

The Quarantine Tank - QT
A quarantine tank (QT) is to isolate & quarantine fish. It’s most often used for newly acquired specimens but can also be used to isolate fish from the main display, such as when you discover a fish eating your prized coral and you need to isolate it until sold.
In theory every new acquisition should be quarantined, including corals and additional live rock purchases. Unfortunately in practice though, most people only quarantine (QT) fish, if that and that’s begging for disaster. Marine ich, flatworms or pyramid snails getting amongst your prized sps corals, unwanted hitchhikers & a multitude of other problems are just waiting for the careless & lazy. At the very least quarantine all fish, inverts etc & freshwater dip coralloids or even better, dip them in Melafix, an iodine & seawater solution or a product like Revive http://www.majesticaquariums.com.au/health-maintenance/medications/revive-coral-medication. But quarantining everything is safest.
There is no point quarantining for a couple of weeks either. Although it’s better than nothing, cyclic parasites like marine ich can take around 4 weeks to become visible even though they are there. I highly recommend a 5 week quarantine period during which nothing is added to the QT or removed from it. If you have fish in there and get another one two weeks later, you must start the quarantine from scratch again or you are wasting your time.
Some say 5 weeks is too long but 4 weeks can definitely be too short. Besides the fish often sit in aquarium shop holding tanks for months awaiting sale without much harm. Remember how much you already have invested in your main display & act accordingly.
Also keep in mind that the point of quarantine is to deal with problems before they get into your display, so often the quarantine tank will switch to being a hospital tank.
The setup and equipment for a QT is much the same as for the HT so I’ll summarise the setup at the end of this article.
Hospital Tank – HT
Hospital tanks are used to treat problems once they are discovered & often that’s too late so prevention is your best tool. Nevertheless the time will come when you need the hospital tank (HT). Hospital tanks are used to treat problems such as disease, illness, parasites, injury, stress & even unwanted hitchhikers.
Once used as a hospital tank, all hardgoods must be sanitised after you’re finished with them, using a bleach solution then hot water but be careful not to crack anything. Another option is to bleach it then let it sit in the hot sun for a few days before rinsing it and putting it away. This is a hospital tank and you must use hospital style precautions to avoid cross contamination.
Warning: If you elect to use a copper treatment (and I don’t recommend it) then the copper can leach into old silicon holding the tank together. The tank will then be toxic to invertebrates for years.

Setting Up The Tank
I use the same procedure for setting up QT & HT. I also use the same sanitary procedures afterward but many only do so after HT use.
1.Set your tank up where it’s readily observed.
2.Fill the QT/HT with water from your display tank. Never from anywhere else as this will be the creatures normal environment. Top up your display and call it a partial water change.
3.Add your biological filtration from your sump & your mechanical filtration & get it all working. Add carbon too unless you intend medicating the tank, in which case the carbon may neutralise the medication.
4.Add your shelter so the fish can hide to mini, pvc pipes, plastic plants, plastic flower pots etc.


2.My Basic Medical Tank Setup
·Biological filters seeding in my sump – always.
·A 2
Hospital Tank
A hospital tank needs to be big enough to house your largest fish so there’s no point having a 60cm tank for a 30cm shark. On the other hand I don’t want my 3cm clownfish hiding in a 1.8 metre tank either. I want it where I can easily observe, treat & feed it. Also ideally I want it where I see it constantly. When in use, my QT/HT sits on my desk where I spend most of my time but a kitchen bench would do in a pinch. There’s not much point having it out in the shed unless you spend a lot of time there because you need to observe & react.
Fish will generally be less stressed in a bigger tank but you have to consider the pros & cons. Most fish seem to do just fine in 60cm holding tanks at the store so that’s what I use too but then I don’t keep big fish.
Crash Hospital Tank Setup

 

[chris1987]

No white spot is extreamly unlikely to come in with NSW

 

[Brekel]

...
I understand it's all one species as far as we know, but I've often wondered if rapid water temp change hurts their cycle. ...
I wonder if there has been a study on crypto's temp range and tolerance to variation..

I read a couple of papers/abstracts last weekend. One looked at the tomites, and found that none excysted at 7°C, or above 37°. Around 25° was optimal. Unfortunately they didn't mention results between 7° and 20°.

Another paper, a few years older now, found what they believe may be a new strain living on fish in Korea in temps 12°-16°.

I didn't find anything on varying the temp though.

 

[Dr. Schell]

like most non-endothermic organisms, increasing temperature will generally increase the metabolic processes and speed up the lifecycle (within reason). However, as a certian point, a temperature threashold will be reached (either too high or too low) at which point the organism will cease to function effectively. At low temeratures, this may invole the organsim becoming dormant, whilst at higher temperature, it is like that the proteins contained within the organism will 'denature' and ultimatly the organsm will perish. The quest is, is there a temperature that is acceptable by the fish, but will cause the parasite to die/become non-effective. I believe the answer to this will be no. HOWEVER, if the themerature is raised in the 'fallow' tank, this is likely to increase the lifecycle speed and thus, render the tank usable in a shorter period of time.

 

[malau]

If your QT is black in color at the bottom and got nothing. Few days after you put the WS fish in the tank, you can see the whitespot fall on the bottom and you can see grain size whitespot. What I do usually is I suck them away while do the WC and add copper to the correct level.

 

[Alex Blake]

Dont know if anyone has mentioned this but what about a freshwater dip on the affected fish? Not too sure of the effectiveness of this method or if it just causes unnecessary stress on the fish, has anyone had any experience with this method?

 

[Dr. Schell]

Dont know if anyone has mentioned this but what about a freshwater dip on the affected fish? Not too sure of the effectiveness of this method or if it just causes unnecessary stress on the fish, has anyone had any experience with this method?

the freshwater dip is useful in aiding the removal of the parasite from the host. However, it will reamin in the system and encyst (ie multiply) in preparation for the next wave of the cycle. Given that the parasite significantly disrups the slime layer of the fish, one way of reducing stress to affect fish is to lower the salinity level. This has 2 effects, it reduces the osmotic potential of the surrounding seawater (ie, the fish does not have to work as hard to maintain adequate hydration) and significant disrupt the normal functioning of the parasite.

 

[somethingfishy76]

What do you mean by FSW? (Natural Sea Water) = NSW?
Thank you so much for the Information, I certainly do not take any offence. Its just that this is the first time i have ever been in this position and my last tank of three years never saw any of this kind of attack.

I have since my last post retrieved all the fish from the DT and they are now in an QT tank. it will be a long sixty days.

1. May do....
2. Store your NSW longer than the life cycle of the parasite. Usually 60 days min. It will die without a fish host.
3. No idea about sterility but it kills most invertebrates (shrimp, anemone, snails, worms, etc-most of the beneficial stuff in your tank). Plus copper is absorbed into live rock and any other porous substance and will then then leach out killing things in your tank for years. You can use copper in a bare QT tank but it is like chemo in humans, it might work and might not but it will make the fish ill, just like chemo does to humans. It's really a last resort option.
4. 60 days will kill the parasite 95%+ of the time. Some say 99%+. Nothing is foolproof. What are you going to do for 60 days? Watch your fish closely, check your salinity daily (hypo treatment) & keep your partner entertained. ;)
5. NO LIVE ROCK in a QT. You'll kill the live rock AND provide a better environment for the crypto. Use plastic plants and pieces of pvc pipe. I use a 2ft QT for my 4ft tank as that's the size they are usually in at the LFS but it depends on how many fish and their size. Also species, eg you might get away with two blennies in a 4ft but they'll kill each other in a 2ft.

Now I genuinely mean no offence here, I am trying to be of help. The questions you are asking are very basic and indicate that you need to research this problem a lot more because you really must understand this parasite to deal with it effectively.



One mistake and it will survive and/or you'll wreck your tank and/or your fish will die , and continue to do so. Below is an unfinished (I stress unfinished) handout I've been putting together for a club presentation, it may give you a start but keep in mind that it is indeed an unfinished first draft AND it is based on my experience, not my education so take it for what it's worth. It may at least serve as a thought starter.



I've deliberately made it in small print as I'm not trying to publish it here. You can copy and paste it into your word processor and enlarge it if needed. Again I stress it's just an unfinished first draft, not complete, not revised and not even re-read by me yet, but you need some of the info. Googling will get you more.


Good luck


By the way, White Spot is a freshwater disease. Cryptocaryon irritans (marine ich) is a marine parasite. Very different things.
--------------------------------------

A Practical Guide To Medical Tanks​

By Ian J Gardener​

​

I see a lot of confusion in different forums about what I choose to call medical tanks. These fall into two types being the Quarantine Tank, usually designated as QT & the Hospital Tank usually designated as HT. If you’ve never needed one then you haven’t needed one yet. You will, probably late on a Sunday night when it’s too late to do much about it.
It’s already happened to most of us & given long enough it will happen to the rest. You’re admiring your tank or doing some maintenance & you see white spots on a fish, or an injured fish, even a bullied fish or one that’s too skinny. The scenarios are endless but the initial response often calls for removal and/or isolation.
So what’s the difference and do you need a quarantine tank and a hospital tank? Yes you do but they can be and often are, the same tank. Which works until you need both at once, but realistically most people use one tank for both purposes. It need not be expensive either. Mine is an ugly & scratched 60cm acrylic all in one tank that I bought on ebay for $10.00. My air pump and box filter new for $17, etc.

Insert my tank pic here
This is the tank I bought on ebay for $10 for use as both QT & HT.
1.Filtration
The number one golden rule for HT or QT setups is that before you even buy the tank, decide on what filtration it will use! You are going to need biological filtration for water stability plus a means of mechanically filtering out particle matter & toxins.
This can be as simple or complex as you like but I like simple. I keep three of those cheap green scourers from the supermarket in my sump always. Obviously they can’t be used ones but they are cheap, you can get them anywhere and they do a fine job of providing surface are for bacteria (biological filtration) & they double as filter pads (mechanical filtration). They live in my sump as a biological haven until I need them then I put new ones in the sump as I take them out to use. I throw them away after use, preventing transfer of problems back to my sump & display tank.
I have an air pump driven box filter into which I can put filter pads & carbon, thus providing mechanical filtration and a degree of toxin removal. As my tank is a hooded all in one I put additional filter pads in there too. This also gives me both the box filter and the hood filter oxygenating the water which is very important. I prefer a hood as it prevent jumpers and many fish will jump when stressed.


2.Tank
The tank needs to be big enough for your purpose, preferably with a hood to keep fish in & light out. Fish are less stressed in low light conditions & you only need a light for observation. I prefer all in one tanks as they have rounded corners, at least at the front. All organisms are less likely to harm themselves on round corners.
There is also growing evidence that marine ich need rough surfaces for one stage of their life cycle. Marine fish farms are moving toward round fibreglass enclosures as it seems to all but eliminate marine ich outbreaks.
3.Light
If you are dealing with creatures requiring light such as most coral & anemone, then you need a suitable light as well. Fish do not need it.
4.Substrate
None! It’s just another surface and another headache. Easier to clean a bare bottom tank and most creatures do not need substrate for 4-8 week stints.
5.Rock
None! Another unnecessary surface, you’ll never be able to put it back in your display & rock absorbs toxins, chemicals (ie copper) & phosphates. You do need plenty of shelter for the fish though, I use lengths of pvc pipe in varying diameters & lengths, bound in groups of three with electrical ties to prevent rolling and provide height choices. I also use plastic plants as these help the fish to be less stressed. After use you can boil your plastic pipes & plants to sanitise.
6.Tools & Equipment
You need a net for catching fish, but one that is never used in your display or sump. Nothing but the creatures should ever be returned to your display setup, (not even water) to avoid cross contamination. A good refractometer suitable for marine aquaria use (many aren’t) & a means of calibrating it (you should have these anyway). I find long (200mm) stainless steel tweezers useful but not necessary.
7.Treatments
I always keep Melafix http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=56 & Pimafix http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=57 on hand as well as well as Ammolock http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=45 for emergencies. I keep a trisulphate http://www.apifishcare.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=66 on hand as an emergency last resort for some cases. Garlic additive or minced garlic mixed with food is a good general elixir. I’m a cheapskate I use use the juice from a jar of minced garlic which we always have in the fridge, one with no additives.
A Summary Of My Kit
·Biological filtration (scourers) seeding in my sump.
·A cheap box filter & air pump.
·A suitable tank & cover.
·A light, if needed.
·Pvc pipes of different sizes (scrounged from building sites) & plastic plants.
·A dedicated net. A refractometer & tweezers.
·Melafix, Pimafix, Garlic & Ammolock. Sulphur optional. NO COPPER TREATMENTS.
·Patience, observation & research.
Total cost of my setup was under $75.

The Quarantine Tank - QT
A quarantine tank (QT) is to isolate & quarantine fish. It’s most often used for newly acquired specimens but can also be used to isolate fish from the main display, such as when you discover a fish eating your prized coral and you need to isolate it until sold.
In theory every new acquisition should be quarantined, including corals and additional live rock purchases. Unfortunately in practice though, most people only quarantine (QT) fish, if that and that’s begging for disaster. Marine ich, flatworms or pyramid snails getting amongst your prized sps corals, unwanted hitchhikers & a multitude of other problems are just waiting for the careless & lazy. At the very least quarantine all fish, inverts etc & freshwater dip coralloids or even better, dip them in Melafix, an iodine & seawater solution or a product like Revive http://www.majesticaquariums.com.au/health-maintenance/medications/revive-coral-medication. But quarantining everything is safest.
There is no point quarantining for a couple of weeks either. Although it’s better than nothing, cyclic parasites like marine ich can take around 4 weeks to become visible even though they are there. I highly recommend a 5 week quarantine period during which nothing is added to the QT or removed from it. If you have fish in there and get another one two weeks later, you must start the quarantine from scratch again or you are wasting your time.
Some say 5 weeks is too long but 4 weeks can definitely be too short. Besides the fish often sit in aquarium shop holding tanks for months awaiting sale without much harm. Remember how much you already have invested in your main display & act accordingly.
Also keep in mind that the point of quarantine is to deal with problems before they get into your display, so often the quarantine tank will switch to being a hospital tank.
The setup and equipment for a QT is much the same as for the HT so I’ll summarise the setup at the end of this article.
Hospital Tank – HT
Hospital tanks are used to treat problems once they are discovered & often that’s too late so prevention is your best tool. Nevertheless the time will come when you need the hospital tank (HT). Hospital tanks are used to treat problems such as disease, illness, parasites, injury, stress & even unwanted hitchhikers.
Once used as a hospital tank, all hardgoods must be sanitised after you’re finished with them, using a bleach solution then hot water but be careful not to crack anything. Another option is to bleach it then let it sit in the hot sun for a few days before rinsing it and putting it away. This is a hospital tank and you must use hospital style precautions to avoid cross contamination.
Warning: If you elect to use a copper treatment (and I don’t recommend it) then the copper can leach into old silicon holding the tank together. The tank will then be toxic to invertebrates for years.

Setting Up The Tank
I use the same procedure for setting up QT & HT. I also use the same sanitary procedures afterward but many only do so after HT use.
1.Set your tank up where it’s readily observed.
2.Fill the QT/HT with water from your display tank. Never from anywhere else as this will be the creatures normal environment. Top up your display and call it a partial water change.
3.Add your biological filtration from your sump & your mechanical filtration & get it all working. Add carbon too unless you intend medicating the tank, in which case the carbon may neutralise the medication.
4.Add your shelter so the fish can hide to mini, pvc pipes, plastic plants, plastic flower pots etc.


2.My Basic Medical Tank Setup
·Biological filters seeding in my sump – always.
·A 2
Hospital Tank
A hospital tank needs to be big enough to house your largest fish so there’s no point having a 60cm tank for a 30cm shark. On the other hand I don’t want my 3cm clownfish hiding in a 1.8 metre tank either. I want it where I can easily observe, treat & feed it. Also ideally I want it where I see it constantly. When in use, my QT/HT sits on my desk where I spend most of my time but a kitchen bench would do in a pinch. There’s not much point having it out in the shed unless you spend a lot of time there because you need to observe & react.
Fish will generally be less stressed in a bigger tank but you have to consider the pros & cons. Most fish seem to do just fine in 60cm holding tanks at the store so that’s what I use too but then I don’t keep big fish.
Crash Hospital Tank Setup

 

[somethingfishy76]

O and yes i certainly have Cryptocaryon irritans (marine ich).... Not white spot

 

[Dr. Schell]

Is marine white spot

 

[somethingfishy76]

Is marine white spot

Yes