Please Help QT Setup

[Bigbpro916]

I woke up this morning and two of my tangs have ICK!!! So i want to set up a QT for them but have never done this. Please post any advise you my have for me and pics of any setups. Also here is my other issue catching them LOL!!!

Thank you for any help!:.

 

[stingythingy45]

Well,it's not really a QT anymore.It's a hospital tank.
What size tangs are we talking about?
Do you have any other fish in the DT?

 

[Bigbpro916]

True! I have a Clown tang 5.5", Hippo Tang 3" both have ick....yellow tang 3", flame angle and two clowns all are fine

 

[new2saltyfish]

they ALL need to come out and go in a hospital tank for 8ish weeks...with 3 tangs i'd say a 55 gallon is your minimum. You want to set it up with a carbon filter (with no carbon) and air pump. and the salinity lower...around 1.019 to start and you want to bring it down slow to 1.012. Also, buy some copper medication and follow it's directions to add to the water in the hospital tank only...it'll kill corals and inverts so do not add it to the display

 

[Bigbpro916]

Is there any chance they will fight off the ick?

 

[PSU4ME]

I agree that the 55 should be your minimum size as to not add additional stress with tight quarters. I would start a cupramine treatment on all fish ASAP.....they can all go in the same tank. A sponge filter is the only filtration you should use but with Tangs you should plan to siphon out any "waste" (food or fish) every other day if not every day.......keep fresh mixed water on hand to replace out what you siphon.

Keep in mind that in a hospital tank, Ammonia is your enemy since the bio filtration is severely hampered. check often and change out water on the regular. Just remember to adjust the cupramine each time (check with a copper kit) to keep it in an effective range.

 

[afboundguy]

Is there any chance they will fight off the ick?

They may "fight" off this infestation of Ick and it will visibly go away but it will always show back up when they get stressed. Only true way to get rid of Ick is what the others have posted; no fish in DT for 8+ weeks and a Hospital/QT tank with no sandbed for 8+ weeks to kill the Ick's life cycle.

 

[JohnK]

Don't use copper and hyposalinity together. One or the other. If hypo, it needs to be kept at 1.008-1.009, any higher and it isn't likely to be effective.

 

[PSU4ME]

Here is a really good post that may help:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/52236-curing-fish-marine-ich.html

 

[JohnK]

Here's another;

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1985626

 

[Bigbpro916]

Ok thanks guys! Does any one have any recommendations on certain products to set up a HT. Also do you guys think adding garlic to the food will help any?

 

[stingythingy45]

I'd just go with hypo or copper treatment in a hospital tank.
The only thing garlic will do is maybe stimulate eating.
But,if the fish are eating well,just do the treatment and forget the garlic.

 

[PSU4ME]

I'd suggest cupramine for the type of copper if you choose to go that route. 14 day treatment once you get the levels to the effective range (that couls take 1-3 days)

 

[Bigbpro916]

What type of filter should I use?

 

[stingythingy45]

An hang on the back(hob)filter that can keep up with the tank volume.
Make sure you don't run carbon if you choose to go with meds like Cuprimine.

 

[PSU4ME]

Usually they use a sponge filter but with this being a hospital tank, the whole bio filter is mostly a dead end so i think a HOB filter with just floss in it would be good. I think that you don't want a ton of flow though but i'm not sure how important that is.

you want to try to keep it as clean as possible to remove/prevent ammonia spikes.