Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Diz1 on August 14, 2014, 08:45:09 PM

Title: Post-whitespot plans
Post by: Diz1 on August 14, 2014, 08:45:09 PM

Hi,
This, I hope, is my last question about whitespot.
Once the treatment's finished and the meds have been removed with carbon ( and given that I want to use my main tank water and part of the filter media in the QT tank) how long do you recommend waiting before I add fish to the QT tank and how long should they be in there before they can be released into the main tank?  ???

Title: Re: Post-whitespot plans
Post by: Sue on August 15, 2014, 07:32:50 PM

Sorry Diz, just realised I've not posted yet  :-\

You need to wait until you are sure the whitespot has gone. I would wait 2 weeks to be on the safe side although any re-infection would be quicker than that.

New fish should be kept in QT for a minimum of 2 weeks. Some people say 4 weeks. And if you ever have discus, it's longer than that for them.

Title: Re: Post-whitespot plans
Post by: Diz1 on August 15, 2014, 07:36:07 PM

Thanks Sue,

So after 2 weeks it should be safe to use filter medium from my main tank to instantly cycle my QT tank and add fish immediately? Also, do you recommend prophylactic treatment of QT fish for whitespot etc. just to ensure they don't infect the main tank, or is it enough to observe and treat if necessary during the QT period?

Diz :)

Title: Re: Post-whitespot plans
Post by: Sue on August 15, 2014, 07:50:44 PM

Basically you need to wait until you are sure there are no stage 2 whitespot (the cyst on the bottom of the tank where they multiply) lying there ready to release the 'baby' whitespot bugs. In theory, some could have been sucked into the filter. Two weeks is more than enough time for the slowest cyst to open and the spots on the fish grow big enough to see.

With the new fish in the QT just watch them. They've been through enough without putting med in the tank as well. If there is no sign of any spots (or anyhting else) in 2 weeks, they should be OK to go in your tank. I once quarantined new fish for 8 days and the day after I put them in the main tank they had spots on them  >:(

Title: Re: Post-whitespot plans
Post by: Diz1 on August 15, 2014, 08:18:11 PM

Ok, will do. I'm definitely going to quarantine for 2 weeks. I suppose that nothing's guaranteed 100%, but I never want to have my main tank infected like that again. It was really horrible and I felt so guilty watching them suffer! 
 :(