[weez1959]

Another question that is always on my mind when dealing with QTs...

1) How easy does ich, velvet, brook etc. die if you let the tank dry out, or wash it with hot tap water?

2) Also if you wash the tank but not the filter, wouldn't you be letting these pests right back in?

3) What can be done for a QT to make sure it's ready for a new tennant?

My daughter bought a clown two nights ago and last night it was dead. He lasted only 24 hours and I can only suspect brook but I can't be sure since he didn't display any symptoms other than a small discolored patch near the head. I was going to ask about it this morning but it's too late for the little guy but now I'm assuming the tank is contaminated.

How should the tank and filter be dealt with?

[leebca]

Good questions Louise!

1) This general group of parasites you listed cannot survive dehydration (drying out). They also can't survive being frozen (e.g. frozen foods). However, when it comes to 'hot water' without a specific temperature, one cannot say for sure. Each has its upper limit and some have a varying degree of tolerance to heat within their species. Safe to say, none can handle boiling water and temperatures above 180F.

2) Yes.

3) Wash with mild soap and water, rinse with tap water, rinse with some bleach, rinse in tap water, rinse in RO/DI, and let it dry out. Now it's ready.


See 3) for the tank. The filter can be discarded if it is hopefully the recommended sponge (inexpensive) filter. If it a different filter you need to save, follow 3) advice but realize it will no longer be usable as a biological filter until it ages again. However, it is worth asking, why do this if the next fish will or might need treatment anyway? In the case of Brooklynella, the disease is not easily transmitted in water so the next fish may not be bothered by a previous fish's disease. In the case of the other diseases -- well that's the purpose of the quarantine, right?

However If you didn't perform the FW dip as recommended, now the QT could also be infested with worms, and other surface parasites waiting to pounce upon a new host if enough time isn't given to kill them off by not providing them with a host.

The interesting/neat thing about a sponge filter going through the quarantine process with a fish is that even if the fish was diseased and now cured, so is the sponge filter. But in your daughter's case there is a death without treatment and now the filter is suspect.

[weez1959]

Thanks Lee,
FW dips go without saying now, all the fish that come through our doors get FW dips for at least 10 minutes, longer if they look like they can take it, but the little clown didn't have a chance. I can only assume he was not tank born/raised since my daughter said there was only one other clown with him and they were not the same size.
When I bought my clowns about 7 months ago there were about 30 of them and owner says they are alway tank raised but this was not the same LFS my daughter went to. He uses the same tank for all his ocellarus clowns and I've never seen a sick/dead one there.