Transferring Toby

[Gryz]

I have decided to take out my only fish (toby puffer) in my 30g and place him in my 75g with my two other fish (paddlefin wrasse, and rectangle trigger)

I may do something with the 30g later on down the road but am not sure yet.

Now, the problem I am having is that everytime I put a fish in the 30g it only lives for a couple of days...the toby has been fine and healthy for over a year now though. I come to believe that he is hosting some virus or whatnot, so before I put him in my 75g I will QT him in an extra 10g for several weeks.

My question is that I bought some already LS in a bag "Aragalive" and used some in my reef tanks, but put the rest in this same 10g tank that toby will be going in with a little water just to cover it. There has been no aeration or water movement in this small tank...so is the sand still "live"?
Also, while QT him should I add a few pieces of LR? I am going to use a large HOB filter for water movement and a small heater..and that's it.

I will then wait a few weeks and add perhaps a damsel to "test" the water and see if toby will be safe to add to his new home.

[Gryz]

Is this what you would recommend if you were going to transfer a fish to another tank? The only reason I was going to do QT was becasue I thought he may be hosting something...what do you recommend?

[Sugar Magnolia]

It certaily wouldn't hurt. It's odd that he's fine and every other fish you try to add dies. Is the puffer acting aggresively against new additions? He may be going after the fish at night.

QT tanks are best left bare bottom and with only a couple of pieces of PVC pieces for shelter.

[Gryz]

I have never seen him show even a slight interest in any of the others, but that's not saying he isn't at night like you said.

I had another idea I think I might try..I'll take out the sand in the QT and fill it with the water from the 75g. Then I will acclimate him to that...let him in there for a while and then add a small damsel or whatnot and see how it fares. If it does fine for several weeks then I know it was something in his tank and that he should be fine in his new tank.

Think this is ok?

[FishinInTheDark]

This sounds like a workable plan to me! :)

[coral_diver]

Ok hang on a min.....is the 75 allready cycled? for how long? I wouldnt consider myself a puffer expert however my research is quite extensive on them to some point and I really would be supprised if Toby is hosting anything that is affecting other fish if he shows no signs or symptoms of anything ie. scratching, cloudy eyes, frayed fins etc (puffers for the most are not really hardy at warding off disease and illness) especially for a year....I have to lean more to questioning on how do you acclimate your fish? how long and method that is....and what is it that you have tried to put in with Toby? Puffers are either passive in nature or somewhat nippy you may never know yours is the latter until you actually see him take a chunk or find a fish with a chunk out of it...compatibility is on the low side with especially a Toby no clowns wrasses can varry inverts generally become lunch anemonies get a chunk taken out often and so on...I would suggest that you not add the LR in the 10gal since you want a QT, then if it were me I also would not have the sand since it can harbor cysts etc that can re-infect fish if they drop off fish that have been QT'd if there is not adequate time for those things to die between qt'd fish that is...as for is your arag alive still alive well that could only really be verified for sure by a microscope since the arag alive is sold with live bacteria's not with actual living pods and worms etc soooo I would say that if you have had it in mixed water with no circulation over say maybe a week and a half + you may still have some remaining bacteria left on the sand but definatly not as much. I like arag alive alot however I hope you end up as pleased as me that is what I started one of my tanks up with but really you still need to cycle the tank I know the bag is decieving and said something to the effect that it immediatly cycles a tank or something like that and really nothing can do that but time. By the way there are no anemonies or feather dusters you care about in the 75 puffers are likely to take nips out of them, I would also keep an eye on the wrasse the trigger should be ok. Do keep in mind that even if you use the water from the 75 that over the QT time that the chemistry can change, ph, etc so you will still need to aclimate from the qt to the 75. Make sure that you watch the temp on the 10gal I know it gets tough to keep it at a regulated temp sometimes and double check that otb I am not sure if it could be the same one I am thinking of but if it is, it is not safe for use with saltwater. Hope this helps.

[coral_diver]

By the way I forgot to mention you could add some plastic plants that have natural rock weights on the bottom so that your Toby feels a little more secure and it gives it a little astetic quality as well.

[Gryz]

So, far everything os going well...salinity and temp match the 75g.
He will be acclimated later tonight.

Now leaves the last part, I have a CC starfish and 2 turbo snails.
I know I can't put the starfish in the 75g, for the trigger and wrasse will probably eat him, but what about the snails? I know that if they every fall on thier back they will be eaten, but so far they have not left the glass in the toby tank.

I think it will end up that I will not have a clean up crew, is this correct?

[FishinInTheDark]

Yep. Those snails will be lunch eventually. But, if you keep the fish well-fed, it may be a long time before they look at the snails for nutrition.

GL,

[coral_diver]

I hear that some are picky on the type of snails? So I have been told? It really is a 50/50 but I agree with Conni that if you keep em full they might leave them alone. I suggest Mysis P.E. preferably fish of all types seem to love them and they are packed with nutrition! I am hopeing that your transfer went well?!

[Gryz]

Yes, he is doing well in QT and eating fine also.
I will add a small damsel in a couple days to see how it fares.

[Gryz]

I added a damsel the other day...seems to be doing great, lasting longer than any other "tester"!
I will give him another couple days and if all goes well Toby will be moved to his new home.

Would just like your thoughts on putting the LR that was in his old tank in the new tank, because as far as I can tell, it was something wrong in the old tank and not something Toby was hosting.