Do you Quarantine Your Fish?

[RichtheReefer21]

After the nightmare of not QT'ing and running fallow to cleanse the DT, there will never be another fish allowed in my tank without running the proper regiment.

I'm a believer.

 

[LilElroyJetson]

I am going to continue doing what I have been doing since it has worked for me for more than 10 years.

I think I already know but which option did you choose @WVNed?

 

[KC V.]

I'm super tight on space in a condo, but I made sure that one of my first purchases for this hobby was a QT. Yes, it's a pain. However I would rather QT and observe than deal with any major issues in the DT.

 

[ReefTeacher]

I have gone back and forth. When I had space in a basement and could really set up a QT with proper filtration it worked well. I observed and medicated as needed. But with my given living situation it is harder; so recently I have been dipping new fish, running a UV filter, and feeding heavily with fresh clam, mussel, fish eggs, and white worms. I am sure there is crypto in the tank, but it is well managed and I have actually had fewer losses than with a QT system.

 

[Big G]

Velvet and subsequent bacterial infections wiped out my first saltwater QT where I was just feeding, acclimating and observing. Six fish all died within 4 days. Very hard start into saltwater after decades of all kinds of freshwater setups.
Everything (fish, inverts, corals) gets QT'd and prophylactically treated for parasites/worms and then observed before adding to the DT.

 

[BigRedReefer MT]

I am only 11 months into this hobby and have learned that a qt is a necessity. My first invert addition besides the original cuc brought a velvet outbreak that aided in wiping out everything but my majestic angel. Most lived for three weeks after moving to the hastily set up HT, only to succumb to a secondary outbreak of ich. Since then I qt for a minimum of 6 weeks. I observe and treat if symptoms arrise but do treat for internal parasites using treated food for 4 weeks. Then it's all about fattening them up.

 

[Reefbuds]

Absolutely not. I visually observe and keep my fish stress minimum. QT seems like more stress than treatment.


Edit: Have never had problems with ich or velvet after 6+ years with salty toes.

 

[Punchanello]

I treat prophylactically. I'm pretty new to the hobby but I have had clowns that I QTed and know came to me with ich, survived an ich outbreak and were treated with copper who never showed behavioural or visual signs of ich. I just don't trust that I could spot ich every time because of this experience. I don't love treating prophylactically but for me it is necessary.

My LFS does in fact have copper running in all their holding and display tanks but it is one big system with fish coming and going all the time. It's not to treat ich but to ensure for the period they are there in the shop they are not overcome by the big ich orgy that is going on.

 

[cracker]

Ok, a question please. Once You treat a fish with medications, say copper does this treatment destroy the fish's immune system forever?

 

[Instigate]

Ok, a question please. Once You treat a fish with medications, say copper does this treatment destroy the fish's immune system forever?

Nope.

 

[Punchanello]

Ok, a question please. Once You treat a fish with medications, say copper does this treatment destroy the fish's immune system forever?

It most certainly has some negative effects on the fish's health. It is a poison after all. Some say it affects the fish's life span. I'm happy to accept that although I'm not sure how this could be verified or how it would compare with the average lifespan living with ich. Many fish we keep live decades in the wild. Many, maybe most that are not treated across the hobby die within a year.

 

[mattzang]

I have not, but mostly because I was already mostly fully stocked when I really learned what legit QTing looked like. My last couple of fish have been either DD (orchid dottyback, so I figured double the power since it was ORA) then two wrasses from my LFS that at least tries to QT. The fish were also at the LFS for months.

Really, I feel pretty lucky to have stumbled upon healthy fish. I go to some of the other LFS that I got some of my early fish from and I'm floored nothing was infected. The last couple I was more careful about, but if I was trying to do my next tank of 120+ gallons, I think you have to at least observation QT to protect your investment.

QTing inverts and coral though... idk if I have that in me even in a larger system

 

[ShaunRobinson]

Absolutely not. I visually observe and keep my fish stress minimum. QT seems like more stress than treatment.


Edit: Have never had problems with ich or velvet after 6+ years with salty toes.

And I never had problems for 11 years...

 

[ShaunRobinson]

I treat prophylactically. I'm pretty new to the hobby but I have had clowns that I QTed and know came to me with ich, survived an ich outbreak and were treated with copper who never showed behavioural or visual signs of ich. I just don't trust that I could spot ich every time because of this experience. I don't love treating prophylactically but for me it is necessary.

My LFS does in fact have copper running in all their holding and display tanks but it is one big system with fish coming and going all the time. It's not to treat ich but to ensure for the period they are there in the shop they are not overcome by the big ich orgy that is going on.

I have found a lot of shops will run copper in their systems but generally it won’t be at a high enough therapeutic dose to eradicate any disease.

I don’t use copper at all in my qt as it’s a pain for me continuously testing to maintain a therapeutic level. I find Cp is a much easier medication to administer. Not quite a dose and forget but close enough for me.

 

[Liron Mishal]

Qt and prophylactic treatment.
I finished setting up my hospital stand.
Love it! Sometimes its more interesting than the dt...

 

[ShaunRobinson]

Qt and prophylactic treatment.
I finished setting up my hospital stand.
Love it! Sometimes its more interesting than the dt...

Great work there. It looks really good although I’m not sure I’d have that hob sitting over the top of all the electrics.

 

[Liron Mishal]

You're right.. im relocating it to the other side

 

[Tastee]

Firstly I am based in Sydney, Australia, and whilst we are second cousins to you folk in the USA (and to a lesser degree UK and Europe) when it comes to availability of equipment and livestock, I think we are lucky in that the quality of our livestock is very good and issues such as Ick and Velvet are much less prevalent. So my approach works for me but may not translate to your markets.

I do QT all fish, but not Inverts or corals. As I am very happy with the quality of the LFSs I use I don’t currently dip corals either. If I was to acquire a specimen from a less trusted source this may change.

I QT for a minimum of 14 days, observe and only treat as needed. I also use this 14 days to raise salinity from 1.020 (LFS level for most fish) to 1.025 to match my DT.

 

[Paul B]

I think we know where I stand...

Treat em all! Not worth the risk to my DT!

I think we know where I stand. "No" Quarantine, not worth the risk to my DT.

 

[DeniseAndy]

As I currently have all captive bred fish in my system (all bought from ORA or other captive bred sources with no wild in system), I have not qt'ed them. However, any wild caught are qt'ed and treated with CP and Metro.

I just lost a 2" two spot tang from DD, but it was not eating prior to beginning treatment. The 2.5" foxface is doing fine in qt so far.

I will observe for a time before treatment begins. It gives me time to see if they are eating. The tang I tried most things. I was hoping maybe the treatment would help, but since CP can reduce appetite, it was not effective. Poor baby.

Corals will go into my smaller tanks for a time if I feel the need. I do not qt other inverts normally.