Do you still quarantine fish even if your store does it?

[Mike Hawker]

Is it still necessary to quarantine fish even if your store does it?

I put my fish in the qt to just observe. Is this necessary? I understand for treatment if they have a disease but just for observing?

 

[KJ]

Yes and Welcome to R2R

 

[ndz98]

Better to be safe than sorry. You never know if yours or another fish at the store has something. Sometimes things don't always show up right away. It can stay dormant for several months.

 

[143MPCo]

yes!

 

[melypr1985]

Absolutely!!! Never trust any QT but your own.

Welcome to R2R also

 

[Joey waid]

At best most stores qt for two weeks. They hold their salinity low, us copper and uv. They keep the bad stuff suppressed. I have bought fish that looked fine at the store and were eating. Two hours later you pull them out of the bag and the look like they were dipped in sugar. I have killed too many fish due to not quarantining. So yes please qt everything.

 

[adamk]

like stated above, stores dont qt for long if at all. theres no way they could stay in business if they are properly quarentining everything they get

 

[dbl]

Another vote for yes - trust your own QT process, not others.

Edit...how rude of me not to welcome you to R2R!

 

[Mike Hawker]

Another vote for yes - trust your own QT process, not others.

Edit...how rude of me not to welcome you to R2R!

Thanks. Is just observing all I should be doing when I first put the fish in the QT? The fish looks good, eating and healthy so far. If my store quarantines, would a week be good to just observe the fish?

 

[jenreefer]

Thanks. Is just observing all I should be doing when I first put the fish in the QT? The fish looks good, eating and healthy so far. If my store quarantines, would a week be good to just observe the fish?

No. IMHO minimum 4 weeks. Some would say longer.

 

[mcarroll]

No QT is perfect, so stop looking at QT as a silver bullet. What you're after is healthy fish.

The main point of QT for healthy looking fish is simply to feed and observe them.

If they're is good conditions and are well-fed, these fish never get sick and end up getting transferred to the display.

Two weeks would be a fine rule of thumb for a time-frame of doing this. More or perhaps even less as you see fit.

If you can watch a fish for two-weeks in a LFS and are satisfied with that, I wouldn't necessarily feel compelled to QT them even more at home.

However, I don't know how often someone would be able to monitor a fish for two weeks at a LFS without the fish getting purchased out from under them. You could expect it to take some patience.

On the flip side, if you happen to be well-equipped for QT at home, I've known folks to come to the LFS on delivery day to pick up their fish still in the wholesale bag. I wouldn't necessarily say that's better per se, but it's smart in that circumstance because it exposes the fish to one less traumatic round of handling and possible exposure to another set of pathogens.

If all you can afford is a bare-minimum QT setup, I would say don't bother.....healthy fish will be coming out sick due to the stress of being in there.

 

[jenreefer]

If all you can afford is a bare-minimum QT setup, I would say don't bother.....healthy fish will be coming out sick due to the stress of being in there.

I have to respectfully disagree. All my fish come out of Quarantine healthy fat and happy

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

No QT is perfect, so stop looking at QT as a silver bullet. What you're after is healthy fish.

The main point of QT for healthy looking fish is simply to feed and observe them.

If they're is good conditions and are well-fed, these fish never get sick and end up getting transferred to the display.

Two weeks would be a fine rule of thumb for a time-frame of doing this. More or perhaps even less as you see fit.

If you can watch a fish for two-weeks in a LFS and are satisfied with that, I wouldn't necessarily feel compelled to QT them even more at home.

However, I don't know how often someone would be able to monitor a fish for two weeks at a LFS without the fish getting purchased out from under them. You could expect it to take some patience.

On the flip side, if you happen to be well-equipped for QT at home, I've known folks to come to the LFS on delivery day to pick up their fish still in the wholesale bag. I wouldn't necessarily say that's better per se, but it's smart in that circumstance because it exposes the fish to one less traumatic round of handling and possible exposure to another set of pathogens.

If all you can afford is a bare-minimum QT setup, I would say don't bother.....healthy fish will be coming out sick due to the stress of being in there.

I have to respectfully disagree. All my fish come out of Quarantine healthy fat and happy

you guys should hang out.

like anything If done right, it works well.

Thanks. Is just observing all I should be doing when I first put the fish in the QT? The fish looks good, eating and healthy so far. If my store quarantines, would a week be good to just observe the fish?

sadly the rule of thumb is never trust anybody. dip, qt, rodi.
one on my LFS does do quarantine. Also med treatment if your willing to pay. the LFS is nationally ranked, will do it for locals, and the person in charge of the fish, I have known for the entire time I've owned tanks. so.. I trust them. Her rather.

 

[Shameless_Dood]

Yes I would QT. My tank caught velvet from a fish that came from a store that QT's. Typically I have not had a problem from them and to be honest, something told me not to make that purchase I thought I saw a little tiny white spec but I convinced myself I was seeing things and I made the purchase anyway. I think they do a better job than most on their QT....though I know it's not a full 30 days in most cases. They will treat for common parasites, bacterial infections, and make sure they're eating and out to the sales tanks they go. The one nice thing is all the fish think someone at the tank means they are getting fed so they all come to the front of the tank..brilliant marketing if you think about it, that fish you are looking at is practically saying "Pick me!" at the glass. haha

And we're forgetting this point I think, fish stores are in the business to make money...hard to have inventory you can't sell for 4+ weeks sitting in the back.

 

[4FordFamily]

Absolutely. No fish store has the ability to quarantine fish affordably the way they should. The sheer numbers of fish moving through the facility and sharing water make it near impossible to do correctly. It's very cost prohibitive and you should not trust any claims of proper QT. Also, most confuse qt and pre treatment of fish. My definition is that the fish has been treated with copper or cp for a full 30 days at full therapeutic dose AND had 8 days of prazipro treatments (two total).

 

[Mike Hawker]

Yes I would QT. My tank caught velvet from a fish that came from a store that QT's. Typically I have not had a problem from them and to be honest, something told me not to make that purchase I thought I saw a little tiny white spec but I convinced myself I was seeing things and I made the purchase anyway. I think they do a better job than most on their QT....though I know it's not a full 30 days in most cases. They will treat for common parasites, bacterial infections, and make sure they're eating and out to the sales tanks they go. The one nice thing is all the fish think someone at the tank means they are getting fed so they all come to the front of the tank..brilliant marketing if you think about it, that fish you are looking at is practically saying "Pick me!" at the glass. haha

And we're forgetting this point I think, fish stores are in the business to make money...hard to have inventory you can't sell for 4+ weeks sitting in the back.

True. How often do you QT (observe) at home?

 

[melypr1985]

I would always suggest treating all new fish like they have ick and flukes. Mostly they do anyway whether you see it or not. Here's a good read for you : How to Quarantine

 

[4FordFamily]

I would always suggest treating all new fish like they have ick and flukes. Mostly they do anyway whether you see it or not. Here's a good read for you : How to Quarantine

100% agree but add velvet. I think literally 1/3 or 1/4 fish has velvet now when you receive it.

 

[Mike Hawker]

100% agree but add velvet. I think literally 1/3 or 1/4 fish has velvet now when you receive it.

What do you mean by add velvet?

 

[melypr1985]

What do you mean by add velvet?

He means that velvet has become so common place now, that it's just as common to get a fish with velvet as it is to get one with ick. The low levels of copper that most LFS run is enough to suppress the symptoms without killing it so that when the fish is out of their water, they explode in velvet again. So to amend my list (I totally agree with you 4ford) Treat all fish like they have Ick, Velvet and Flukes as they are the MOST common parasites that fish will have when you get them. Even if you don't see physical signs of it.