Experienced reefers, which LFS to trust?

[IAMC]

I have 7 lfs that I go to when it's buying fish season. I haven't asked all on how they run their systems but the ones I did ask this is what they responded:

LFS #1: They add copper "once" a month to their fish only systems. But, I know they get shipments atleast once per week.

Scenerio: I purchase a fish towards beginning of the month so higher chances of ich, etc?

LFS #2: They run 24/7 low salinity 1.009 and high temp on their fish only systems.

Scenerio: I purchase a fish from a brand new shipment = ich, etc. If I wait a few days, the fish should be clean from the low salinity and high temp?

LFS #3: I didn't ask but once I went in there on a unknown day I noticed all of their fish only tanks were blue, I think it was blue...definitely a colored water, so I'm sure they dosed something in there just no sure what. That's all I know for this store.

Question:
LFS #2 is the best bet on getting ich free fishes since low salinity and high temps make ich etc unable to live?
I read somewhere, forgot where, that lfs that use copper is only masking the problem but not cleaning the fish free of diseases, is that true?
What is an ideal procedure a lfs should run to prevent passing ich and other diseases onto buyer's tanks?

I don't know if the questions make sense but thanks in advance. Btw, I purchased two tangs, a yellow and a scopa, from LFS #2 and they are perfectly fine with no ich to this day. But they don't get many fishes in so I want to venture out to get the fishes I want but not sure if the procedures they are running are good procedures.

 

[IAMC]

I don't have space for a quarantine tank so I'd like to have a reliable source to get my fish from.

 

[Eienna]

I don't have space for a quarantine tank so I'd like to have a reliable source to get my fish from.

Some of the vendors on this forum are good.

Unfortunately, ich is not the only disease to worry about. A proper QT period is more important than any one treatment, since nothing is a cure-all.

 

[Lazys Coral House]

Copper and Hyporsalinity kills parasites. However you cant take a fish that is in Hyposalinity home and acclimate to your tank. Doing it over a 24 hour period would be risky. Usually something you do over a week.

 

[Squishie89]

LFS #3 might have used methalyne blue.
If you do not trust your LFS's, then either use Diver's Den which is a part of Live Aquaria, or you need to make room for a QT. A QT does not have to be large or elaborate. I would be happy to help you with this.

 

[ks_reeftank]

quarantine everything . i used to say " i dont have room for a quarantine setup" . after dealing with a few different parasites, i have learned it is easier to setup my 29 quarantine tank than to tear apart my display. also copper levels need to be monitored closely and held , and you cant see internal parasites. do some research and find somewhere to quarantine, its only temporary.

 

[Eienna]

Seriously. If you have to put the QT on the FLOOR, do it. Once you have a disease or parasite in a reef tank it is close to getting a root canal without pain meds to get it out again. Most meds will kill inverts, corals, your cycle or even all three.

 

[IAMC]

I went to a lfs today and they had 7-10 powder blues in 40 gallons, one in each. I'm sure their fish only tanks are connected to eachother. I'm curious as how these so called sensitive and ich magnet powder blues hang out with a bunch of other fish in a 40 without displaying ich during store hours?

 

[Eienna]

I went to a lfs today and they had 7-10 powder blues in 40 gallons, one in each. I'm sure their fish only tanks are connected to eachother. I'm curious as how these so called sensitive and ich magnet powder blues hang out with a bunch of other fish in a 40 without displaying ich during store hours?

If they quarantine and treat their fish properly you shouldn't see it on anything. It shouldn't be in the display system at all.

 

[Eienna]

With the slight amendment that some treat/QT in view because they don't have the back room space, etc.