And just to save the trouble of beating the horse, OP has already been advised that a single formalin dip may not fully protect his tank from brook or uronema... just trying to reduce the chances. In a firm camp of no QT
Thanks for pointing it out, just want to clarify that I was all in on quarantine, however, suffered way too many losses without any viable cause.
It could have been so many things, ammonia which wasn’t showing in tests including a Seachem badge (also a firm believer, after discussion with a marine biologist at the Baltimore aquarium, that hobby grade test kits are mostly snake oil).
Also, I have two 50 watt aqueon pro heaters. Both set at 75, one would stay there, the other would swing on its own between 72 and 79, in identical setup as the other one.
I don’t trust the test kits, as well as the heaters in small volumes.
After thinking it thru, and reading a new protocol humble mentioned about a year ago, I am only buying fish that come from tanks with at least a steady 2.0 or higher copper level . The lfs I am going to now, checked with my Hanna copper meter, used 2.5 at all times.
So I buy a fish that has been in there at least two weeks, and if the life cycle is true, along with copper being able to eradicate the free swimmers, I should not have to contend with ich or velvet.
My only enemies would be uro and brook, and treating prophylactic with formalin, even tho no wigs are visible, at the very least gives me piece of mind. Could also help with flukes, which I could prazi the tank, however , my lfs does do once a week prazi in his tanks, so hopefully that will cover that end.
To me this isn’t bulletproof, but with quarantine, at least with me, was an epic failure. Weighing out the risk, rather than quarantine and lose a good marine in fish, I can utilize the copper at my lfs, and give them a good dip before hand. I bring my meter with me, and on the last few occasions, his copper was 2.5 or higher every time.
