Having Trouble With This Quarantine Thing

[Mark Goode]

I'm trying to do things right, I really am.

I've a small quarantine tank set up with an Ehein internal filter, heater, air diffuser, bits of pipe, etc. - and it's been reading 0 Ammonia for a couple of weeks. Nitrate at 25 last week, but another partial water change tomorrow should bring that down further. I'm all ready to quarantine my first fish.

At least I thought I was.

Does nobody here in the UK do quarantine? The lady in the fish shop looked at me like I was an idiot when I asked her about quarantine procedures. And medicines? Forget it.

Copper Power? Nope.
Coppersafe? Nope.
Cupramine? Advertised at a couple of UK dealers, but I haven't found anyone with it in stock. A couple of them said out of stock at the suppliers.
Praziquantel? 'What's that?', they ask.
And these antibiotics you guys talk about? Illegal unless prescribed by a vet. Apparently the government think that if the great unwashed got our hands on any, we would instantly eat it and create some sort of antibiotic resistant, flesh-eating microbes which would bring on a zombie apocalypse. I kid you not.

I don't know what to do next, I really don't. Maybe I'll just have a few beers.

Excuse the rant.

 

[Katrina71]

@najer might be able to help out on your side of the pond

 

[Rick's Reviews]

LFS used to in every high street around my area in Nottingham but they seem to have all vanished and now everything is a 'pets at home' branch but nothing in regards to salt water aquriam's. They just cater for fresh water fish, rabbits and gerbil things. I totally understand your frustration in regards to buying stuff, it's either pack up family (I have two children) make a day of it or order online, you can get similar stuff from China but takes about 3 months to arrive.
I don't know your location but I get my copepods from Ashby de la zouch, I assume they have salt water but again it's over an hour drive for me so I get delivered I'll find email address/link and will send to you,

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Ashby pets and aquatics for copepods, I have used charterhouse aquatics and swell, for salt and other media, whichever cheaper/ needs, but again never visited any, hope this helps

 

[Mark Goode]

Ashby pets and aquatics for copepods, I have used charterhouse aquatics and swell, for salt and other media, whichever cheaper/ needs, but again never visited any, hope this helps

Thanks, I'll give them a try. I spoke to Charterhouse today, they only Stock Cupramine and at the moment it's out of stock at the supplier's.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Check this video out, I was just watching the 3-part series last night -

 

[Mark Goode]

Check this video out, I was just watching the 3-part series last night -

Thanks, but that isn't actually my problem.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Thanks, but that isn't actually my problem.

Apologies, I wasn’t sure if you were looking for just products or information

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I have bio balls in my filter, do these actually work in regards to nitrifying bacteria, I thought they was just like a trap for heavier materials?

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Apologies, I wasn’t sure if you were looking for just products or information

It opens it up for questions and answers, no need to be sorry (thumbs up)

 

[Uncle99]

Same much in Canada. The good stuff not available without prescription.
Then again I have never used a medication of any type in my QT, I just provide low stress, great protein and fat rich diet. I would only consider using any med if I actually knew what I was trying to fix. The treatment “just in case” does not always work out well.
Once, in 30 years I got one clown with ick. Just used Hypo to clear that up.
First diagnos, then treat, maybe they just do well on their own.

 

[Mark Goode]

Apologies, I wasn’t sure if you were looking for just products or information

No problem. I understand the process (I think), I'm just frustrated by the lack of products on this side of the pond.

 

[HBtank]

I have bio balls in my filter, do these actually work in regards to nitrifying bacteria, I thought they was just like a trap for heavier materials?

They work, they are just an old school way of having more surface area. I heave read that simply the surface of the glass in an Aquarium can handle most things once cycled, but I personally wouldn’t chance that!!

It think the advantage of other typical media is you can have it in cycled tanks and just transfer it to speed things up.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

They work, they are just an old school way of having more surface area. I heave read that simply the surface of the glass in an Aquarium can handle most things once cycled, but I personally wouldn’t chance that!!

It think the advantage of other typical media is you can have it in cycled tanks and just transfer it to speed things up.

Just learning that now lol, I rinse mine with every water change, bio balls and ceramic rings, they all get rinsed in cold water, I will look more into this, my aquriam doing great this far so I guess it works

 

[HBtank]

Just learning that now lol, I rinse mine with every water change, bio balls and ceramic rings, they all get rinsed in cold water, I will look more into this, my aquriam doing great this far so I guess it works

Yeah I think we typically way overdo the nitrifying side of things, thinking it is similar to the volume of rock or media/sand needed for denitrifying (again the old school way).

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Yeah I think we typically way overdo the nitrifying side of things, thinking it is similar to the volume of rock or media/sand needed for denitrifying (again the old school way).

Just thought they was part of collecting crap lol.
Definitely a great insight

 

[najer]

Bristol here and my lfs is Southwest Marines, I have never qt'd anything so I don't understand why you are so worried as the UK supply chain for fish seems to give up much cleaner fish, good luck.

 

[Mark Goode]

Bristol here and my lfs is Southwest Marines, I have never qt'd anything so I don't understand why you are so worried as the UK supply chain for fish seems to give up much cleaner fish, good luck.

That's good to know, thanks.

 

[Lasse]

The medication situation here in Sweden is the same as Canada and UK. I never use prophylactic treatment at all. The only thing I do is to let the newcomer adapt to my aquarium in my refugium for a week. I´m also rather strict where I buy things - most of my fish comes from TMC (a large importer to the UK and with service in the EU too)

Sincerely Lasse