How to quarantine... when you can't?

[Iona Skye]

How do you QT if all you have is a little biocube?

Is it just a game of roulette? Must one find fish friends with qt tanks? Interrogate the lfs? (That last one is a joke)

 

[Billldg]

I afraid to say that if you don't QT it is a game of chance that eventually you will lose. If you can find a place that actually QT's the fish then I would go with them. You will no doubt pay a little more, but your chance of success is far better. I believe @Humblefish was setting up a QT fish store but don't know where he is as far as progress go's.

Maybe find a club and see if someone can help you.

 

[6Bolt]

How do you QT if all you have is a little biocube?

Is it just a game of roulette? Must one find fish friends with qt tanks? Interrogate the lfs? (That last one is a joke)

Do you not have any room for a Quarantine Tank?

 

[davocean]

It's only roulette if you don't qt.

I don't have much space, not enough to keep a qt running all the time, so I have a cheapo little tank and a HO filter that I will set right on floor next to my display tank if I'm planning to add fish.

 

[Ktran350]

I’ve heard some good things about Blue life quick quarantine. I haven’t personally used it but I do have a few just in case.
https://www.marinedepot.com/Blue_Li...ations-Blue_Life_USA-BL00370-FIMEPSEX-vi.html

 

[Sorcha2]

5g buckets work for small fish if you have a heater and a bubbler

 

[Jmas4]

Can you not set up a 10 gallon qt? They are small and inexpensive. You can probably find one on craigslist that has everything for 20 bucks. It doesn't take up much space. Most fish that will go in a biocube can handle a 10 gallon qt.

 

[Clownfish2]

I’d get a 10 gallon, heater, and sponge filter, and Home Depot clamp on light. Cheap and gets it done!!

I learned the hard way....going fallow for 76 days for a second time to rid my 110 gallon of ick and brook.

One or two fish deaths could have easily paid for a QT setup.

 

[Iona Skye]

Problem is that the biocube is with my mom. She is still adjusting to having one tank and I need to make sure that a 2nd won't be too overwhelming. She's terrified of doing something wrong (although she's been doing fine so far!)

 

[Iona Skye]

So, with a qt don't you have to cycle it first? Can you do bare bottom, hob filter (with cycled media) and Dr Tim's one and only or something?

She doesn't want to have two permanent tanks....

 

[Iona Skye]

Putting fish in new / small tanks always makes me kinda nervous, especially if I'm not around to monitor it.

 

[cmcoker]

Can you quarantine it for her?

 

[Iona Skye]

Can you quarantine it for her?

Maybe, but I'm moving out of state soon and I'm trying to set her up for success while I'm gone.

I'm going to take out the trigger and offer for her to replace it with a fish with a calmer reputation [emoji39] (I've never had problems with him but I do want to decrease risks so she can just sit back and enjoy the fish.)

But adding a new fish? Ugh I'm not sure if it's worth the risk. She'd be so sad if anything were to go wrong.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

How do you QT if all you have is a little biocube?

Is it just a game of roulette? Must one find fish friends with qt tanks? Interrogate the lfs? (That last one is a joke)

For what its worth, I've never quarantined a thing I've ever put in my tank.
Never had fish disease or coral disease spread.
Got a rock covered in zoas that had nudies on it. Got rid of them using a syringe.
Just saying.

 

[Iona Skye]

For what its worth, I've never quarantined a thing I've ever put in my tank.
Never had fish disease or coral disease spread.
Got a rock covered in zoas that had nudies on it. Got rid of them using a syringe.
Just saying.

Yeah, tbh I've never quarantined either.... but I knew the risks. I'm just concerned about my mom. She doesn't need any more loss in her life right now.... So now I'm getting anxious about the various things that *could* go wrong.

So, do you think maybe I'm just over thinking it? :/

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Yes.

 

[Iona Skye]

Yes.

Okay.... Thanks for your honesty.

 

[Super Fly]

my lfs quarantines all his livestock and each tank has date of arrival for each fish. I buy fish that have been in his store for several weeks so I know they have been quarantined and are healthy enough to survive in an aquarium. Perhaps u can find such lfs?

Alternatively, you can purchase fish from local reefer who maintains a good reef aquarium and they have had the fish for a while, i.e. search R2R livestock sales forum

 

[WVNed]

For what its worth, I've never quarantined a thing I've ever put in my tank.
Never had fish disease or coral disease spread.
Just saying.

Me either. For more than 10 years.

I don't think it is luck because I never get more than 1 number on the lottery tickets.

 

[JumboShrimp]

How large/small is the bio-cube, and how many fish do you plan to keep? Because as I see it, here how the Risk Factor works out without quarantining—which, by the way, I would never personally advise doing without; I’m on my 3rd 76-day fallow period now in a 90 gallon, due to Marine Velvet

1 single fish: Risk of 1 fish dying.

Add a 2nd fish: Risk of fish #2 wiping both fish out.

Add a 3rd fish: Risk of fish #2 wiping all three fish out...

... and so-forth...