Is quarantine a necessary process? Or does it depend on the type of fish?

[EricR]

My approach isn't popular because I accept some risks but do what's reasonably easy for me with what I have and I do feel like I'm reducing (not eliminating) the chance for fish diseases/parasites:
-- Humblefish HTTM for all fish (tank transfer method with 2x 150 ppm H2O2 baths during the process)
-- Observational QT for all inverts for 50+ days (depuration, I guess)
-- NO coral QT -- just dip and add but I only keep soft corals ***I feel the risk is low enough to accept here

*note that if/when anything goes wrong (not yet), I don't have much $$$ invested to lose but I would feel bad

 

[addictswife]

nah never have never had an issue, my lfs does quarantine for a month before selling them though so I have comfort in that.

What’s the name and where is this store awesome store?

 

[tzabor10]

Even if the LFS does quarantine, you should keep the fish separate. Get them fat over 3 weeks and have low social pressure. Their immune system can handle a lot more that way.

 

[crabgrass]

I did not QT my first batch and they were fine. Like others said, my tank is now larger and more expensive so I:

- buy only QT fish and inverts from vetted online sellers or a local guy (not LFS, but someone personally I can verify is QT-ing)
- roll the dice on coral. Dip and throw in
- no QT on live rock added when setting up thr system

I don’t have evidence of Ich, but I do practice some aspects of Ich management, as a *just in case*
- run UV at parasite levels (most of the time)
- a few times a week feed fish selcon and garlic (not every day)
- generally feed heavier and have a variety of different food

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My approach isn't popular because I accept some risks but do what's reasonably easy for me with what I have and I do feel like I'm reducing (not eliminating) the chance for fish diseases/parasites:
-- Humblefish HTTM for all fish (tank transfer method with 2x 150 ppm H2O2 baths during the process)
-- Observational QT for all inverts for 50+ days (depuration, I guess)
-- NO coral QT -- just dip and add but I only keep soft corals ***I feel the risk is low enough to accept here

*note that if/when anything goes wrong (not yet), I don't have much $$$ invested to lose but I would feel bad

I quarantine all new fish going into a tank with existing fish. I modify the process for a few species, flashlight fish, mandarins and a few others. My current process is here:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[eliaslikesfish]

What’s the name and where is this store awesome store?

the fish nook, near boston. he showed me the quarantine room and everything, never seen an unhealthy fish in his store and never had an issue with one that I bought either.

 

[miyags]

Let me put it this way. I had about 5 fish in my tank, for 15 years. I added an impulse buy fish without QT.and then watched my beloved fish of 15 years,die in a matter of 12 days..I QT and treat everything.

 

[Readywriter]

Ive always gone with the healthy tank healthy fish rule. When I was a teenager I couldnt get my parents to sign off on having a quarantine tank so I never quarantined anything and since it always worked out and I never lost a fish I stuck with that ever since. Ive had ich pop up in both fresh water and marine tanks and run its course in a couple of days, no meds, no hyposalinity or any other intervention aside from maintaining water quality. The most notable time was 3 days after I added a powder blue tang it developed ich and then several other fish got it. It stopped showing up days later and never popped up again in that tank (the powder blue was the last addition).

So not running a qt can definitely work, but there is a caveat: I am very meticulous and patient and obsessive when it comes to research, most people aren't.

Edit: just to clarify - Ive always only purchase fish from top quality sources. If my only source was some "good" lfs with diatoms everywhere Id probably set up a qt.