Need to QT Biota Captive-Bred Blue Mandarin?

Fringe09 · May 18, 2019

Hi Reefers,

Thinking about purchasing a Biota Captive-Bred Blue Mandarin from Live Aquaria. As they are very finicky eaters, I would like to directly put it in my DT. Do captive bred fish carry the same type of disease that wild ones do?

Thanks

EmdeReef · May 18, 2019

I think it’s safe to assume that biota ensured their breeding tanks are disease free. If you were getting it directly from them I’d say no need to worry about putting to DT.

The question is how “clean” liveaquaria tanks are... the good news is that at least the captive bred fish are kept in Wisconsin where they still seem to be doing decent husbandry.

Fringe09 · May 18, 2019

EmdeReef said:
I think it’s safe to assume that biota ensured their breeding tanks are disease free. If you were getting it directly from them I’d say no need to worry about putting to DT.

The question is how “clean” liveaquaria tanks are... the good news is that at least the captive bred fish are kept in Wisconsin where they still seem to be doing decent husbandry.

That’s my thought.

ckalupa · May 18, 2019

Algae Barn also has the Biota is where I got mine. Not sure of their practices so I kept them in QT without meds though. They did fine as also the yellow tang I got from them (Biota also).

bluprntguy · May 18, 2019

I would. I would also do tank transfer and treat with prazipro.

I have a biota mandarin that went through similar quarantine. She loves decapsulated brine shrimp eggs and frozen baby brine and that was mostly what she ate while in quarantine. I fed her three times a day and had a culture of pods ready to populate the tank after the transfer. The biota mandarins come TINY. She may have been 3/4” long. At that size, there isn’t much that could fit in her mouth.

I’d order from algaebarn if you can. They only sell biota fish (so their tanks are likely disease free) and their husbandry practices seem better than live aquaria.

Fringe09 · May 18, 2019

bluprntguy said:
I would. I would also do tank transfer and treat with prazipro.

I have a biota mandarin that went through similar quarantine. She loves decapsulated brine shrimp eggs and frozen baby brine and that was mostly what she ate while in quarantine. I fed her three times a day and had a culture of pods ready to populate the tank after the transfer. The biota mandarins come TINY. She may have been 3/4” long. At that size, there isn’t much that could fit in her mouth.

I’d order from algaebarn if you can. They only sell biota fish (so their tanks are likely disease free) and their husbandry practices seem better than live aquaria.

I have a difficult time understanding why some force meds upon livestock on day one. Fish flew for X hours which is stressful. Then placed in a small tank with PVC while owner is staring them. Why not observe in QT for a couple of weeks first?

DSC reef · May 18, 2019

@Fringe09 you can email biota and give them your closest LFS. They can work with them and possibly ship directly to that store.

Fringe09 · May 18, 2019

DSC reef said:
@Fringe09 you can email biota and give them your closest LFS. They can work with them and possibly ship directly to that store.

I would rather have it delivered to my house. Almost all my fish have been ordered from Diver’s Den. Much more comfortable for me to be there when it arrives.

Tyler Bullock · May 18, 2019

Fringe09 said:
I have a difficult time understanding why some force meds upon livestock on day one. Fish flew for X hours which is stressful. Then placed in a small tank with PVC while owner is staring them. Why not observe in QT for a couple of weeks first?

That is just his process and what he has been successful with. I would observe it for a few day. See if it will eat. Then start treatment if needed.

DSC reef · May 18, 2019

Fringe09 said:
I would rather have it delivered to my house. Almost all my fish have been ordered from Diver’s Den. Much more comfortable for me to be there when it arrives.

They don't sell to the public unfortunately. They will go above and beyond to get what you want to a store in your location though.

Fringe09 · May 18, 2019

DSC reef said:
They don't sell to the public unfortunately. They will go above and beyond to get what you want to a store in your location though.

I had no idea. I’m on their site now and it doesn’t say anywhere about not selling to the public. The price is $89 which is the same as Live Aquaria.

https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/captive-bred/fish/green-mandarin/

mcpeachy · May 18, 2019

If you are getting it shipped directly from biota I would think no qt. But if live aquaria kept with other fish, I’d treat and qt

mcpeachy · May 18, 2019

Algaebarn fish are disease free. Call them up.

DibsOnMcRibs · May 18, 2019

Algaebarn’s fish are not disease free. But they do their best to ensure everything they are sending to their customers are healthy.

They postponed one of my orders because they had to treat a CB blue tang. They did end up compensating me for the wait.

mcpeachy · May 18, 2019

Thanks for correcting me on that. I thought they were since captive bred

AcanthurusRex · May 18, 2019

mcpeachy said:
Thanks for correcting me on that. I thought they were since captive bred

They have promised me that they keep their inverts separate from the fish. The fish probably go through the wholesaler where the tangs picked up a parasite; unless it was a bacterial infection. I'd like to know but have not asked them. They would be parasite free directly from Biota.
In the past, I have purchased many inverts from them and not quarantined them. However, I managed to get velvet in the DT and all my remaining fish are in QT and the tank is fallow. I either cross-contaminated it or it came in with an urchin. I suspect my error but I can't be sure. I only put them in suspicion because I knew about the tangs in treatment. The fish I put in QT never had any symptoms and looked perfect, still do after 2 months in QT with nothing but PVC.
I thinking about one of their yellow tangs but I'm out of QT space.
BTW it took a solid three weeks before the velvet was obvious. I would not consider a two-week observation long enough anymore.

bluprntguy · May 18, 2019

Fringe09 said:
I have a difficult time understanding why some force meds upon livestock on day one. Fish flew for X hours which is stressful. Then placed in a small tank with PVC while owner is staring them. Why not observe in QT for a couple of weeks first?

I don’t force meds on day one. I do TTM, which is no meds. I treat for flukes with prazipro on the first or second transfer which is three or six days into quarantine. Flukes are so prevalent currently in marine fish and there often aren’t symptoms. You can check by doing a freshwater dip, but that’s stressful for some fish as well and you might miss seeing them if there are only a few. Prazipro is one of the mildest medications that we have for fish. It’s a calculated risk/benefit to treat prophylactically. That’s the one thing that I treat for regardless of if there are symptoms.

Pbh-reef · May 18, 2019

Hey @AlgaeBarn care to comment on if your fish are likely to have ich, flukes, velvet brook, internal parasites, etc...

jefra · May 18, 2019

Mandarins, like clowns, are very ich resistant.

DHill6 · May 18, 2019

Fringe09 said:
Hi Reefers,

Thinking about purchasing a Biota Captive-Bred Blue Mandarin from Live Aquaria. As they are very finicky eaters, I would like to directly put it in my DT. Do captive bred fish have carry the same type of disease that wild ones do?

Thanks

I purchased Biotas...a male and a couple weeks later the female from Pacific East Aquaculture. I didn't QT, just put them in. The male eats TDO small pellets and the pods when I purchase them. The female came in really scrawny and I should've brought it straight to their attention but didn't. She didn't make it and also wouldn't eat after a couple weeks.