Poll: Do You QT? See where you stack up!

[MnFish1]

I QT only fishes. QT lasts minimum of 6 weeks. I use Prazi and chelated copper (coppersafe) to QT my fishes. I try not to use copper unless necessary. I observe my fishes for 3-4 weeks before deciding on copper. Or unless otherwise there are tell tale sign of some issues. I followed @Humblefish and @melypr1985 discussion for a while before deciding on my QT regimen. But if I had the space and resources I'd use humblefish's TTM method. Due to space constraint I don't QT corals or inverts, but I really want to.

The local fish store where I get all my fish has a QT protocol that they use - and they sell no fish exposed to any copper (unless they needed treatment during their quarantine process). I observe them on hold for at least 2 weeks(after their quarantine period) for any signs of problems, etc. Thusfar, I have had no problem - and I trust their system (and have seen it) - far better and safer than I could design at home.

If I were buying anything from one of the big 'online' places, I would QT for sure - but I decided that paying a higher price locally for healthy fish has worked out much better than trying to save some money online. Just my experience.

 

[TheEngineer]

There's a missing option... I QT fish and inverts, but not corals.

 

[MnFish1]

Just curious - for those that quarantine fish but not corals/inverts (and assuming rock) - Cant ich/velvet bet brought into a tank with these as well?

 

[Brew12]

Just curious - for those that quarantine fish but not corals/inverts (and assuming rock) - Cant ich/velvet bet brought into a tank with these as well?

Yes, it can. Happens quite regularly, unfortunately.

 

[melypr1985]

Just curious - for those that quarantine fish but not corals/inverts (and assuming rock) - Cant ich/velvet bet brought into a tank with these as well?

Happens all the time.

 

[melypr1985]

I quarantine everything. Fish, Corals and inverts. The coral and inverts can be housed in the same tank and I simply use a paint pen to note when a batch of either goes into the tank. My fish get every bit of attention they need and are treated prophylactically for ich, velvet and flukes.

 

[LandenB]

dang I dont know why it feels comforting to know im not the only idiot.. the more people that don't quarantine means the more I should....darn

 

[Mark Derail]

New to the hobby, and was already burned. Modifying my custom stand to have a full-time QT beside the sump, always cycled. A 3 footer and a one footer.

The worst is having a sick fish, needing to catch him, ending up with a complete tear-down.

My next display tank will be designed with this in mind. Large, wide, but not tall. Stand is 34" off the floor.
Also I have a wide/skinny 4 footer tank (current main) that can be side-by-side with main. So that we get to view through the main tank the QT fish tank.
Why I'm modifying the custom stand, depth is cheap, and more internal square footage.

Then again, I don't have a basement, like most hobbyists I visited. I think it's a good idea that the fish QT tank be side-by-side, or one behind the other, so you see them all on one stand.

 

[Radman73]

The local fish store where I get all my fish has a QT protocol that they use - and they sell no fish exposed to any copper (unless they needed treatment during their quarantine process). I observe them on hold for at least 2 weeks(after their quarantine period) for any signs of problems, etc. Thusfar, I have had no problem - and I trust their system (and have seen it) - far better and safer than I could design at home.

If I were buying anything from one of the big 'online' places, I would QT for sure - but I decided that paying a higher price locally for healthy fish has worked out much better than trying to save some money online. Just my experience.

I understand and had the same opinion. I just don't know that I like trusting someone else with my tank. When it was a biocube, sure. But with the 220 I might have 20-30 fish. I can't see myself willing to risk that just hoping that someone else QT'd effectively. I really do wish there was an outfit out there that had rock solid reviews/reputation for QT'ing fish. IMO, this hobby would be better off if the fish were almost always delivered healthy vs what they've been lately. Event at a higher cost for the fish. It just seems that the earlier in the process that the fish get treated for illness the higher the success rate would be throughout the supply chain. But, realistically, it won't happen as even when you buy or adopt a dog, the first thing we do is take it to a vet to get checked out.

 

[Radman73]

New to the hobby, and was already burned. Modifying my custom stand to have a full-time QT beside the sump, always cycled. A 3 footer and a one footer.

The worst is having a sick fish, needing to catch him, ending up with a complete tear-down.

My next display tank will be designed with this in mind. Large, wide, but not tall. Stand is 34" off the floor.
Also I have a wide/skinny 4 footer tank (current main) that can be side-by-side with main. So that we get to view through the main tank the QT fish tank.
Why I'm modifying the custom stand, depth is cheap, and more internal square footage.

Then again, I don't have a basement, like most hobbyists I visited. I think it's a good idea that the fish QT tank be side-by-side, or one behind the other, so you see them all on one stand.

Look into aerosol transmission before you get too far down that modification path...

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I QT fish. All of them, no matter where they come from, no matter what they look like. They go into observation for a few weeks to check for parasites and to get them eating. If everything is fine they go over to the DT. If I notice any symptoms I treat accordingly. I've never QTed coral, but I do dip everything in Rx Pro. Once I get everything transferred to the new 35g, the 14g is going to be a frag tank/coral and invert QT.

 

[paphater]

I'm awful at QT. I always get the tank set up and cycled and then end up pulling them out early for whatever reason. So far the only fish I have lost have been to what I believe to have been crappy QT conditions on my part. My work does lend well to the QT process. I'm hoping to get a new setup going that will be integrated in to my apex here eventually.

 

[splix]

New to the hobby, and was already burned. Modifying my custom stand to have a full-time QT beside the sump, always cycled. A 3 footer and a one footer.

The worst is having a sick fish, needing to catch him, ending up with a complete tear-down.

My next display tank will be designed with this in mind. Large, wide, but not tall. Stand is 34" off the floor.
Also I have a wide/skinny 4 footer tank (current main) that can be side-by-side with main. So that we get to view through the main tank the QT fish tank.
Why I'm modifying the custom stand, depth is cheap, and more internal square footage.

Then again, I don't have a basement, like most hobbyists I visited. I think it's a good idea that the fish QT tank be side-by-side, or one behind the other, so you see them all on one stand.

You'll wish you didnt set it up that way for various reasons.

 

[Antics]

I'm surprised 30% of people quarantine fish only. If we consider how ich and other parasites can enter (however unlikely) on coral or inverts it brings the quarantine numbers more in line with what I would consider the norm. 80-90% do not quarantine, or do so suboptimally. I think for an online forum this is a pretty fair representation. Considering the full hobbyist demographic that do a full quarantine has to be less than 1%. Thoughts?

In my experience of working in a LFS I can't remember a single customer who did a 100% thorough quarantine on coral/fish/inverts/cuc other than myself.

 

[ccbobafett]

Yep learned my lesson after a ich our break killed all my fish including a plaid of 15 year old tomato clowns besides a eel

 

[ca1ore]

These numbers are quite surprising!

In what way? Polls on this topic always seem to end up about 50:50 between folks that do some-to-all QT and those that do none. I didn't QT for my first 15 years in this hobby, but switched after a particularly virulent strain of ich took out my tank. Since I have done QT, I've spent a lot less for a lot more.

 

[ca1ore]

I'm surprised 30% of people quarantine fish only. If we consider how ich and other parasites can enter (however unlikely) on coral or inverts it brings the quarantine numbers more in line with what I would consider the norm. 80-90% do not quarantine, or do so suboptimally. I think for an online forum this is a pretty fair representation. Considering the full hobbyist demographic that do a full quarantine has to be less than 1%. Thoughts?

In my experience of working in a LFS I can't remember a single customer who did a 100% thorough quarantine on coral/fish/inverts/cuc other than myself.

It's ultimately about ones tolerance for risk. I've had diseases come in on fish dozens of times, but not once (that I know of) on an invert. FWIW, while I do not QT corals, I do dip them.

 

[MnFish1]

In what way? Polls on this topic always seem to end up about 50:50 between folks that do some-to-all QT and those that do none. I didn't QT for my first 15 years in this hobby, but switched after a particularly virulent strain of ich took out my tank. Since I have done QT, I've spent a lot less for a lot more.

Im surprised because (unless you have a fish only tank) if you dont QT invertebrates/coral etc, youre basically not quarantining - so 89% of users here are not quarantining. Though - if you get your corals from a frag tank with no fish for >76 days - its essentially getting 'quarantined' stuff - but my guess is that this is not common.

 

[jpcrash1]

I observe all fish in qt before entering display. Learned the hard way by dumping a blue hippo with velvet in tank and killed all fish.

 

[jeff williams]

I will admit qt'ing everything wet is a practice of patients. It's a commitment for sure , I've been trying for a year now to stock my DT and I have 5 fish in it no cleanup crew and no corals. I have 2 fish ready to graduate in a couple days and 10 snails ready in about another 2 weeks. I've had 3 fish die in qt, two from osmotic shock and I from aggression,I fish I Qt'ed and he got aggressive and didn't graduate he is still on a qt. so i can see people's rush to get a tank stocked but it's a gamble I'm not willing to take. I have been toying around with a qt method to speed up the process and that is cu for 7 days and then into a sterile tank for prazi and observation for 3 weeks should cut the qt time down to 6 weeks instead of 8