QT and 25 year old fish!!

[Feet4Fish]

Hopefully this post does not serve as a QT v No QT debate but I do have a question. I am a firm believer in QT but wonder this. Is there any long term affect on fish from exposure to many of the meds we use? Do the medications cause any stress on the organs that may shorten lifespan? Totally concede that a fish that lives 10 out a possible 15 years is far better than one that lives two weeks but you see my point (hopefully). I am a physician and know that most medications we use in people have a potential negative affect on our patients. This would be especially concerning with something as cytotoxic as copper. Appreciate everyone’s input!!!!

 

[Zionas]

I don’t know, can’t comment but wish I could. I’m completely new to the whole hobby. Sorry pal. I’d be curious though, what fish are you talking about? 25 years is awesome. My guess is it’s either a clown or a tang?

 

[New&no clue]

I believe in QT as well, however, I don't medicate unless I see a need too. I know most people start out with medication even if the fish doesn't show signs of anything. I have only had to medicate one fish. Might the rest have brought something into the DT, its possible, maybe even probable. I've always thought that medication has good and bad points, and we take the bad because we need the good, and the good way outweigh the bad. However, if we don't need the good... than why take the bad for no reason.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

I am a firm believer in QT and medication. Even if a fish that shows no sign of being sick. I had a CBB that was in perfect health. Never got sick. I lost 2 tanks because of velvet. The CBB however was strong as ever. There is a chance you QT a fish that is asymptomatic. Before you know it, your DT is wiped out. Why take a chance?

I think Humblefish was successful of QT and treating his fish without using copper and using peroxide treatments instead. I am building my next reef now. I will have a strict QT process. Going as far as QT all my frags and inverts. If I loose a fish, it wont be because of ich, velvet, broc or whatever.

 

[Feet4Fish]

Many fish can reach long lives. 25 was a bit of hyperbole. But I had a clownfish reach 22! @Paul B has stated this and it really sticks with me. Fish should live out their natural life spans in our tanks. This is not typically possible for most in the wild due to predation. If they don’t live their full lifespans in our tanks then it is a failure.

I don’t know, can’t comment but wish I could. I’m completely new to the whole hobby. Sorry pal. I’d be curious though, what fish are you talking about? 25 years is awesome. My guess is it’s either a clown or a tang?

 

[Feet4Fish]

Like most of you I am a staunch believer in QT. Have been in the hobby for 16 years (only Qt last 5 years). I am curious about the long term physical effects of the meds we sometimes employ.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Just like human and any other animal meds, the side affects are there. Obviously as we do, we have to look and decide if the side affects are better than using the meds. No different.
If we see velvet, not treating, dead fish. Treat, may live and be happy for many years.
Not see anything in qt? No medicate. Put in with a bunch of healthy fish and they all die? That is what we call a latent disease. We could not predict it, but we could have stopped it.
We could have dosed in qt to get rid of any parasites. We may have been able to prevent our current fish deaths. This is like vaccines. Obviously, not everyone agrees on vaccines and not everyone agrees on qt.
This is how I see qt and medicating prior to allowing them near my other fish.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Oh, I have put "most" of my fish through qt and have had very long lived fish with happy good lives (from what I could tell). My tangs was 14yrs when it passed of old age. It was adult when I got it. My wrasses have mostly all ived over 5 years and died of old age. My foxface died of old age. These were all qted by me with meds.

 

[Katrina71]

I don't QT and don't medicate.

 

[Albertan22]

I’m using QT as part of my stocking plan for my current tank setup but have been doing hyposalinity instead of copper. Here in Canada most fish meds are now illegal so you can’t buy them anymore. Apparently people were buying them for human use . I still have most of a bottle of copper power on hand if something like velvet crops up but will no longer be prophylacticaly treating everything with copper. I don’t have access to deworming meds at all.

I am curious to see the effect on fish lifespan in switching from copper to hyposalinity.