Quarantine. Do you? and why or why not

[JVH]

So when I had my 29g I only drip acclimated my fish. After 4 month of a successful tank up and running during a WC 2 fish where hiding in the same cave and started violently fighting. The next morning one fish was acting weird then the entire tank came down with ICK. Lost half my fish
I read so many articles on why I should QT a fish before it goes into the main DT. Anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months!
To QT it seems so unbelievable stressful to transfer a fish I think the least amount of time the better.

So my theory is if it takes stress to bring out Ick or other diseases you want the least amount of stress so why not just drip acclimate and place them in the DT?
You need to acclimate for QT then you need to re drip to the DT you can still stress them out another time!

I really don't want to do that. Someone tell me my theory is correct? Please!

 

[saltyphish]

If you match sg and temp for most fish you don't need to acclimate. You can literally drop it right in. Unfortunately, keeping your fish stress free forever is a hard task to consider. Imagine, your lights staying on or malfunctioning, your heater sticks on or off, you spring a leak, a piece of equipment starts giving off stray voltage in the water, fish start behaving aggressively towards each other, or a number of different issues you have no control over. This is why I always QT. Managing ick is hard and can be stressful on you. The best bet is to QT and treat the fish for ick with copper or TTM. Some people believe all fish have the parasite in them always, others feel differently and believe they catch it. I believe they catch it when they get stressed out and their immune system is low. I will never place a fish directly in my tank after purchase. All new critters get a minimum of 5 weeks QT. Ick is not the only thing to worry about.

 

[miyags]

4 months in saltwater is nothing.Did all your fish die? Whats more stress full is dead fish from not QT.

 

[Tek]

I QT and proactively treat all fish either with medications, tank transfer, or hypo. I also treat for internal and external bacterial infections just in case. It only takes one infected fish to cause a nightmare and QT is stress free if done correctly.

My DT has been parasite free for years and all fish are fat and healthy. Complete QT also extends to inverts and corals. I had snails bring in ich once.

 

[miyags]

I QT and proactively treat all fish either with medications, tank transfer, or hypo. I also treat for internal and external bacterial infections just in case. It only takes one infected fish to cause a nightmare and QT is stress free if done correctly.

My DT has been parasite free for years and all fish are fat and healthy. Complete QT also extends to inverts and corals. I had snails bring in ich once.

WELL SAID!!!!

 

[Gamma]

My problem is no space for a QT ...don't you have to have all the same equipment as your DT and seperate sump plus expensive?

 

[thehammer1985]

I also qt and treat fish profilacticly. It allows the fish to stabilize after shipping and also allows you too look for any signs of stress and disease before the fish even enters the tank. I would rather spend the extra time and effort into a qt than have to net a fish out and dig through my liverock 2 weeks later when I realize he has an infection. This way has actually assisted several times of not bringing the disease into my tank. The one time I thought I'd be lazy and not do it was in my new tank with a freidmini pseudochromis only to find degredation of his tale fins and dorsal fins with an infection. It took hell to get him out and into a qt to treat him . To summarize the extra time and effort can save you a big headache in the long run.

 

[Tahoe61]

Trust me the stress of over crowding, bullying, inadequately providing for your fishes nutritional needs contributes more to the spread and severity of disease then QT. And then add impulse buys without proper research first, yeah QT is the least of newer hobbyist problems.

 

[thehammer1985]

However I must state that with a qt in which a biological filter is actively destroyed with copper and other medicines please utilize your test kits regularly and perform water changes as needed . I have found the ammonia alert badges work well in these instances you do not want to treat only to end up killing the fish due to poor water quality

 

[JVH]

Thank you all for your input.. I guess QT is the best option! So let me ask you all this.. I still have my 29g set up and running. Instead of setting up my 20g maybe Ill utilize my already established tank before I take it apart..Can I add a few fish a week apart in the empty 29G Removing all carbon of course. The sponge and ceramic balls form when all the fish where in 2 weeks ago is still all up and running..
I just really need remove the rock clean the glass and add some copper. The bio filter is established. I know it will change with the use of copper but copper prevention dosing is not nearly as much correct? I didn't want 2 tank in the one room but maybe if I use it for a QT it will be a few month and a great place to QT the fish.

 

[JVH]

My DT has been parasite free for years and all fish are fat and healthy. Complete QT also extends to inverts and corals. I had snails bring in ich once.[/QUOTE]

What else can you do to keep and get fish fat and healthy? I try to feed a variety of frozen, live and pellets. I give them garlic and Vit C. Anything else I can do?

 

[thehammer1985]

Be very careful and get some ammonia alert badges with the 29g
The copper is less when it's preventive but I would still plan it wiping your biological filter . I utilize a 29g and I love it for these purposes. Or you can utilize that tank for invert qt and setup a 10 or 20 with a sponge filter for fish

 

[brandon429]

QT is put off by me, and other instant grat seekers. not only is it effective for ich, but not quarantining causes every algae wrecked tank on forums just shy of cyanobacteria and GHA invasions. if you are reading about a strain of algae wrecking someones tank, that we are likely beating back with peroxide, you can thank non QT for the entertainment and not the nutrients, those are about 3rd in the etiological line.

QT w prevent in reef aquaria:
bryopsis
dinos
invasive macros
majanos
valonia
chrysophytes
brush algae of any color

and 15 others but im at work got to run

 

[brandon429]

Quarantining as a discussion also highlights vector pathways for invaders and thats so useful~

no amount of quarantining can prevent a cyano invasion, as they are the top motile infectors aside from bacteria we work with. so motile, they span the globe on the currents in some attachments, in some areas on aerosols, travel they do.

the others have to ride hike in

 

[JVH]

Be very careful and get some ammonia alert badges with the 29g
The copper is less when it's preventive but I would still plan it wiping your biological filter . I utilize a 29g and I love it for these purposes. Or you can utilize that tank for invert qt and setup a 10 or 20 with a sponge filter for fish

I do have the ammonia badge already!

 

[thehammer1985]

Sweet these things can be a lifesaver in a quarentine. Just remember the amine group from cupramine can cause a slightly higher "false" ammonia reading

 

[tweeter]

Most surely always!! No matter what! I've had my tank whipped out twice from ich! I had to leave my tank bare for 4 months to get rid of it. It's way to much of a gamble for me not to.

 

[Tek]

My problem is no space for a QT ...don't you have to have all the same equipment as your DT and seperate sump plus expensive?

5-20g tank is enough for a QT. The cost to set one up is less than the cost of most saltwater fish.

I use a simple 10-20G and set it on a portion of my desk or kitchen counter, hang on filter, and pieces of PVC for the fish to hide in. My house stays around 76f so no heater needed either.

 

[Tek]

My DT has been parasite free for years and all fish are fat and healthy. Complete QT also extends to inverts and corals. I had snails bring in ich once.

What else can you do to keep and get fish fat and healthy? I try to feed a variety of frozen, live and pellets. I give them garlic and Vit C. Anything else I can do?[/QUOTE]

New Life Spectrum pellets is what has worked for me. It is truly a complete source of nutrition for them. Some of my fish are 8 years old now almost exclusively on those pellets with no HLLE and all are round and plump. I have an auto feeder which makes sure they are fed 4x a day.

I stopped feeding frozen since it raised up my nitrates. No nitrate issues with the pellets but it is loaded with P04 so I run GFO.

Also stray voltage will cause skinny fish even if you feed enough. I had that problem once when my tangs kept staying bone thin with multiple feelings per day.

 

[NanaReefer]

6yrs reefing and I've never QT'd. The wholesaler I get my fish from keep all fish QT'd for several weeks before selling. I've never gotten a sick fish from them yet [emoji109]