Quarantine. Do you? and why or why not

[robert]

I don't QT. Like Nana, I've got a local supplier who will keep a fish for me a week or two before I bring it home. She's very good at ensuring the fish are treated for ich, flukes, flatworms and are eating before I take them home...so the source is the first line of defense.
If I want a particular fish I ask her first...

When I have ordered online - I do a minimal acclimation and go straight to display and yes, I've introduced both velvet and ich this way even though I use repudible suppliers.

If a fish is sick enough to catch, its usually very sick, but I will still dip, and return to the display. While I can't say I've never lost a fish, I can say I lose very, very few - maybe one every two or three years - and never one whos been in my tank for any time.

I've found Ich and velvet to both be very controllable with the right husbandry and filteration.

Otherwise healthy fish don't succumb, there is usually sommething else wrong, either with the fish or in the tank if fish die.

I've known many who practice strict QT with fish, but will introduce corals, snails, etc without QT. Even though these don't get ich, they can still carry the cyst on their shells and introduce it to your display.

 

[JVH]

Thanks again one and all...Maybe if I had confidence in the fish being QTed like nanareefer I would skip it but since I did have ick once (and I believe it was not due to a new fish) still, not worth it.. My old 29 will now be my qt for the next few months. Once I get the new tank stocked, Ill get rid of the 29 and just keep my 20 on hand for a hospital qt which I hope to never need. Is prazzipro something I can use on inverts as well? I didn't think that had copper?

 

[NicksMixedReef]

Never have quarantined fish before, never lost a fish to disease either

 

[RMS18]

I think saltyphish said it all.. imo unless a fish is stressed and has a weak immune system you won't know. I am currently going through this with a clown goby, all was fine untill I added 2 banggais that moved into his cave. Now treating ick on the goby, 2 clowns and 2 banggais are fine.

 

[JVH]

I think saltyphish said it all.. imo unless a fish is stressed and has a weak immune system you won't know. I am currently going through this with a clown goby, all was fine untill I added 2 banggais that moved into his cave. Now treating ick on the goby, 2 clowns and 2 banggais are fine.

So sorry to hear that! I went through Ick and lost 1/2 my fish for different reasons than a new fish into but whatever the reason it's terrible! Hope you get through it ok.

 

[JVH]

Never have quarantined fish before, never lost a fish to disease either

Trying to get all different views. How old is your tank? How big and how many fish? When I started my tank everyone was healthy for 5months so it wasn't a new fish dilemma for me.

 

[JVH]

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.

When my fish went back into the DT after removal for ick I did match acclimation. PH, Temp Salinity. Dropped them in and it was a very smooth transaction!

 

[RMS18]

Trying to get all different views. How old is your tank? How big and how many fish? When I started my tank everyone was healthy for 5months so it wasn't a new fish dilemma for me.

I have probably heard the opinion of 30 different experienced people from lfs, to forum members to local club members. Some say quarantine is a must, others say it doesn't matter. As I have learned quickly in this hobby for most topics there is no definite answer. I just met someone who has a beautiful 60 gallon with sps, lps, and fish with no sump or filter just a skimmer and China LEDs and his water is clearer than bottled lol. Find whatever works for you I guess.

 

[Tek]

I have probably heard the opinion of 30 different experienced people from lfs, to forum members to local club members. Some say quarantine is a must, others say it doesn't matter. As I have learned quickly in this hobby for most topics there is no definite answer. I just met someone who has a beautiful 60 gallon with sps, lps, and fish with no sump or filter just a skimmer and China LEDs and his water is clearer than bottled lol. Find whatever works for you I guess.

It depends on the severity of the parasite. Ich is a slow killer or may just irritate some fish. My tank was infected with velvet from a new clean looking flame angel. It died first then within 24-48 hours all of my 5-8 year old fishes died. They were all fat and healthy and even a hospital tank with copper could not save them in time.

I now QT everything and it has saved me money in better handling new fish with issues and protects the fishes I have kept for years.

 

[JVH]

It depends on the severity of the parasite. Ich is a slow killer or may just irritate some fish. My tank was infected with velvet from a new clean looking flame angel. It died first then within 24-48 hours all of my 5-8 year old fishes died. They were all fat and healthy and even a hospital tank with copper could not save them in time.

I now QT everything and it has saved me money in better handling new fish with issues and protects the fishes I have kept for years.

How awful! I felt terrible loosing my fish that were months old. I can't imagine loosing fish 5 years old..

 

[NicksMixedReef]

Trying to get all different views. How old is your tank? How big and how many fish? When I started my tank everyone was healthy for 5months so it wasn't a new fish dilemma for me.

I just had to look at my official "age" of my aquarium. I thought it's been four years but it has been over 5!

I have a 65 gallon tank, and have up to 15 fish in at once before. I usually bring them back to my lfs when they get too big. I feed a ton and I try not to let the parameters swing too much. I feel like the key to having a disease free tank is keeping everyone happy, including corals who could stress the tank too.

 

[JVH]

I just had to look at my official "age" of my aquarium. I thought it's been four years but it has been over 5!

I have a 65 gallon tank, and have up to 15 fish in at once before. I usually bring them back to my lfs when they get too big. I feed a ton and I try not to let the parameters swing too much. I feel like the key to having a disease free tank is keeping everyone happy, including corals who could stress the tank too.

I agree! I am feeding more often now. I want FAT fish! That's the key! My tank is 68g onl;y 3 fish for now. That's why I'm trying to decide on QT or not. Im thinking I will at least for a few weeks since my 29 is still up and running.. Thanks for your input.

 

[Congaken]

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

 

[Congaken]

What about using a product like Prime in my QT...it should stop ammonia and nitrite poisoning...right?...I will only have one fish (yellow watchman) in QT for a week or 2...I'll test for ammonia, change water, watch salinity...good...no good?

 

[Tek]

What about using a product like Prime in my QT...it should stop ammonia and nitrite poisoning...right?...I will only have one fish (yellow watchman) in QT for a week or 2...I'll test for ammonia, change water, watch salinity...good...no good?

That works in emergencies but do not use it if you are treating with copper as it will make the copper lethally toxic.