Quarantine Meds

[Rothgar]

Just wondering what you guys use for your Medication in your QT tank?

 

[JSB]

For me, it really depends. If this is straight from the store QT, then nothing but time. Otherwise, it will depend entirely on what I am treating for. I personally don't medicate for things a fish "might" have.

 

[Squishie89]

I agree with the above. I also do not prophylactic treat. 30+ days of just watching.

 

[Eienna]

I personally prefer to deworm in QT. It's just one of those things you can't see outwardly until it's really bad, and probably spread to your other fish.

 

[Rothgar]

I personally prefer to deworm in QT. It's just one of those things you can't see outwardly until it's really bad, and probably spread to your other fish.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I personally prefer to deworm in QT. It's just one of those things you can't see outwardly until it's really bad, and probably spread to your other fish.

I've seen internal worm problems with freshwater cichlids, but I have not seen a worm issue so far with marine fish. What are you using to treat for worms?

 

[Eienna]

I haven't done it with my SW guys yet...I was stupid and just put them straight in. And I knew better *shame*

I used Tetra Parasite Guard with the freshies but I dunno how safe it is for SW. I'll probably be using PraziPro.

 

[TrishW]

I hate to admit that I have added almost all my fish with QTing them because I just didn't have a tank big enough to use as a QT. I did QT my last fish purchase, 2 tomato clowns, for 23 days and just added them to the display today. I still don't have a tank big enough to QT a tang though.

 

[H@rry]

I don't quarantee fish. I get them from a trusted source(s), float them for 15 minutes, and cut the bags open. Never had a problem with parasites (that I know of).

 

[Rothgar]

It's just a matter of finding a "Trusted Source." So far I have just dropped my fish in like H@rry. But now that i'm getting bigger fish and more $$ is being spent I don't want to take the chance.

 

[Mason Dixon]

I would treat prophylactically with the highest dose of chloroquine phosphate(ebay) you can use for your size qt. 1 and done treatment that only lasts 10 days.... no messing with copper, hypo, ammonium.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I've quarentined my small fishes in the past successfully, but I did not use QT for my Powder Blue Tang because my QT tank was too small and therefore stressful to the fish.

I don't mind using QT but a small one is pain in the butt. You need to keep an eye on the water quality all the time. A slip up can be deadly to the inhabitant with or without medicine. If you are going to QT, I'd first observe the fish without any medication. Some meds are hard on the biological filter and the tank inhabitants. People used to do very quick fresh water dip to get rid of exterior paracites and then qt the fish.

As for dropping fish from a reliable source, you are still taking a chance. So please be prepared to deal with a problem just in case. Since I got the powder blue tang piggy-backing on Harry's Live Aquaria order, I thought that the fish should be generally in good shape. He was, but he came down with ick two weeks later. I used supposedly reef safe ick treatment, but it did not really work. The ick was not too bad so I got a cleaner wrasse and he took care of the ick on tang in two to three days. I lost the cleaner wrasse in a week or so to starvation, which I knew that would happen. Looking back, I regret that I did not use cleaner shrimp. It might have been just as effective as the cleaner wrasse and I would still have it in my tank.

 

[ChrisKey]

My QT is just putting the fish in my frag tank away from the normal fish to keep an eye on them. Yes, it is still in the same system and a parasite would get in the water no matter what, but it keep stress down a little while they get used to the system.

I buy from liveAquaria and if you spend he money on the Divers Den you get the best fish and the best looking fish.

 

[Mike J.]

There's a difference between a quarantine tank and a hospital tank. To me a quarantine tank is for observation or it might be for hypo salinity. Here's some informative articles.

Stocking the Marine Fish Medicine Cabinet

A Fish Quarantine Process - Step by Step

 

[ChrisKey]

Very good point. You do need to know what to medicate so it is good to just observe before dosing.

Another thing to look for in reputable dealers is their refund policy. Most give you 2 weeks.

 

[Eienna]

I don't mind using QT but a small one is pain in the butt. You need to keep an eye on the water quality all the time. A slip up can be deadly to the inhabitant with or without medicine.

I used supposedly reef safe ick treatment, but it did not really work. The ick was not too bad so I got a cleaner wrasse and he took care of the ick on tang in two to three days. I lost the cleaner wrasse in a week or so to starvation, which I knew that would Looking back, I regret that I did not use cleaner shrimp. It might have been just as effective as the cleaner wrasse and I would still have it in my tank.

I agree on the small QT. I just lost my new royal gramma to a heater goof in the 10g. >.<

As for the shrimp, forget it. Some decide never to clean a fish at all, and they will not cure ich. They may hold it back until the fish's natural immunity takes over, but it's a risky proposition.

Take a look at this 2-part article.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php

 

[Eienna]

Sorry. App flipped out.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Steven Pro actually discuss the use of cleaner shrimp for ich in the second article you listed, stating "The cleaner shrimp, on the other hand, are not susceptible to Cryptocaryon and could therefore help to bring about a cure, while not being a complete cure in and of themselves."

John Newby at CRS recommended a cleaner shrimp at the time since he was out of cleaner wrasse, but I opted for cleaner wrasse since I had a credit sitting in the store that had a cleaner wrasse on hand.

Steven Pro said in the same article that "Labroides wrasses, contrary to popular opinion, they do not consume Cryptocaryon parasites." However, I saw my cleaner wrasse actively cleaning the ich off my Powder Blue Tang while I watched them together for a while. Whatever that was that ailed him, the tang looked completely well in a week or so.

 

[Eienna]

Steven Pro actually discuss the use of cleaner shrimp for ich in the second article you listed, stating "The cleaner shrimp, on the other hand, are not susceptible to Cryptocaryon and could therefore help to bring about a cure, while not being a complete cure in and of themselves."

John Newby at CRS recommended a cleaner shrimp at the time since he was out of cleaner wrasse, but I opted for cleaner wrasse since I had a credit sitting in the store that had a cleaner wrasse on hand.

Steven Pro said in the same article that "Labroides wrasses, contrary to popular opinion, they do not consume Cryptocaryon parasites." However, I saw my cleaner wrasse actively cleaning the ich off my Powder Blue Tang while I watched them together for a while. Whatever that was that ailed him, the tang looked completely well in a week or so.

Oops. Haha. I got my info mixed up. Been derpy lately.

As for the wrasses, I will certainly give you two things - one, that there are always exceptions, and two, that no one person can be right all the time.

There's a lot of controversy about ich...perhaps, having not encountered it personally, I should not have said anything.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

The powder blue tang is the only fish that contracted ich in my tank over the years. I paid dearly for the mistake of adding a so-called reef safe remedy called Herbtania. It came highly recommended. To be fair, Herbtania did not affect anything except for my Hawkings Blue colony, which I knew was an extremely sensitive coral. I wish I could have caught the fish, but it was too difficult. I was not ready to break down the 180 at that time... Yeah, I know, I just did that to catch two one-inch fishy vermins a few weeks ago...