Quarantine Question

[loxodonta51]

I am a currently a first year vet student at Cornell and also a saltwater hobbyist, with three tanks up here with me. Recently I, along with other interested students at Cornell, have been discussing the possibility of starting a preventative medicine program at Cornell for aquarium fish. This would largely center around the existence of quarantine tanks at the College that people could either place their fish in after purchasing them for 4-6 weeks or send their fish to if they became ill. Vet students would then care for these fish, test water parameters, etc.

Administrators are very interested in starting this program, but wanted to get input from those in the hobby about whether they believe people would utilize this service. Therefore, that is what I am asking: do you think people would use this?

Thanks for the input!

 

[Nurse Payne]

It's a great concept but would likely depend on cost? How experienced are the personnel caring for the fish? Also, even great ideas need supply and demand. Are there lots of marine tank keepers in your area? You might try asking this in the local reef club nearest you. Good luck

 

[loxodonta51]

The price we have been throwing around is $5 for the stay, with owner's submitting their own food (so they need not try to transition them when bringing them home) and an additional fee for challenging species. Each person caring for the fish would be under the supervision of professors who have worked in fish management for years, would be trained, and most will have taken at least one of the fish management courses offered by the vet college. Of course, many of us are hobbyists ourselves too.

Yes, the demand is the big question in the area; that is what I am trying to figure out! Thanks for the response!

 

[Squishie89]

Well we have 2 stores here that now offer quarantine services, BUT if they weren't here, I KNOW people would snap up that bait quick (pun intended) (they probably still would!). It sounds like a great service. I will say one of the hard things about quarantining, or really any new fish, is getting them to eat. So being willing to grow/keep brine shrimp and live worms may be necessary. I definitely suggest looking into your local aquarium clubs and see their response, as they will be your possible biggest customers.