What preventative QT Method do you guys use?

[Cjud7982]

I am just curious because it seems that I have always been on the reactive side of fish diseases rather than the proactive side. I ignorantly have always trusted my lfs to have healthy critters and have recently learned the hard way after 2 years in the hobby how bad of a method this is. Even though I have read many threads about how important it is to qt for yourself. I seemed to have "good luck" with my livestock from my lfs up until the last couple fish that I got. I always have had the ability to qt fish, but only set it up when it seemed to be too late and damage has already been done.

So my question is, when you guys get a new fish, either from an online dealer, local fish store, off craigslist, etc. what is your normal routine with the most success?

Do you just through the fish into a qt tank and observe and treat for anything that appears and if nothing shows after some amount of time you throw it in the display? Do you freshwater dip every fish before qt for flukes? any medications in the freshwater? Go right into a prazi treatment? always perform copper or cp? maybe do furan, metro, or kanaplex? fw dip after qt before going to display? Does doing preventative medications and treatments on a non sick fish do more damage than good?

I am trying to be a more responsible and ethical reef and marine hobbyist and would like to be more proactive on preventing any diseases to the fish and system before anything damaging can happen. I know that it is inevitable for something to happen and all things cannot be cured, but what do you guys to to fully minimize the chances?

I am currently working my way through this thread https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-quarantine.189815/ to get some initial opinions.

 

[Crabs McJones]

FWIW when I quarantine I leave the fish in there for 6 weeks or longer under observational only. I only add meds or do treatments if there is a problem.

 

[Big G]

Prophylactic Treatment: No observed symptoms of disease or injury

20 gal QT cycled:
- HOB with both the foam pad & BioMax treated with Seachem Stability or Bio Spira/Dr Tims, and foam bubble filter with foam soaked in the same, or all of them soaked for at least 2 weeks in DT sump.
- heater, powerhead, Seachem Ammonia Alert Badge.
- Tank lights off. Ambient room lighting only.
- Feed fish high quality fiber packed frozen food (LRS or your own "fish smoothie") with Selcon/Zoecon added for at least 3 days
- Freshwater dip to check for flukes. If no flukes treat first with copper.
- S-l-o-w-l-y (8-10 days) bring up copper to therapeutic levels for prophylactic treatment for 30 days: Tank lights off until therapeutic level is reached. Best to dose several times a day (AM, lunch, PM) rather than one large dose. Highly recommend use of Copper Power and a Hanna HL Copper Checker.
- Carbon & Cuprisorb to remove copper. Water changes. Observe.
- General Cure 2 doses 5-7 days apart. Turn up bubbler and turn on powerhead aimed at surface to increase O2. Like GC over Prazipro. GC has Metro + Praziquantel, so you are getting the Praziquantel which kills flukes and "some" internal parasites and Metro that kills all internal parasites/worms. And the dose of Praziquantel is lower but does the job and is easier on sensitive fish.
- Carbon & water changes.
- Observe 10-14 days.

 

[HotRocks]

I just assume every fish I get has had contact with some sort of parasite and or flukes. I run all fish through copper, and prazi (separately, not at same time). Then observe for at least two weeks, if anything further is needed I remove the healthy fish to a display, then if antibiotics or anything are needed, dose at that time. Mind you, I haven't been in the hobby all that long, and this was the method I was instructed to use upon entering.
I use a 40 breeder, that I purchased used on Craigslist. Works great. Thanks to this great forum and people like @4FordFamily, @Humblefish, @Big G and many more for being so Informative, proactive and helpful members of this community.