Why is it so hard to keep a fish healthy?

Tuan’s Reef · Feb 8, 2019

i had a saltwater tank when I was a kid and didn’t QT anything and everything survived so well years ago. Why is disease so prevalent in our hobby now? I have been having so much troubles and frustration just to keep the fish healthy . Even with QT surivival rates is so poor

Tuan’s Reef · Feb 8, 2019

My corals are thriving but I can’t keep a fish healthy

Super Fly · Feb 8, 2019

IMO QT'ing adds more stress to already stressed fish. My LFS writes arrival dates of each fish on aquarium glass and I try to buy fish that's been there few weeks. This way I know the fish I'm getting is used to aquarium life/survival which I feel increases their chance of survival in my aquarium. Here's a good thread u may find interesting https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-other-way-to-run-a-reef-tank-no-quarantine.534274/

Super Fly · Feb 8, 2019

IMO, QT'ing with chems adds more stress to already stressed fish. My lfs writes arrival dates on aquarium glass and I try to buy fish that's been there few weeks. This way I know the fish has acclimated to tank life which I believe increases their chance of survival in my tank. Here's a good thread discussing not QT'ing that u may find interesting.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-other-way-to-run-a-reef-tank-no-quarantine.534274/

Instigate · Feb 8, 2019

I don't find it hard. And my survival rate of fish put through QT is excellent, the only fish I've lost were fish that were already in bad shape. Feed lots of quality foods, keep the water quality up and keep them in a low stress environment with compatible tankmates. I think that poor survival rates in QT can be chalked up to hobbyist inexperience for the most part.

HB AL · Feb 8, 2019

Maybe it’s where your getting your fish from? My current tank has been running for 3 years now, I don’t quarantine and have not lost a fish in those 3 years. My last fish added in my mixed reef was around 5 months ago a clown trigger, had to trade in a rabbit fish then as my tank is stocked to the rim. Water quality is very important along with a lot of rock for them to swim in and out of, graze and sleep in. I feed them a lot, they live in a densely rock and coral stocked tank and have nothing to complain about. A couple of my fish had ich a yellow tang and damsel when I 1st put them in a few years ago but they fought it off aided by good water quality, stress free environment and lots of feedings. Not even sure if the ich is still present as I have not seen it on a fish in a few years, they’ve probably built up some immunity to it I assume. I don’t really know if fish disease is more prevalent now than 30+ years ago as we didn’t have the internet back then to read about all the disease issues you hear now, it’s probably the same just magnified by the Internet forums now.