quarantine quest.

r0bin · 05/08/2006, 02:12 PM

The LFS has a yellow tang they have had for over 2 months. Its in a tank they run copper in. Why is it better to bring that fish home and put it in a new (unaged) enviroment with no live rock to graze and the tank itself is to small for a tang anyway? Looks to me like that would stress the fish out enough to make it sick? Then, move it again (more stress in a month). Basically it has been quarantined at the LFS hasn't it? If its been in copper for 2 months, why would it come home and break out in my tank all the sudden? PLease explain this to me, b/c common sense is telling me the least amount of stress to the new fish in this situation is to put it straight into its new home, thats appropriate for its size and has a natural live rock to graze on enviroment.

Hop · 05/08/2006, 02:29 PM

Can you say for 100% certainty that the LFS has not stuck anything into the tank that has been contaminated by another tank? A net, water, rock, sand, fish?

Some people don't put things in a q-tank and do well. I used to be one of those people. But after I lost a $150 tang, a coral beauty and six rare pseudo-chromis, I am a die hard q-believer

Hop · 05/08/2006, 02:31 PM

P.S. I belive copper is bad for tangs...

r0bin · 05/08/2006, 02:50 PM

See thats what I don't understand, no I cannot say that, but even if they did would the copper not take care of that that the tang is currently swimming in. I mean if its already in copper and I take it home why would my quarantine tank be better than the one its in with copper? You guys are confusing me. If its going to break out with ick then why doesnt it do it in the tank its in now? Because once it gets into my main tank there will be no copper.
I have no prob. with quarantine tanks, I just an wondering if we in cases like this put undo stress on the fish with quarantining it. Its already in copper, it cannot have ich right?

Hop · 05/08/2006, 02:58 PM

What if 20 minutes before you walked into the store... An employee nets a fish that is infected and sets the net down. Then you come in and buy the tang and the employee uses the same net. You now have a tang that was exposed to the infection and you take him home.

This is just one example of what could happen. The possibilities are endless. My display is 370 gallons and netting a single sick fish would be difficult to say the least. So if I can avoid the headache, I will.

If you read about the life span of ich, it goes dormant and resurfaces. If it cannot find a host, it dies. Or if it does find a host the cycle starts over. This is why six weeks is a good rule of thumb for quarantine.

Like I mentioned before, some people don't quarantine and that's their decision, but I don't want to tear apart a 370 gallon display to net a sick Naso tang.

Also, copper is bad for tangs

Regardless what you decide, good luck! Each has their own beliefs and has tricks that work for them... I wasn't trying to upset or confuse you, only give my opinion

r0bin · 05/08/2006, 03:03 PM

Oh you didnt upset me. I just what to get some opinions so when I bring home the fish I can start it off healthy. Trying to research before I buy. I honestly what everyone's opinion.

ASaleem91 · 05/08/2006, 03:08 PM

From what I have read quarentine tanks are used basically used so that fish have some special care. While in quarentine you want to look to see if the fish is eating correctly, check if it has ich or another disease, etc.

Say you get a fish and it seems fine in the your LFS. You bring it home and put it in your main tank. Everytime you feed the fish it doesnt eat the food because it is not used to eating that type of food or because the fish has a disease. Now you have to take the fish from the main tank to the the quarentine tank and bring it back to the main tank. Now you are causing the fish to be overloaded with even more stress because it has to be moved so much. Since you haven't already quarentined the fish you would have to move it from the LFS---->Main Tank---->Quarentine Tank---->Main Tank as opposed to LFS---->Quarentine Tank---->Main Tank.

If you quarentine the fish beforehand you stop the fish from overloading on stress and can get the fish used to the food you are feeding it and make sure it is healthy.

Shooter7 · 05/08/2006, 03:09 PM

I'm not going to type everything over again, just suffice to say that I agree with exactly what hop is saying above. I QT every fish that goes into my display. I knew some of my fish were going to be a little larger, so I use a 29 gal QT. My fish that I've had in there have done very well, some I've had to treat for ich (like the little cherub angel that's currently in there) with hyposalinity. Something that seems to have come from it is that the fish in QT come to kind of learn about me as well and recognize me as the bringer of food and light. By the time their stint in QT is done, they are very calm and accepting of me and though they're not happy about being moved again, they adjust very quickly to the display and remember that I'll be the one feeding them. It has worked well with many fish so far. Good luck.

r0bin · 05/09/2006, 05:49 AM

makes since. thanks

05/08/2006, 02:12 PM	#1
r0bin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,132	quarantine quest. The LFS has a yellow tang they have had for over 2 months. Its in a tank they run copper in. Why is it better to bring that fish home and put it in a new (unaged) enviroment with no live rock to graze and the tank itself is to small for a tang anyway? Looks to me like that would stress the fish out enough to make it sick? Then, move it again (more stress in a month). Basically it has been quarantined at the LFS hasn't it? If its been in copper for 2 months, why would it come home and break out in my tank all the sudden? PLease explain this to me, b/c common sense is telling me the least amount of stress to the new fish in this situation is to put it straight into its new home, thats appropriate for its size and has a natural live rock to graze on enviroment.

05/08/2006, 02:29 PM	#2
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	Can you say for 100% certainty that the LFS has not stuck anything into the tank that has been contaminated by another tank? A net, water, rock, sand, fish? Some people don't put things in a q-tank and do well. I used to be one of those people. But after I lost a $150 tang, a coral beauty and six rare pseudo-chromis, I am a die hard q-believer __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

05/08/2006, 02:31 PM	#3
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	P.S. I belive copper is bad for tangs... __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

05/08/2006, 02:58 PM	#5
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	What if 20 minutes before you walked into the store... An employee nets a fish that is infected and sets the net down. Then you come in and buy the tang and the employee uses the same net. You now have a tang that was exposed to the infection and you take him home. This is just one example of what could happen. The possibilities are endless. My display is 370 gallons and netting a single sick fish would be difficult to say the least. So if I can avoid the headache, I will. If you read about the life span of ich, it goes dormant and resurfaces. If it cannot find a host, it dies. Or if it does find a host the cycle starts over. This is why six weeks is a good rule of thumb for quarantine. Like I mentioned before, some people don't quarantine and that's their decision, but I don't want to tear apart a 370 gallon display to net a sick Naso tang. Also, copper is bad for tangs Regardless what you decide, good luck! Each has their own beliefs and has tricks that work for them... I wasn't trying to upset or confuse you, only give my opinion __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)

05/08/2006, 03:08 PM	#7
ASaleem91 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Centreville, Va Posts: 248	From what I have read quarentine tanks are used basically used so that fish have some special care. While in quarentine you want to look to see if the fish is eating correctly, check if it has ich or another disease, etc. Say you get a fish and it seems fine in the your LFS. You bring it home and put it in your main tank. Everytime you feed the fish it doesnt eat the food because it is not used to eating that type of food or because the fish has a disease. Now you have to take the fish from the main tank to the the quarentine tank and bring it back to the main tank. Now you are causing the fish to be overloaded with even more stress because it has to be moved so much. Since you haven't already quarentined the fish you would have to move it from the LFS---->Main Tank---->Quarentine Tank---->Main Tank as opposed to LFS---->Quarentine Tank---->Main Tank. If you quarentine the fish beforehand you stop the fish from overloading on stress and can get the fish used to the food you are feeding it and make sure it is healthy. __________________ ASaleem91 "I'll believe it when I see it" Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Reef Tank

05/08/2006, 02:50 PM	#4
r0bin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,132	See thats what I don't understand, no I cannot say that, but even if they did would the copper not take care of that that the tang is currently swimming in. I mean if its already in copper and I take it home why would my quarantine tank be better than the one its in with copper? You guys are confusing me. If its going to break out with ick then why doesnt it do it in the tank its in now? Because once it gets into my main tank there will be no copper. I have no prob. with quarantine tanks, I just an wondering if we in cases like this put undo stress on the fish with quarantining it. Its already in copper, it cannot have ich right?

05/08/2006, 03:03 PM	#6
r0bin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,132	Oh you didnt upset me. I just what to get some opinions so when I bring home the fish I can start it off healthy. Trying to research before I buy. I honestly what everyone's opinion.

05/08/2006, 03:09 PM	#8
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	I'm not going to type everything over again, just suffice to say that I agree with exactly what hop is saying above. I QT every fish that goes into my display. I knew some of my fish were going to be a little larger, so I use a 29 gal QT. My fish that I've had in there have done very well, some I've had to treat for ich (like the little cherub angel that's currently in there) with hyposalinity. Something that seems to have come from it is that the fish in QT come to kind of learn about me as well and recognize me as the bringer of food and light. By the time their stint in QT is done, they are very calm and accepting of me and though they're not happy about being moved again, they adjust very quickly to the display and remember that I'll be the one feeding them. It has worked well with many fish so far. Good luck. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

05/09/2006, 05:49 AM	#9
r0bin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,132	makes since. thanks