QT Question

Gwynhidwy · 09/13/2007, 11:20 AM

I'm curious how most people do their quarantining. I have been considering treating all fish in quarantine, even if they don't show outward signs. The reason I was thinking this might be a good idea is because fish can have small quantities of the ich parasite in their gills that I can't see. Does anyone else do this? Is the stress from the treatment not really worth it? How do you quarantine your new arrivals?

I've recently dealt with an outbreak of ich and I really don't want to do it again anytime soon!

papagimp · 09/13/2007, 11:28 AM

QTing any and all livestock purchases is a very common and most recommended step in this hobby. not everyone does it, but those are the people that take chances more. Alot of things we QT for, you won't be able to see with your eyes anyways. Not without proper lab equpiment to do so anyways.

A QT can be and often is, just a simple bare bottom setup, with a hob or other small filter running (I use a spong filter for qt's) as well as something to give the fish/livestock shelter, such as small pvc sections thrown in. usually no live rock or sand is used, if youhave to medicate, some medications can bind to these and render them unusable from that point on. (such as copper).
for fish, cheap lighting will work great. They don't care what type of lighting anyways, as long as it's not too bright for a deeper water fish, should be fine. i'd go with ol' fashion flourescent tubes that come stock with many tanks.

As for how they do this, usually involves recieving your livestock, giving the livestock an appropriate dip and then placing in the QT tank for a period of 4-8 weeks. 4 being the low side of this and 8 weeks being the paranoid people like me, alot will go 4-6 weeks, but the extra two won't hurt nothing. Whie in qt, use this time to train the fish to eat prepared foods and/or pellets/flakes of your choice. This will also give the fish time to get used to you being up in his face alot more and by the time he's in the display tank, should be alot more friendly towards you (dependant on speices i know) And sure treatments may stress the fish out, but a sick fish killing off your entire tank can stress you alot more than a treatment will stress your fish. Imagine losing $1,000 worth of livestock over a $20 fish. Sad but many here can relate to that 100%.

Aquarist007 · 09/13/2007, 04:56 PM

great answer--sticky this

I use a spare 30 gal for this---I have live rock in it etc. It is great like pappgimp said for getting difficult feeders to feed and being able to experiment with food without ending up with an algae or cyano problem in your main tank.

the live rock will adapt and come back to hyposalination--if I have to use it for meds--then I would throw it in my sump for the main tank.

Roger928 · 09/13/2007, 05:08 PM

Well said, papagimp.

Many, including myself use water from the display for any water changes to the QT. IMO the QT water should be as close as possible to the water the livestock eventually will be living in.

Additional reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm

wooden_reefer · 09/13/2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gwynhidwy
I'm curious how most people do their quarantining. I have been considering treating all fish in quarantine, even if they don't show outward signs. The reason I was thinking this might be a good idea is because fish can have small quantities of the ich parasite in their gills that I can't see. Does anyone else do this? Is the stress from the treatment not really worth it? How do you quarantine your new arrivals?

I've recently dealt with an outbreak of ich and I really don't want to do it again anytime soon!

Good idea. Although you cannot eradicate every pathogen, ich is one that you should plan to eradicate. Ich is just a small time parasite in the ocean with great dilution effect, only in the confinement of the five planes of the aquarium is ich a killer. Fish will not develop reliable immunity against ich; ich is a time bomb in a reef tank, if it exists.

Gwynhidwy · 09/13/2007, 09:58 PM

I already QT everything in a 45 gallon tank, always have. I have not previously treated in quarantine, just watched and waited to see if the fish appeared healthy. However, despite every fish I have introduced into my display being quarantined for six weeks or more, I recently had an ich outbreak. So I have been considering treating every new fish with a round of copper during the quarantine period. I was just curious if others did this or not.

Thanks for all the great replies!

Captain Bucket · 09/13/2007, 10:30 PM

I do 30 min. freshwater dip with methylene blue. I Cupramine all my fish while in QT (and I still end up w/ ich in my DT, but that's another story).

I understand that if you are getting any sort of wild caught clown formalin treatment (for brook) is also in order.

09/13/2007, 11:20 AM	#1
Gwynhidwy Meat Popsicle Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,511	QT Question I'm curious how most people do their quarantining. I have been considering treating all fish in quarantine, even if they don't show outward signs. The reason I was thinking this might be a good idea is because fish can have small quantities of the ich parasite in their gills that I can't see. Does anyone else do this? Is the stress from the treatment not really worth it? How do you quarantine your new arrivals? I've recently dealt with an outbreak of ich and I really don't want to do it again anytime soon!

09/13/2007, 11:28 AM	#2
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	QTing any and all livestock purchases is a very common and most recommended step in this hobby. not everyone does it, but those are the people that take chances more. Alot of things we QT for, you won't be able to see with your eyes anyways. Not without proper lab equpiment to do so anyways. A QT can be and often is, just a simple bare bottom setup, with a hob or other small filter running (I use a spong filter for qt's) as well as something to give the fish/livestock shelter, such as small pvc sections thrown in. usually no live rock or sand is used, if youhave to medicate, some medications can bind to these and render them unusable from that point on. (such as copper). for fish, cheap lighting will work great. They don't care what type of lighting anyways, as long as it's not too bright for a deeper water fish, should be fine. i'd go with ol' fashion flourescent tubes that come stock with many tanks. As for how they do this, usually involves recieving your livestock, giving the livestock an appropriate dip and then placing in the QT tank for a period of 4-8 weeks. 4 being the low side of this and 8 weeks being the paranoid people like me, alot will go 4-6 weeks, but the extra two won't hurt nothing. Whie in qt, use this time to train the fish to eat prepared foods and/or pellets/flakes of your choice. This will also give the fish time to get used to you being up in his face alot more and by the time he's in the display tank, should be alot more friendly towards you (dependant on speices i know) And sure treatments may stress the fish out, but a sick fish killing off your entire tank can stress you alot more than a treatment will stress your fish. Imagine losing $1,000 worth of livestock over a $20 fish. Sad but many here can relate to that 100%. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

09/13/2007, 04:56 PM	#3
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	great answer--sticky this I use a spare 30 gal for this---I have live rock in it etc. It is great like pappgimp said for getting difficult feeders to feed and being able to experiment with food without ending up with an algae or cyano problem in your main tank. the live rock will adapt and come back to hyposalination--if I have to use it for meds--then I would throw it in my sump for the main tank. __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

09/13/2007, 05:08 PM	#4
Roger928 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 296	Well said, papagimp. Many, including myself use water from the display for any water changes to the QT. IMO the QT water should be as close as possible to the water the livestock eventually will be living in. Additional reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm __________________ Always quarantine. You never know where that fish has been. Current Tank Info: 90 and 120 mixed reef

09/13/2007, 09:58 PM	#6
Gwynhidwy Meat Popsicle Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,511	I already QT everything in a 45 gallon tank, always have. I have not previously treated in quarantine, just watched and waited to see if the fish appeared healthy. However, despite every fish I have introduced into my display being quarantined for six weeks or more, I recently had an ich outbreak. So I have been considering treating every new fish with a round of copper during the quarantine period. I was just curious if others did this or not. Thanks for all the great replies! __________________ -- He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. -- Aeschylus

09/13/2007, 10:30 PM	#7
Captain Bucket Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Volcano in the Pacific Posts: 128	I do 30 min. freshwater dip with methylene blue. I Cupramine all my fish while in QT (and I still end up w/ ich in my DT, but that's another story). I understand that if you are getting any sort of wild caught clown formalin treatment (for brook) is also in order. __________________ I has a bucket Current Tank Info: 125 gal. glass long, 55 gal fuge w/chaeto & LR, Frankenskimmer, Sequence Dart return, ghetto coast to coast overflow, Watts RO unit, 32 gal. QT w/eclipse hood, sponge filter and magnum 350 Last edited by Captain Bucket; 09/13/2007 at 10:37 PM.