Skip QT for Clowns?

DrBoxedWine · 08/26/2014, 08:19 AM

So i've got my 20g QT fully cycled, and i took a couple rocks out from that to put in the DT (before i added fish to the QT) to get that cycle going faster. It's going WAY faster. Nitrites are already off the chart, 2 days after i started it. I'm wondering what people think about adding a couple of clowns directly to the DT when that cycle completes. They're tank raised, and the guy at the LFS was telling me that none of them have ever been exposed to the possibility of ich or other illnesses. However, that's probably tough for him to really say, having multiple employees, and the possibility of cross contamination. It's a reputable store and the cleanest in town, so i trust him (the owner) as much as you can trust someone in this situation.

Is this a bad idea?

pyithar · 08/26/2014, 08:33 AM

presonally, i would not do that. but there're plenty of people who do not quarantine. so it depends on you if you wanna try your luck. for me, i learned my lesson the hard way. so i always quarantine even though i'm not a very patient person. fallowing the display tank for 3 months while treating fish with hypo, then cupramine was really a pain.

thegrun · 08/26/2014, 08:36 AM

For the first two fish it may be worth the risk. While I would not trust that the fish were never exposed to ich (and there are plenty of other diseases to worry about), if they were sick you would just remove the fish from the DT and treat the fish in a separate tank and leave the DT fallow for the 9 weeks while the fish are being treated. Once you do have fish in the DT, quarantine all new fish for sure

rocsec1 · 08/26/2014, 08:42 AM

It is a good idea to start the process the way you are going to finish it. So if you have a qt set up you should do it. Hopefully your tank is diease free now so it is best to keep it that way

DrBoxedWine · 08/26/2014, 09:11 AM

Thanks everyone. Would running the display tank with hyposalinity for the first month with the clowns do anything? There wouldn't be anything else in the tank...

I'm not rulling out QTing them, just exploring my options. The learning that's involved with this hobby is a blast.

ca1ore · 08/26/2014, 09:19 AM

Since you have the QT, I'd use it. About the only fish I'd consider not running through QT would be a Mandarin or Leopard Wrasses (and even then it would depend a bit on the source of the fish). FWIW, assurances like that from the LFS, even if it is one you trust, are really comical.

Crooked Reef · 08/26/2014, 09:48 AM

All it takes is one net being used in the other store tanks to be used in that clown tank and they have been exposed. Personally I would just add them to the display and start to qt your next addition, but I am a gambler and it is not good advice. I'm on my third tank and left this one empty of fish for 6 months before I added any. In my case if my dt got an illness or parasite I could have left it fallow for 12 weeks and not been too disappointed because it wasn't my first rodeo.

shesacharmer · 08/26/2014, 12:15 PM

I've had to tear down my tank twice to catch the fish and the first time I left it fallow for 8 weeks but it was NOT long enough so everyone got exposed a second time. Now I'm leaving it fallow for the recommended 72 days...this is NOT fun. Keeping all of my fish in a 25 gallon QT for 72 days (including 12 days of TTM) is a major hassle and I, for one, never want to do it again! I lost several fish during this "learning experience" and I don't think it's worth it. Quarantine period.

toothybugs · 08/26/2014, 12:21 PM

part 2 of this is, if your clowns carry ich in to your DT and never show it, your next few fish could contract it from the exposure to the DT - even if they've gone through QT. Then it was just a pointless QT.

QT protects your future fish too.

hogfanreefer · 08/26/2014, 12:32 PM

As above, plus there are other reasons to QT. You can get the fish used to your parameters and get them fat and sassy before putting them in the harder to control environment of the big tank.

kurt_n · 08/26/2014, 03:40 PM

Don't cut corners now... you're almost there.

Curt Boswelll · 08/26/2014, 03:42 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2434325

I just finished asking this a little bit ago and I figure this thread should answer as lot of questions for you.

DrBoxedWine · 08/27/2014, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurt_n

Don't cut corners now... you're almost there.

Sigh... This sums it up perfectly. I'll wait ☺

DrBoxedWine · 08/27/2014, 09:34 AM

And curt, thanks for the link, definitely very relevant

Dmorty217 · 08/27/2014, 09:52 AM

Don't QT and actively treat for ich and internals if you want to watch all your hard work and time go down the drain with a new fish you add in the future or currently have. "Drop and prey" or "QT and be sure"

tmz · 08/27/2014, 10:06 AM

I qt and preventatively all treat all new fish for cyrtocaryoin irritans unless they are born and raised in in my tanks.

This thread may be of interest:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...and+quarantine

E46Twist · 08/27/2014, 11:59 AM

Also consider what you may want to house later on. Some fish are very susceptible to ich and while current fish may not show signs of it, it can still be there. I vote QT

Cujo13 · 08/27/2014, 12:08 PM

No, everything that is wet needs QT. Take it slow and do it right the first time. You may never know the headaches you never had to have.

08/26/2014, 08:19 AM	#1
DrBoxedWine Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 899	Skip QT for Clowns? So i've got my 20g QT fully cycled, and i took a couple rocks out from that to put in the DT (before i added fish to the QT) to get that cycle going faster. It's going WAY faster. Nitrites are already off the chart, 2 days after i started it. I'm wondering what people think about adding a couple of clowns directly to the DT when that cycle completes. They're tank raised, and the guy at the LFS was telling me that none of them have ever been exposed to the possibility of ich or other illnesses. However, that's probably tough for him to really say, having multiple employees, and the possibility of cross contamination. It's a reputable store and the cleanest in town, so i trust him (the owner) as much as you can trust someone in this situation. Is this a bad idea?

08/26/2014, 08:33 AM	#2
pyithar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: yangon,burma(myanmar) Posts: 1,786	presonally, i would not do that. but there're plenty of people who do not quarantine. so it depends on you if you wanna try your luck. for me, i learned my lesson the hard way. so i always quarantine even though i'm not a very patient person. fallowing the display tank for 3 months while treating fish with hypo, then cupramine was really a pain. __________________ take it easy, pyithar Current Tank Info: 150G display, 50G sump, mixed reef

08/26/2014, 09:19 AM	#6
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Since you have the QT, I'd use it. About the only fish I'd consider not running through QT would be a Mandarin or Leopard Wrasses (and even then it would depend a bit on the source of the fish). FWIW, assurances like that from the LFS, even if it is one you trust, are really comical. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

08/26/2014, 09:48 AM	#7
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	All it takes is one net being used in the other store tanks to be used in that clown tank and they have been exposed. Personally I would just add them to the display and start to qt your next addition, but I am a gambler and it is not good advice. I'm on my third tank and left this one empty of fish for 6 months before I added any. In my case if my dt got an illness or parasite I could have left it fallow for 12 weeks and not been too disappointed because it wasn't my first rodeo. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

08/26/2014, 12:15 PM	#8
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	I've had to tear down my tank twice to catch the fish and the first time I left it fallow for 8 weeks but it was NOT long enough so everyone got exposed a second time. Now I'm leaving it fallow for the recommended 72 days...this is NOT fun. Keeping all of my fish in a 25 gallon QT for 72 days (including 12 days of TTM) is a major hassle and I, for one, never want to do it again! I lost several fish during this "learning experience" and I don't think it's worth it. Quarantine period. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

08/26/2014, 08:36 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	For the first two fish it may be worth the risk. While I would not trust that the fish were never exposed to ich (and there are plenty of other diseases to worry about), if they were sick you would just remove the fish from the DT and treat the fish in a separate tank and leave the DT fallow for the 9 weeks while the fish are being treated. Once you do have fish in the DT, quarantine all new fish for sure

08/26/2014, 08:42 AM	#4
rocsec1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Medina oh Posts: 1,782	It is a good idea to start the process the way you are going to finish it. So if you have a qt set up you should do it. Hopefully your tank is diease free now so it is best to keep it that way

08/26/2014, 09:11 AM	#5
DrBoxedWine Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 899	Thanks everyone. Would running the display tank with hyposalinity for the first month with the clowns do anything? There wouldn't be anything else in the tank... I'm not rulling out QTing them, just exploring my options. The learning that's involved with this hobby is a blast.

08/26/2014, 12:21 PM	#9
toothybugs In Memoriam Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: The smallest county in Illinois Posts: 1,986	part 2 of this is, if your clowns carry ich in to your DT and never show it, your next few fish could contract it from the exposure to the DT - even if they've gone through QT. Then it was just a pointless QT. QT protects your future fish too. Last edited by toothybugs; 08/26/2014 at 12:35 PM.

08/26/2014, 12:32 PM	#10
hogfanreefer Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 2,117	As above, plus there are other reasons to QT. You can get the fish used to your parameters and get them fat and sassy before putting them in the harder to control environment of the big tank. __________________ DSA 155,Custom Trigger 42" sump/refugium, MP40 X2, MP 10 X 2, AI Hydra 52 X3, Apex controller, Tunze ATO Current Tank Info: DSA 155 gallon, mixed reef, SPS and wrasse dominant

08/26/2014, 03:40 PM	#11
kurt_n Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: WA Posts: 2,592	Don't cut corners now... you're almost there.

08/26/2014, 03:42 PM	#12
Curt Boswelll Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 152	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2434325 I just finished asking this a little bit ago and I figure this thread should answer as lot of questions for you.

08/27/2014, 09:34 AM	#14
DrBoxedWine Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 899	And curt, thanks for the link, definitely very relevant

08/27/2014, 09:52 AM	#15
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	Don't QT and actively treat for ich and internals if you want to watch all your hard work and time go down the drain with a new fish you add in the future or currently have. "Drop and prey" or "QT and be sure" __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

08/27/2014, 10:06 AM	#16
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	I qt and preventatively all treat all new fish for cyrtocaryoin irritans unless they are born and raised in in my tanks. This thread may be of interest: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...and+quarantine __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

08/27/2014, 11:59 AM	#17
E46Twist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Columbia,MO Posts: 328	Also consider what you may want to house later on. Some fish are very susceptible to ich and while current fish may not show signs of it, it can still be there. I vote QT

08/27/2014, 12:08 PM	#18
Cujo13 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 189	No, everything that is wet needs QT. Take it slow and do it right the first time. You may never know the headaches you never had to have. __________________ 140 gallon DT, 100 g sump, 20L x2 TTM, 40B QT 95 gallon shallow, 40B sump.