How many people actually quarantine there fish.

kingfisher62 · 01/02/2010, 02:22 PM

ChrisOz · 01/02/2010, 02:24 PM

Everything past the first fish I ever purchased has been quarantined. Gotta protect the investment.

kingfisher62 · 01/02/2010, 02:27 PM

I have to admit I never have and that is why I was so curious!

Fishamatank · 01/02/2010, 02:29 PM

I never have either. Now that the tank is stocked I might consider it if I end up adding another fish though.

lougotzz · 01/02/2010, 02:36 PM

I never QT. I tried it once I actually lost the fish due to stress, ammonia kept creeping up, I couldnt keep up with making water for the water changes, the QT was in a section of the house where I was never at so evaporation issues were rediculous. I just drip acclimate now, have not gotten ick yet.

Amici316 · 01/02/2010, 02:39 PM

Every fish, every time. I had one fish that came from what I thought was a trusted source, turns out it had brook on it, killed my flame wrasse, lineatus and about 5 other pricey fish. Ever since then not a single fish hits my DT without spending a month in a holding tank that is essentially a frag tank with rocks in one half of it so that it provides a natural habitat for it to hide. I feed the fish food that has been dosed a variety of meds, garlic and HUFA.

One big misconception is that people think a proper QT tank is hypo with no rock and a HOB filter. IMO a QT tank should have a normal sump/skimmer systems at 1.026 with a ton of LR. Ive only lost two fish in QT and both had a nasty illness that popped up after. One was internal parasites and the other was velvet.

Playa-1 · 01/02/2010, 02:39 PM

After some hard lessons, I will always QT and take my sweet time introdroducing fish to the DT. Some of us have had to learn the lesson the hard way. I guess I was fortunate in a way to learn the lesson early. Once you get the hang of it, the QT process is pretty simple.

DOTZ · 01/02/2010, 02:41 PM

I have never QT'ed any fish, however, I have paid the price for it a well. I lost three fish before due to introducing a sick fish. I thought I could watch the fish and tell if any were sick. It works a great deal of the time, but there's always that one fish that looks good but is sick.

I do plan to QT my next fish though.

lougotzz · 01/02/2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amici316

Every fish, every time. I had one fish that came from what I thought was a trusted source, turns out it had brook on it, killed my flame wrasse, lineatus and about 5 other pricey fish. Ever since then not a single fish hits my DT without spending a month in a holding tank that is essentially a frag tank with rocks in one half of it so that it provides a natural habitat for it to hide. I feed the fish food that has been dosed a variety of meds, garlic and HUFA.

One big misconception is that people think a proper QT tank is hypo with no rock and a HOB filter. IMO a QT tank should have a normal sump/skimmer systems at 1.026 with a ton of LR. Ive only lost two fish in QT and both had a nasty illness that popped up after. One was internal parasites and the other was velvet.

Yeah, but what happends when you have to treat the fish? Hyposalinity or copper is going to kill all that lr?

Playa-1 · 01/02/2010, 02:48 PM

You will only introduce something like Brooklynella hostilis into your established tank once before you change your attitude about a strong Acclimation and QT program.

lougotzz · 01/02/2010, 02:52 PM

double post.

es1887 · 01/02/2010, 02:58 PM

i have never qt'ed a fish. i have had fish that got sick, but i have always been able to get rid of it with a little tlc. if one of my fishes get sick i just make sure i feed them a ridiculous amount of food and just keep up on the water changes. if they do not want to eat i just keep putting food in front of them until they take some. this way has been easier for me than trying to maintain a qt tank. i have not lost a fish from disease in 5 years, and i think that is a pretty good record.

Paul B · 01/02/2010, 03:07 PM

I used to when my tank was less than ten years old and ich was a problem. Now I don't. But, most people should. It would be stupid in my tank as I add animals, water, mud, amphipods, copepods, seaweeds etc. continousely, sometimes every week in the summer.

aquaph8 · 01/02/2010, 03:16 PM

I too learned the hard way. I wont add any fish without being treated first. QT isn't enough for me anymore. How many people who learned the hard way leaned from a Powder Blue or Blue spot jawfish?

r-balljunkie · 01/02/2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Playa-1

You will only introduce something like Brooklynella hostilis into your established tank once before you change your attitude about a strong Acclimation and QT program.

happened to me, wiped out 90% of my fish, including a trio of borbonias anthias $$$$.

lordofthereef · 01/02/2010, 04:07 PM

Always fish, never corals, although I should do corals too. I got some red flatworms as a result of that carelessness (and the corals were even from a fellow reefer's tank, not from an LFS or online vendor).

lordofthereef · 01/02/2010, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul B

I used to when my tank was less than ten years old and ich was a problem. Now I don't. But, most people should. It would be stupid in my tank as I add animals, water, mud, amphipods, copepods, seaweeds etc. continousely, sometimes every week in the summer.

Have you had any issues with doing this? If not, would you attest it to luck, or is there something else you do?

kingfisher62 · 01/02/2010, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

Always fish, never corals, although I should do corals too. I got some red flatworms as a result of that carelessness (and the corals were even from a fellow reefer's tank, not from an LFS or online vendor).

With friends like that who needs enemies!

kingfisher62 · 01/02/2010, 07:53 PM

Interesting , I thought I was the minority ! So far for every one person that quarantines two do not! I really am suprised.

audiophile42 · 01/02/2010, 07:58 PM

I QT'd most of my fish. I didn't one time, and had ich wipe out $400 worth of livestock. Lesson learned.

zachfishman · 01/02/2010, 08:16 PM

I would quarantine if I had more than a few fish in either tank. It's been many years since I bought a new fish, and even then I only perform a freshwater dip. I had to fight off ich once, but didn't lose anybody.

Should I ever start stocking lots more fish, I'll start quarantining.

phil519 · 01/02/2010, 08:17 PM

I QT all fish purchases....even fish I get from another reefer in my club (primarily because of my understanding that most people do not QT).

I rarely treat my fish with frozen food...and so my main basis for QT is to acclimate the fish to eating dry-food.

lordofthereef - Paul b has probably forgotten more about this hobby then I know

. He also has beer cans in his tank...

blueye · 01/02/2010, 08:26 PM

I learned the hard way,What a $ deal on a powder brown tang at the lfs.It looked fine when I put it in the main display tank.Then a week later everything broke out in ich,clown fish,yellow tang,powder brown tang all ended up dying even spending $48.00 trying to treat it for ich.Now everything goes in quarantine for 4 to 6 wks.

reefscape15 · 01/02/2010, 08:28 PM

I have never QT'd. I can't say if you really should or shouldn't all the time. It depends on the fish I guess. I had 2 Dwarf Angels that I just placed right into the display. I'm glad I didn't QT them cause they didn't end up taking any prepared food for over 2 months. The algae in the display was enough to keep them alive until they ate anything prepared, and I feel if I had QT'd them, they would have starved.

ILoveReefer · 01/02/2010, 08:47 PM

Always fish, never corals in the past. I'm currently setting up another tank to QT corals. Currently fighting an infestation of montipora eating nudi's. These guys are very difficult to get rid of. Manually removal seems to be the only effective treatment. I've been doing this every night for a few weeks now. I believe I got them from a fellow reefer's frag. Lesson learned.

View Poll Results: How many people actually quarantine their fish or corals?
Yes, I quarantine my fish or corals	55	32.93%
No, I never quarantine my fish or corals	112	67.07%
Voters: 167. You may not vote on this poll

01/02/2010, 02:22 PM	#1
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	How many people actually quarantine there fish. How many people actually quarantine there fish. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

01/02/2010, 02:24 PM	#2
ChrisOz Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mississauga, Ontario Posts: 95	Everything past the first fish I ever purchased has been quarantined. Gotta protect the investment. __________________ chrisoz@yorku.ca Current Tank Info: 48x24x20 (100g) build

01/02/2010, 02:27 PM	#3
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	I have to admit I never have and that is why I was so curious! __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

01/02/2010, 02:58 PM	#12
es1887 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: boulder co Posts: 652	i have never qt'ed a fish. i have had fish that got sick, but i have always been able to get rid of it with a little tlc. if one of my fishes get sick i just make sure i feed them a ridiculous amount of food and just keep up on the water changes. if they do not want to eat i just keep putting food in front of them until they take some. this way has been easier for me than trying to maintain a qt tank. i have not lost a fish from disease in 5 years, and i think that is a pretty good record. __________________ "is it saltwater?" "yes." "the whole thing?!" -idiot Current Tank Info: 48x24x30 150, 2 400w 20k radium, 2 110w vhos, 2 mp40w, apex aqua controller, sro 5000 skimmer

01/02/2010, 02:29 PM	#4
Fishamatank Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,017	I never have either. Now that the tank is stocked I might consider it if I end up adding another fish though.

01/02/2010, 02:36 PM	#5
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	I never QT. I tried it once I actually lost the fish due to stress, ammonia kept creeping up, I couldnt keep up with making water for the water changes, the QT was in a section of the house where I was never at so evaporation issues were rediculous. I just drip acclimate now, have not gotten ick yet.

01/02/2010, 02:39 PM	#6
Amici316 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 85	Every fish, every time. I had one fish that came from what I thought was a trusted source, turns out it had brook on it, killed my flame wrasse, lineatus and about 5 other pricey fish. Ever since then not a single fish hits my DT without spending a month in a holding tank that is essentially a frag tank with rocks in one half of it so that it provides a natural habitat for it to hide. I feed the fish food that has been dosed a variety of meds, garlic and HUFA. One big misconception is that people think a proper QT tank is hypo with no rock and a HOB filter. IMO a QT tank should have a normal sump/skimmer systems at 1.026 with a ton of LR. Ive only lost two fish in QT and both had a nasty illness that popped up after. One was internal parasites and the other was velvet.

01/02/2010, 02:39 PM	#7
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	After some hard lessons, I will always QT and take my sweet time introdroducing fish to the DT. Some of us have had to learn the lesson the hard way. I guess I was fortunate in a way to learn the lesson early. Once you get the hang of it, the QT process is pretty simple.

01/02/2010, 02:41 PM	#8
DOTZ Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Benton, Il Posts: 1,764	I have never QT'ed any fish, however, I have paid the price for it a well. I lost three fish before due to introducing a sick fish. I thought I could watch the fish and tell if any were sick. It works a great deal of the time, but there's always that one fish that looks good but is sick. I do plan to QT my next fish though.

01/02/2010, 02:48 PM	#10
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	You will only introduce something like Brooklynella hostilis into your established tank once before you change your attitude about a strong Acclimation and QT program.

01/02/2010, 02:52 PM	#11
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	double post.

01/02/2010, 03:07 PM	#13
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I used to when my tank was less than ten years old and ich was a problem. Now I don't. But, most people should. It would be stupid in my tank as I add animals, water, mud, amphipods, copepods, seaweeds etc. continousely, sometimes every week in the summer. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

01/02/2010, 03:16 PM	#14
aquaph8 Love The Fish Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 5,652	I too learned the hard way. I wont add any fish without being treated first. QT isn't enough for me anymore. How many people who learned the hard way leaned from a Powder Blue or Blue spot jawfish? __________________ Brett Current Tank Info: Leemar 60x36x24, 8x80 T5/LED Sfiligoi GENESIS Alpha 300 skimmer

01/02/2010, 04:07 PM	#16
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Always fish, never corals, although I should do corals too. I got some red flatworms as a result of that carelessness (and the corals were even from a fellow reefer's tank, not from an LFS or online vendor). __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

01/02/2010, 07:53 PM	#19
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	Interesting , I thought I was the minority ! So far for every one person that quarantines two do not! I really am suprised. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

01/02/2010, 07:58 PM	#20
audiophile42 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 410	I QT'd most of my fish. I didn't one time, and had ich wipe out $400 worth of livestock. Lesson learned.

01/02/2010, 08:16 PM	#21
zachfishman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 3,577	I would quarantine if I had more than a few fish in either tank. It's been many years since I bought a new fish, and even then I only perform a freshwater dip. I had to fight off ich once, but didn't lose anybody. Should I ever start stocking lots more fish, I'll start quarantining. __________________ Patience is a reefer's best tool. Secret Xenia lover. M.S. Marine Biology Staff - Marine Discovery Center, St. Petersburg FL Tampa Bay Reef Club BOD 2018 Current Tank Info: 34g modded Solana

01/02/2010, 08:17 PM	#22
phil519 Got Rotifers? Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 2,760	I QT all fish purchases....even fish I get from another reefer in my club (primarily because of my understanding that most people do not QT). I rarely treat my fish with frozen food...and so my main basis for QT is to acclimate the fish to eating dry-food. lordofthereef - Paul b has probably forgotten more about this hobby then I know . He also has beer cans in his tank... __________________ Phil NJ reefers club Current Tank Info: 120 RR Mixed Reef, Custom 40G sump, started Nov 2008. "Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?"

01/02/2010, 08:26 PM	#23
blueye Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 49	I learned the hard way,What a $ deal on a powder brown tang at the lfs.It looked fine when I put it in the main display tank.Then a week later everything broke out in ich,clown fish,yellow tang,powder brown tang all ended up dying even spending $48.00 trying to treat it for ich.Now everything goes in quarantine for 4 to 6 wks.

01/02/2010, 08:28 PM	#24
reefscape15 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Elmira Heights, NY Posts: 2,812	I have never QT'd. I can't say if you really should or shouldn't all the time. It depends on the fish I guess. I had 2 Dwarf Angels that I just placed right into the display. I'm glad I didn't QT them cause they didn't end up taking any prepared food for over 2 months. The algae in the display was enough to keep them alive until they ate anything prepared, and I feel if I had QT'd them, they would have starved. __________________ A new beginning........... JIM Current Tank Info: 5g standard softie/zoa tank, just starting a 20H

01/02/2010, 08:47 PM	#25
ILoveReefer Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cheektowaga Posts: 851	Always fish, never corals in the past. I'm currently setting up another tank to QT corals. Currently fighting an infestation of montipora eating nudi's. These guys are very difficult to get rid of. Manually removal seems to be the only effective treatment. I've been doing this every night for a few weeks now. I believe I got them from a fellow reefer's frag. Lesson learned.