Single best advise to a new hobbyist

[Brieninsac]

Like many new to the hobby I spent a great amount of time reading and researching all the thing related to aquariums. It was through this exhaustive process I came to realize the importance of quarantining.

I had just spent thousands of dollars on a new system and the last thing I wanted to do was spend more on a second aquarium for quarantining. But after some coaxing from some seasoned members here I relented and set one up. This was by far the best advise I have been given.

After quarantining my first two clowns and later a Firefish and Royal Gramma successfully I placed 5 green Chromis in quarantine. Within weeks 2 of them developed some type of parasite, most likely Uronema marine. They died within days and the other 2 a couple weeks later even after treatment. The last Chromis would appear fine for a couple of weeks and then start showing signs of disease. I would treat again and he would look good for a couple weeks and then he'd get sick again. After the third time he succumbed and the QT has since been broken down and sanitized waiting to be used again.

The point being I see posts on here frequently from other noobs who put fish in their DT before cycling or without quarantining them first and then come here seeking immediate help for diseased or dead fish. As the saying goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of heartache." I can't imagine how bad I would have felt if I put those Chromis in my DT and my other healthy fish got sick and died too. Perhaps this is where so much frustration comes from in this hobby.

Do yourself a favor, spend the $100 and setup a QT. It'll be the best money you'll ever spend on this hobby.

[toothybugs]

*Thumbs up*

[scooter31707]

Patience is key.

[gone fishin]

In addition uronema can hang out patiently waiting for more fish to show up. Once it is in the tank it almost requires a complete breakdown and start over to be sure it is gone. I can't say enough about QT but, some folks learn the hard way and some never learn. I really think the use of a QT is one thing that can separate the short term and long term aquarist.

One thing I like to tell new folks is stay calm. Most things can be fixed or slavaged. Don't take a shotgun approach to fixing something, this usually does not work out well for you or the tank.

[Reef_junkie91]

Those things connected to your wrists... Keep them out of the tank as much as possible.

[zoasguy]

Glad i got that extra tank!

[kmbyrnes]

This one of the costliest lessons we learn, and most of us the hard way.
Congrats on being smart and doing it right from the beginning.

[Nick92515]

Good luck on your tank, patience will make this a much more enjoyable hobby.

[cymen]

I agree. I jumped the gun and got a fish too early in the cycle. After some struggles, I got a quarantine tank going and he is in there while the main tank is almost finished cycling. I'm going to make solid use of that QT for any future fishes too. It's not expensive to setup and saves so much time and hassle. It's also a good idea to get medications on hand. I have PraziPro and Chloroquine Phosphate. That last one is a bit of a pain to get locally but there are sources on eBay and the like so getting medications ahead of time and being ready to use them is great. The other benefit with a QT tank is that there is less water volume to dose and water changes are easy.

[Indymann99]

1. RODI for water
2. QT
3. Patience. (nothing good EVER happens fast in a Marine aquarium).

[jraker]

Originally Posted by Indymann99

1. RODI for water
2. QT
3. Patience. (nothing good EVER happens fast in a Marine aquarium).

this

[boshk]

Originally Posted by Indymann99

1. RODI for water
2. QT
3. Patience. (nothing good EVER happens fast in a Marine aquarium).

So the method behind QT is to treat it like a freshwater QT where the filter (simplest=HOB) does everything? mechanical and biological.
So most reefers would keep a bag of bio-rings or a sponge in their main tank or sump if they adopt the 'start an Emergency QT when a problem arises method'

No live rocks, bare bottom.

[A.Astore]

Originally Posted by boshk

So the method behind QT is to treat it like a freshwater QT where the filter (simplest=HOB) does everything? mechanical and biological.
So most reefers would keep a bag of bio-rings or a sponge in their main tank or sump if they adopt the 'start an Emergency QT when a problem arises method'

No live rocks, bare bottom.

A QT should be very simple, as you said. I use tank transfer and don't even put a seeded sponge in it because of moving the fish before the 72nd hour. QT at its best is able to be set up within minutes because of just how basic it is. No cycling, and everything is a flat surface (no rock or sand!). I think I was able to set up my QTs for about $80 and that was for two so I could utilize the tank transfer rather than copper for ICH for new arrivals.

There are various ways of approaching QT and some will even just use a plastic storage container with a heater and powerhead. There is little excuse to not QTing when so many have shown how cheap it can really be!

One thing to remember though! If you use a seeded piece of media in a QT, you cannot simply put it back in the sump for the next time. You have to sterilize it prior to placing it back, or better yet just toss it. I know the Marinepure type products you can bake to kill anything in them.

[ScienceRulez]

Originally Posted by Indymann99

1. RODI for water
2. QT
3. Patience. (nothing good EVER happens fast in a Marine aquarium).

What he said!

[Squibege]

Is it best to have one QT tank or two and do TTM? What is the process most people follow right from the fish arriving at your house to its final home in your DT?

[wattos-reef]

Originally Posted by Brieninsac

Do yourself a favor, spend the $100 and setup a QT. It'll be the best money you'll ever spend on this hobby.

I couldn't agree more!

Another thing to consider during the quarantine process is stress reduction. I like to use a bare 10g or 20g tank depending on the inhabitant. Paint the outside of three sides black and add one or two PVC elbows or T-fittings for hiding spots.

I've used a sponge filter seeded in the sump. Sterilize them with a mild bleach solution and thoroughly rinsed/soaked before returning to the sump.

The procedure I’ve used for fish for many years is a 3 minute freshwater dip (temp & pH adjusted) followed by 30-60 minute dip in a Paraguard solution (use airstone) then into the QT for 2-3 weeks. Watch for signs of distress and move on to the next step accordingly. I’ll run methylene blue in the QT and depending on the species, copper. I prefer to use gloved hands to transfer the fish to avoid abrasions and spines snagging on nets.

[wattos-reef]

Originally Posted by Indymann99

1. RODI for water
2. QT
3. Patience. (nothing good EVER happens fast in a Marine aquarium).

I'd also add:

4. Understand the needs and traits of the animals you're adding to your tank before you purchase.