is it safe to put in main display from quarantine yet?

giants4pc · 06/15/2006, 06:22 PM

LFS-reputable for years got baby blue hippos. He had them in the store for a week. I watched them eat and swim. I purchased it and it has been in quarantine for 2 weeks now. It looks very healthy. It doesn't have any spots, it doesn't scratch, and it readily eats. Can I add him yet or is it still not safe?

Marinemom · 06/15/2006, 08:33 PM

I would wait. Tangs are magnets for the dreaded marine ich and believe me you do not want it in your main display. I had an ich outbreak in my reef and it was the hippo that brought it to the tank. I had to let my tank go fallow for more than six weeks before adding anything else to my tank so I could starve off the horrible parasite. Wait it out. you will be glad that you did and so will your fish.

Marinemom

giants4pc · 06/16/2006, 04:17 AM

but who is to say when the appropriate time is? If it had ich, wouldn't it have shown up by now?

old salty · 06/16/2006, 06:07 AM

One of the hardest things to do is resist the temptation to move a fish from QT to the main display too early. The idea is to keep the fish in hypo for a period that covers the entire life cycle of the ich parasite. That is why most folks keep fish in QT for a minimum of four weeks; six being optimal. Just because ich isn't visible doesn't mean that it isn't there; don't trust your eyes as they aren't microscopes!!!! Do yourself and your reef a giant favor and keep the fish in QT for at least another two weeks. Just think of all the frustration you would go through if you threw it in the main tank and gave everything else ich, especially since you took the time to QT the fish!! That's a twist of the knife.

giants4pc · 06/16/2006, 09:42 AM

Agreed...however, the quarantine tank parameters are exact since the water from the main display comprises the quarantine. Should I be doing anything extra? I'm running an aquaclear with carbon, one powerhead, and some LR for shelter. Am I missing something? It's BB as well.

old salty · 06/16/2006, 01:10 PM

I run a QT with the specific gravity at 1.009 (using a refractometer.) This is what kills the ich parasite. I have never had any fish so far that have shown any ill effects from low salinity. I do this regardless of the species of fish. This won't work with inverts, so keep that in mind.

06/15/2006, 06:22 PM	#1
giants4pc Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: connecticut Posts: 1,699	is it safe to put in main display from quarantine yet? LFS-reputable for years got baby blue hippos. He had them in the store for a week. I watched them eat and swim. I purchased it and it has been in quarantine for 2 weeks now. It looks very healthy. It doesn't have any spots, it doesn't scratch, and it readily eats. Can I add him yet or is it still not safe?

06/16/2006, 06:07 AM	#4
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	One of the hardest things to do is resist the temptation to move a fish from QT to the main display too early. The idea is to keep the fish in hypo for a period that covers the entire life cycle of the ich parasite. That is why most folks keep fish in QT for a minimum of four weeks; six being optimal. Just because ich isn't visible doesn't mean that it isn't there; don't trust your eyes as they aren't microscopes!!!! Do yourself and your reef a giant favor and keep the fish in QT for at least another two weeks. Just think of all the frustration you would go through if you threw it in the main tank and gave everything else ich, especially since you took the time to QT the fish!! That's a twist of the knife. __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby

06/16/2006, 01:10 PM	#6
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	I run a QT with the specific gravity at 1.009 (using a refractometer.) This is what kills the ich parasite. I have never had any fish so far that have shown any ill effects from low salinity. I do this regardless of the species of fish. This won't work with inverts, so keep that in mind. __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby

06/15/2006, 08:33 PM	#2
Marinemom Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 534	I would wait. Tangs are magnets for the dreaded marine ich and believe me you do not want it in your main display. I had an ich outbreak in my reef and it was the hippo that brought it to the tank. I had to let my tank go fallow for more than six weeks before adding anything else to my tank so I could starve off the horrible parasite. Wait it out. you will be glad that you did and so will your fish. Marinemom

06/16/2006, 04:17 AM	#3
giants4pc Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: connecticut Posts: 1,699	but who is to say when the appropriate time is? If it had ich, wouldn't it have shown up by now?

06/16/2006, 09:42 AM	#5
giants4pc Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: connecticut Posts: 1,699	Agreed...however, the quarantine tank parameters are exact since the water from the main display comprises the quarantine. Should I be doing anything extra? I'm running an aquaclear with carbon, one powerhead, and some LR for shelter. Am I missing something? It's BB as well.