Do You Quarantine?
- Thread starter ReefRian
- Start date
I don't do corals and haven't done fish, but I will probably do my next fish.
I know quarentining new fish is good practice, but in order to do it right I should have a decent sized Q tank setup and always running i.e. cycled or a least setup a month before I intend to get fish. IMO I would think a 10 gallon tank would be too small and unstable as a Q tank. I figure I'm trying to minimize the stress on the new fish and putting it in small tank would compound the problem especially if I need to use medications that would wreck the biological filter.
If I was to quarentine I would oversize the filtration as well as the tank, even if it is for a small fish.
I know quarentining new fish is good practice, but in order to do it right I should have a decent sized Q tank setup and always running i.e. cycled or a least setup a month before I intend to get fish. IMO I would think a 10 gallon tank would be too small and unstable as a Q tank. I figure I'm trying to minimize the stress on the new fish and putting it in small tank would compound the problem especially if I need to use medications that would wreck the biological filter.
If I was to quarentine I would oversize the filtration as well as the tank, even if it is for a small fish.
I have a 29 gallon tank with a good amount of base rock and an aquaclear 500 with ceramic rings in it. I always use it to quarentine. I treat with hyposalinity. This works great and the fish get a chance to adjust to captivity, learn to eat flakes. When they finally go into the big tank they are super fat and healthy. They then are out from day one once in the display tank.
The fish in my display are super healthy. I haven't seen any disease in my main tank in years. This includes a very healthy 7-8 inch powder blue tang which is now been in there 1 and 1/2 years. The yellow tang is 7-8 years old
The fish in my display are super healthy. I haven't seen any disease in my main tank in years. This includes a very healthy 7-8 inch powder blue tang which is now been in there 1 and 1/2 years. The yellow tang is 7-8 years old
I have a 15 gal that I use. It has a hang on filter and low light level and is bare . All fish go into this for at least 14 days. If it needs a hiding place I place a plastic cup in tank. This way if it needs treatment it is easy because sand messes with any medication. I treat with hyposalinity first if more is needed I will use copper. Havent any signs of ick or lost any fish for unknown reasons.
Good luck
Good luck
For all those that answered "yes" to both, if you used copper, there is no way you can use it again for corals. Also, 14 days does not make it safe either.
The point about too lazy to do it is that, IMHO, keeping a fish in a totally bare cage may increase the likelihood of stressing him. But adding decors and gravel will decrease the effectiveness of the treatments. Moreover, simple filtration usually is not enough to keep the water parameter on par. Keeping a newly acquired specimen in that cage for a weeks is already heart-aching enough, let alone 6 to 8 weeks straight.
For fish you can do hyposalinity, but it is impossible to do that for corals on the long term basis without stressing it. Again, quarantine corals less than the reproductive cycle of the parasite is simply a waste of time.
Not that I doubt that someone will answer "yes" to both, but I speculate truthfulness to that statement.
For those that answered "yes" to both, can you tell us how you perform the quarantine?
The point about too lazy to do it is that, IMHO, keeping a fish in a totally bare cage may increase the likelihood of stressing him. But adding decors and gravel will decrease the effectiveness of the treatments. Moreover, simple filtration usually is not enough to keep the water parameter on par. Keeping a newly acquired specimen in that cage for a weeks is already heart-aching enough, let alone 6 to 8 weeks straight.
For fish you can do hyposalinity, but it is impossible to do that for corals on the long term basis without stressing it. Again, quarantine corals less than the reproductive cycle of the parasite is simply a waste of time.
Not that I doubt that someone will answer "yes" to both, but I speculate truthfulness to that statement.
For those that answered "yes" to both, can you tell us how you perform the quarantine?
I fibbed a bit by voting yes for fish. My current fish were added without quarantine as my tank was originally stocked up. Now that everything is established and healthy, though, no way would I add a new fish without quarantine.Hopefully it won't be an issue for a long time, since I won't be adding any more fish unless I lose a couple.
when i first started with my 55g reef about 7 years ago, i would quarantine everything in a 29g. it was a major pain, but after reading all the books and articles by the 'experts', i figured i was doing the right thing. after years of experience, i've started doing just the opposite with my 300g....no quarantining at all. FWIW, i completely agree with danmhippo's remarks. IMO if a new arrival can get into an environment that's as 'close to home' as possible, it'll have a better chance of survival. i have several overhangs and caves in my system, and just about all new arrivals will hide there until they feel comfortable coming out.
however what i have done is drastically change the way i buy fish. since i am in what i would call a 'reef dead zone' where there are no serious reef stores for about a bazillion miles around, i have to get all of my fish off the web. if you build a good rapport with the owner of a quality site or lfs, you can request that they get the fish you would like to purchase to start eating something like Thera A pellets, which i absolutely swear by. the medication in the pellets eliminates most parasites. i feed Thera A at least once a day, and my main feedings include Kent's Garlic Extreme everytime, and Selcon twice a week (i do 3 small, and one large feeding per day). using this method, i have been able to add over about a year's period without quarantining 5 yellow tangs; 1 purple tang; an emperor, blueline, goldflake, majestic, multicolor, flame, venustus, and multifasciata angel; close to 20 anthias of various species; a dozen or so chromis; hawks; 5-bar, scott's, and lineatus wrasses and several dwarf eels. basically, everything but butterflies and triggers, which i'm not planning on adding. not once have i had an outbreak of anything. i also run a UV for about a week after adding anything new and closely monitor all my water quality parameters.
as for corals, a 20 minute iodine bath for new wild-caught sps colonies after a temperature acclimation is all i do. lps get a drip acclimation and then go directly to the reef.
however what i have done is drastically change the way i buy fish. since i am in what i would call a 'reef dead zone' where there are no serious reef stores for about a bazillion miles around, i have to get all of my fish off the web. if you build a good rapport with the owner of a quality site or lfs, you can request that they get the fish you would like to purchase to start eating something like Thera A pellets, which i absolutely swear by. the medication in the pellets eliminates most parasites. i feed Thera A at least once a day, and my main feedings include Kent's Garlic Extreme everytime, and Selcon twice a week (i do 3 small, and one large feeding per day). using this method, i have been able to add over about a year's period without quarantining 5 yellow tangs; 1 purple tang; an emperor, blueline, goldflake, majestic, multicolor, flame, venustus, and multifasciata angel; close to 20 anthias of various species; a dozen or so chromis; hawks; 5-bar, scott's, and lineatus wrasses and several dwarf eels. basically, everything but butterflies and triggers, which i'm not planning on adding. not once have i had an outbreak of anything. i also run a UV for about a week after adding anything new and closely monitor all my water quality parameters.
as for corals, a 20 minute iodine bath for new wild-caught sps colonies after a temperature acclimation is all i do. lps get a drip acclimation and then go directly to the reef.
I add my new fish, both sick and well fish, into my refugium and keep him there for a few months before put him into my main tank. Often, the new fish is sick and break out with Ick, or bacterial infection. None of the fish in my main tank got sick from this. The new fish will get fatten in the refugium and will be release into the main tank after a few months.
Because the refugium shares water with the main tank, this is not quarantine. I just don't want a new sick fish to compete with other fish until he is well. I often get fish that is not well. I am, almost, always successful in saving the fish.
I know this is highly unusual, but it is what I do.
Minh
Because the refugium shares water with the main tank, this is not quarantine. I just don't want a new sick fish to compete with other fish until he is well. I often get fish that is not well. I am, almost, always successful in saving the fish.
I know this is highly unusual, but it is what I do.
Minh
Have a peice of rock from the garden, sandstone I guess, that I keep in one of my tanks. I quarintine in a natural set-up not a med tank. Keep a couple old tanks, different sizes. Pick the right size, put the rock in with a scoop of gravel plus the sponge off an intake to an overflow I run just cos thats where I find it easiest to keep carbon. Sponge is just to keep things getting sucked into intake. Lost more than my share that way, including rose anenome and desjardin tang hours after buying (before I started quarintining) so learnt my lesson. Tank bio-ready and put in new buy's for month or so. Whats cool about this is ya get a temporary display tank. Also curbs your buying cos ya can't get something new til you have tanks available. I can boil that rock in bleach if'n theres a problem.
My next setup I will q everything, after a fashion. When I first set up it won't have a fish in it for several months, so, in effect it is the q-tank. After that Fish will go to hypo for a minth before intro. The q tank will be 55 gallons that is plumbed to the tank, except when there are fish in there. I will use a valve to slowly up the salinity after the q is over. Then introduce the fish. I will also use the same tank for coral. Keep them in 35ppt water for a month and then introduce them. Instant ich free environment. Fish and coral will not be in q at the same time.
I have one 20 and 2x10gal setup for Q. I buy small gobies so the sizes are fine. I do have less than 1/2in of sand and some live rock for fish to feel comfortable and also help with waste products. Will keep them in for a month to observe. Observe for any illness or difficult eating patterns. I will treat in another tank(bare) if hyposalinity is insufficient for the illness. I have pvc pipes that can be used for shelter and withstand disinfection later. I do believe that anyone adding fish to their display tanks w/o Q are taking a chance. All depends on how much one wants to risk prize possessions. The argument that a Q tank is stressful can be overcome by spending cash for a large properly equiped tank with prefab cave/coral structures. I would think that several Q tanks can be employed to acclimate/treat/Q new arrivals. So maybe start in a dimly lit bare tank w/ plastic props for close observation for a short time. Any stress in there may unmask disease and allow for treatment. Then graduate the fish to another Q tank with better environments. And then finally to another seperate Q tank that is reeflike. Sounds expensive and a waste of time right? I doubt that anyone would spend more money than what they did for the entire contents of their display tank. Again all depends on how much you cherish or how much value you place on your existing reef animals and the time invested in the display of them. For example I value my ($50) shrimp and goby pair with 3 peppermint shrimps($15) and 20lbs of live rock($100) with a bag and a half of pure carribean aragonite($30) so much that I will only add a similar goby to it if and only if Qed for 2 months. I think my goby/shrimp pair is priceless.
I only have 7 fish and have quarantined all except the very first fish which was in QT elsewhere. I have used the same 10g tank everytime and can set it up in about 15 minutes with a little prep ahead of time. That preparation includes dropping a bio-wheel in my main tank's sump a week earlier and the creation of about 15g of new saltwater 2 days before. To set up I use old water (10g) from my main tank and place it in the QT. I dump the other 5g. The new saltwater is used to replace it in the main tank (I'm setting up a QT and doing a water change!). I take the bio-wheel and plop it into the hang-on filter that doesn't have any media in it. I put in the heater, themometer and a few large pieces of PVC pipe and I'm ready to go. I also use no lights. Any lighting the QT gets is a little indirect light.
I use this approach for several reasons:
- I believe it is important to quarantine fish to minimize chances of introducing parasites and such into the main tank and to be able to obeserve them in an controlled environment
- I use no lights to lower the stress as they get adjusted
- The QT allows them to eat without competition
- The water is very similar to what the main tank's composition is
- I can medicate easily if necessary
- Allows them to eat without competition and to get used to what I feed
- Although small, it is a step up in size for fish, (even tangs) from the LFS especially when you consider they can keep a bunch of them in a 10g or less. Also consider that it is only temporary.
- It is easy to take down, setup, and costs little.
This has worked for me (0 losses), so for me, why mess with success?
I use this approach for several reasons:
- I believe it is important to quarantine fish to minimize chances of introducing parasites and such into the main tank and to be able to obeserve them in an controlled environment
- I use no lights to lower the stress as they get adjusted
- The QT allows them to eat without competition
- The water is very similar to what the main tank's composition is
- I can medicate easily if necessary
- Allows them to eat without competition and to get used to what I feed
- Although small, it is a step up in size for fish, (even tangs) from the LFS especially when you consider they can keep a bunch of them in a 10g or less. Also consider that it is only temporary.
- It is easy to take down, setup, and costs little.
This has worked for me (0 losses), so for me, why mess with success?
I QT fish only. and i think i should QT everything.
I have lost over $10,000 dollars worth of fish since i started this hobby, back in the days where i have no experience and no one have ever told me to QT anything... i was so naive to believed that white spots will go away by itself and with proper environment, the fish can fight off disease... nonsense. they DO have a immunity up to a certain point, but since we are putting them in a CLOSED system, the population of white spot will increase to the point where the fish will not have a chance.
and as the price of my existing fish collection ever increasing, the importance of QT a new fish is becoming a MUST.
i currently run a 50gal QT for my new specimen, and they will be in Hyposalinity at day one, that gives them the best chance to regain weight, get used to me and my feeding regimen before it face the aggression of my existing fishes. Also, when i do not have any new fish i put the 2 large sponge filter in my sump for instant bacteria.
I have lost over $10,000 dollars worth of fish since i started this hobby, back in the days where i have no experience and no one have ever told me to QT anything... i was so naive to believed that white spots will go away by itself and with proper environment, the fish can fight off disease... nonsense. they DO have a immunity up to a certain point, but since we are putting them in a CLOSED system, the population of white spot will increase to the point where the fish will not have a chance.
and as the price of my existing fish collection ever increasing, the importance of QT a new fish is becoming a MUST.
i currently run a 50gal QT for my new specimen, and they will be in Hyposalinity at day one, that gives them the best chance to regain weight, get used to me and my feeding regimen before it face the aggression of my existing fishes. Also, when i do not have any new fish i put the 2 large sponge filter in my sump for instant bacteria.
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