Do I really need a quarantine tank?
- Thread starter mjc041800
- Start date
, thanks!Apartmenttank
New member
yes the lFS store i just went to today lost 150 fish due to a sick fish entering there set up of tanks with a common sump. its not worth the risk buy a 10 gallon tank a heater use your pump you use to mix salt water. if you should filter/cycle or not is debated you will have to do more research on that.
gone fishin
New member
Some do, it seems more do not judging by the traffic in the fish disease forum.
I personally do and do not have to worry about an illness taking out my tank or wrecking the the aquascape and corals to catch fish to treat them.
A lot of newer folks are worried about ich but there are far worse things out there than ich and some require a tank reset to fix.
I personally do and do not have to worry about an illness taking out my tank or wrecking the the aquascape and corals to catch fish to treat them.
A lot of newer folks are worried about ich but there are far worse things out there than ich and some require a tank reset to fix.
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toothybugs
New member
A guy I ran in to likened not QTing to not wearing your seatbelt when you're driving. Can you go without? Sure. Will you be okay? For a long while, yea probably. But it only takes one bad lesson, either it happens to you or to someone you know and you'll never go back.
It was a dramatic example but I'll admit to feeling a little daring and risk-taking any time I drop something in my system without watching it for a while first.
It was a dramatic example but I'll admit to feeling a little daring and risk-taking any time I drop something in my system without watching it for a while first.
Martini5788
New member
This is why I qt: a few weeks ago I got in 2 valentini puffers. I picked them up from a friends house that got them shipped in. They were both covered in velvet, but I couldn't tell until I got them out of the bag and into the qt. the first puffer died within 12 hours, the only reason the other puffer survived is because I had the medication on hand to start treatment immediately. If I had put them into my display tank immediately, I would have lost most if not all of my fish.
Perth_reefer
Member
For the cost involved in setting up a quarantine tank its kind of foolish not to IMO. It's a weird thing, people are happy to spend $500 on lighting, $750 on skimmers but some feel that a $50 quarantine tank is an unnecessary expense. Having just gone 10 weeks fallow and lost about $750 worth of fish I assure you that it's not!
Sgt Jonny Cat
Member
Ummm....let me think about that question....YES!!!!! QT every fish you get....trust me its a hard lesson learned if you don't do it...
Jason S
New member
To make it simple. Yes. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, and for more reasons than just Ich. If you do not quarantine, but continue to add livestock, the question is not if you will get something bad, but when. Everyone that has been in this hobby long enough has had to deal with Ich at the very least.
When it does happen, it is not just a matter of losing the fish that you have, but you can potentially lose everything and start over. You will also eventually purchase a QT setup, so you may as well start correctly. Let me explain how. In a reef tank, there are no completely effective medications that will both kill the parasite, and not damage the invertebrates in your tank, so you will need to catch the infected fish and treat him. How will you treat him? Yep, in a QT tank. Yes, I know TTM and other methods work, but there are costs involved with all, and the OP asked about QT
Say all is going well with your fish you are treating in your new QT, and all of a sudden you notice 3 more fish with Ich in your DT. You have to catch them all to start their treatments, and in the process, you have to move rockwork potentially damaging corals, and you risk the possibility of disturbing a sand bed that has not been disturbed in years. This can cause another mini cycle, and now you are in a situation where your tank has now been completely wiped out. If any corals survived, they are likely damaged during the time you were trying to catch the fish. I know this is a worst case scenario, but it is very real, and has happened.
The moral of the story is to quarantine everything wet that goes in your DT. Period. The lives that we are responsible for are depending on us to do everything in our power to keep them healthy, and a QT is a very very cheap investment.
When it does happen, it is not just a matter of losing the fish that you have, but you can potentially lose everything and start over. You will also eventually purchase a QT setup, so you may as well start correctly. Let me explain how. In a reef tank, there are no completely effective medications that will both kill the parasite, and not damage the invertebrates in your tank, so you will need to catch the infected fish and treat him. How will you treat him? Yep, in a QT tank. Yes, I know TTM and other methods work, but there are costs involved with all, and the OP asked about QT
Say all is going well with your fish you are treating in your new QT, and all of a sudden you notice 3 more fish with Ich in your DT. You have to catch them all to start their treatments, and in the process, you have to move rockwork potentially damaging corals, and you risk the possibility of disturbing a sand bed that has not been disturbed in years. This can cause another mini cycle, and now you are in a situation where your tank has now been completely wiped out. If any corals survived, they are likely damaged during the time you were trying to catch the fish. I know this is a worst case scenario, but it is very real, and has happened.The moral of the story is to quarantine everything wet that goes in your DT. Period. The lives that we are responsible for are depending on us to do everything in our power to keep them healthy, and a QT is a very very cheap investment.
I asked myself the same question a couple of months ago then kept reading about other people's experiences so decided thats its a must.
If you're worried about extra cost/maintenance, its really not bad at all. Adding to kenpau's message above, cost is minimal compared to what youre going to be spending for your tank. Also, maintenance isnt too time consuming either.
For the setup, here is my cost breakdown:
- 10 gallon tank with HOB filter and heater for 10 dollars - craigslist
- PVC pipes in tank (5 dollars)
- Net for QT use only (3)
- Siphon for cleaning QT only (5)
- Powerhead which i think is optional but went with it anyway (20)
- Ceramic rings (10)
- Light, dont have any (0)
Total: ~50 dollars. I think the return on investment will be well worth it in the long run.
If you're worried about extra cost/maintenance, its really not bad at all. Adding to kenpau's message above, cost is minimal compared to what youre going to be spending for your tank. Also, maintenance isnt too time consuming either.
For the setup, here is my cost breakdown:
- 10 gallon tank with HOB filter and heater for 10 dollars - craigslist
- PVC pipes in tank (5 dollars)
- Net for QT use only (3)
- Siphon for cleaning QT only (5)
- Powerhead which i think is optional but went with it anyway (20)
- Ceramic rings (10)
- Light, dont have any (0)
Total: ~50 dollars. I think the return on investment will be well worth it in the long run.
I have 3 QT's, and I only have 2 fish at the moment.
Craigs list is your friend here. QT tank doesn't need to be pretty, overly clear of scratches....just hold water.
Got a 40 G breeder (to use as my sump), 20 G Long, and 2 10 gallons for $20 or $25.
The 20 gallon long is the main QT, the 10's are used for Tank Transfer method.
When I got my clowns a week and half ago, the guy goes, you don't need to QT these, but considering every fish I've bought from Petco has gotten ich. Knock on wood, these guys are showing no signs of ich. they are extremely active, they eat well, and are colorful.
Having said all that, Sunday morning I remove them from the final transfer tank and will put them in the main QT for 30 days. On July 21, they will go into the BioCube.
It kinda sucks to buy a fish, and go 6 weeks before you can see it in the tank you built, but the alternative is having the tank empty for 72 days.
Craigs list is your friend here. QT tank doesn't need to be pretty, overly clear of scratches....just hold water.
Got a 40 G breeder (to use as my sump), 20 G Long, and 2 10 gallons for $20 or $25.
The 20 gallon long is the main QT, the 10's are used for Tank Transfer method.
When I got my clowns a week and half ago, the guy goes, you don't need to QT these, but considering every fish I've bought from Petco has gotten ich. Knock on wood, these guys are showing no signs of ich. they are extremely active, they eat well, and are colorful.
Having said all that, Sunday morning I remove them from the final transfer tank and will put them in the main QT for 30 days. On July 21, they will go into the BioCube.
It kinda sucks to buy a fish, and go 6 weeks before you can see it in the tank you built, but the alternative is having the tank empty for 72 days.
ArmyGreens
New member
Quarantine for corals too. Small isolated tank helps acclimate fish to your foods as well, not always easily done in the DT with other more aggressive eaters
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