How many do not quarantine?

[SPR1968]

I am not looking for this to turn into a discussion of why a person should quarantine or the right or wrong or whatever. That's not at all the point of this. I am asking because I know people on here who have said they don't QT and have never QT yet they've had (or seem to) very good success with fish. I'd like to know the long term success of people who choose not to QT. How old are your oldest fish and why do you think you have routinely dodged the disease bullet?

Thanks so much.

I only started in aquariums in Feb 2016, so new to all this, but it's funny because I have been looking at getting a small Red Sea Nano or E series (I know not cheap but I just love them!) to use as a QT tank.

I have been debating this for a month or so and the reason is because I clearly know it's the correct thing to do. But I don't really want to, because most of the time the tanks going to be empty of fish and then there is the maintenance for something not being used.

I was about to ask the exact same question as this, how many people actually do it? I know that I should do it for all the reasons stated, even being new, but in reality how many do?

I suppose if loads of people have never had problems, it sort of justifies not having a QT in our minds (because we don't really want one), but in reality it's just a matter of time until you have a problem, so it's just a gamble.

I think those of us not using a QT know we should get one and use it and are just trying to justify not having one.

My LFS here in the UK seem to be quiet good in that they won't release fish until they are happy they are ok (and until they know you, they vet everyone to make sure fish are suitable for your tank size etc which was very annoying in the early days). So I get a certain amount of reassurance from this but not complete.

I am probably rambling here but in summary I know i should use one, I probably will get one, I don't really want to but if I don't it will be my own dum fault if something happens...

 

[Green Chromis]

:fish1:

Interesting that nobody has actually answered the OP's question; speaks volumes. Well, maybe RR did, but I'd argue that getting wild caught animals, and avoiding the ornamental fish supply chain, disqualifies him as a data point.

1. Do you quarantine fish? If no, proceed to Q2
2. How long have you been in the hobby?
3. Please list your current fish population, and the approximate time each has been under your care?

I'd be shocked if there are more than a handful who's answers to Q3 would reveal a diverse, long-kept fish population. I'm quite interested to know myself.

:fish1: Hi, I have never quarantined a single fish in my system, they are all wild caught, which should not disqualify them, and never had a problem. Maybe I am just lucky, but I believe as hard as the fish are to collect in the wild, this makes them very hardy and parasite free. The fish I have in my current system, all have been in the tank for a least 10 yrs. and I only have 6 in my tank, as some will get rather large in time. I have been keeping reef tanks, and fish only tanks for 40 plus years, and I keep learning something new everyday, and if I were new to the hobby, I would probably quarantine them, until I could identify a healthy fish, or find a good LFS store you can trust and who knows their stuff about taking care of your future family members. :fish1:

 

[karimwassef]

I may not QT if the source demonstrated QT controls that I could verify. And their tanks were held in full strength saltwater with invertebrates (no copper usable).

 

[oseymour]

I went for about 4 years without quarantine. Got from respectable vendors and drip acclimated put them in.

Then I had a disease that almost wiped out my tank and now I do.


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[trembz]

I don't quarantine but I get MOST of my fish off fellow refers who are selling them off.
Oldest fish is 4 years old.
I have a 150 gallon upgrading to a 250 next month
I have everything from large Emporer angel to tangs to triggers.

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[CrayolaViolence]

:fish1:

Maybe I am just lucky, but I believe as hard as the fish are to collect in the wild, this makes them very hardy and parasite free.

I'd dare say 98% of the fish sold at local LFS, are wild caught. I don't think that's the reason for your success.

 

[VGT]

I've never QTd before, mostly due to space constraints and limited livestock to risk. I'm in the process of upgrading, and since I've moved I have room to set up a QT when needed. That being said, some of these QT methods that I've been reading (TTM, treating the fish with everything under the sun, etc), sound overly aggressive, harmful, and frankly, asinine. I hear of so many losses with people using these methods, and I firmly believe its the method rather than any inherent issue with the fish. I also generally only purchase aquacultured animals and corals, rather than wildcaught.

 

[JBarnes]

I do a mix of both. I like to buy my fish from LA Divers Den. Those fish I do not QT. I have two 40 gallon QT tanks that I use for all other purchases. However, my QT method is simply to put them in there for 4 weeks and observe them. I do not treat them unless they develop some kind of illness. Over the years I've had one fish pop up with Ich during QT. I've also lost a few due to them not eating during the QT period. I'm still waiting to find a Copperband that eats well!

 

[tkeracer619]

I do a mix of both. I like to buy my fish from LA Divers Den. Those fish I do not QT.

I used to do the same until a fish I purchased from DD brought Velvet into my reef tank. Now I QT 100%. All coral and invert go into a fallow reef for 73 days before moving into the display.

 

[Green Chromis]

I'd dare say 98% of the fish sold at local LFS, are wild caught. I don't think that's the reason for your success.

:fish1: Yes, most of the fish are wild caught, but the fish I collect are not stressed out like the fish that are shipped from the far Pacific regions of the world. These poor fish take days to weeks to reach us here in the U.S. and this has an effect on their immune system, which makes them more prone to diseases, and parasite infestation. The fish I collect are in my system within a few hours after collection, with the same seawater they are collected from, thus a lot less stress. :fish1:

 

[gone fishin]

What are your fish successes in comparison?

We moved 5 years ago and I reset the tank up. since then I have lost one fish during the QT process that was a male bellus angel. Other fish loss have been jumper that my cat got and one due to some aggression in my tank. I believe I have 6 of 6 original fish from the initial stocking 5 years ago and another 6-7 I have added over the last couple years.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

:fish1: Yes, most of the fish are wild caught, but the fish I collect are not stressed out like the fish that are shipped from the far Pacific regions of the world. These poor fish take days to weeks to reach us here in the U.S. and this has an effect on their immune system, which makes them more prone to diseases, and parasite infestation. The fish I collect are in my system within a few hours after collection, with the same seawater they are collected from, thus a lot less stress. :fish1:

FWIW, parasites do not come from stress. They do not come from being in captive conditions. They do not come from being shipped. They come from the environment the fish originally came from. While shipping and housing will expose the fish to more crowded conditions where parasite numbers might become abnormally high, all wild fish have some type of parasites because the parasites that cause diseases are part of the water column in the ocean.

 

[Green Chromis]

FWIW, parasites do not come from stress. They do not come from being in captive conditions. They do not come from being shipped. They come from the environment the fish originally came from. While shipping and housing will expose the fish to more crowded conditions where parasite numbers might become abnormally high, all wild fish have some type of parasites because the parasites that cause diseases are part of the water column in the ocean.

:fish1: No all wild caught fish do not have parasite, only the weaker ones do, and stress will weaken a fishes immune system, thus allowing parasites to attack a normally healthy fish. One more thing parasites are not in all of the oceans waters, as I use natural unfiltered seawater for all my water changes and the original setup. I must be really lucky, because my fish are all parasite free, and very healthy. :fish1:

 

[CrayolaViolence]

I'm curious to know by what diagnostic tools you use to test the fish and determine they are free of parasites when freshly caught from the ocean? Because I'll be honest, every fish I have ever caught, fresh or salt water, and cut open (as I fish to eat) has been full of worms of some sort. That being parasites visible to the eye. I can only imagine what they have that I can't see.

 

[Mrs. Music]

:fish1: Yes, most of the fish are wild caught, but the fish I collect are not stressed out like the fish that are shipped from the far Pacific regions of the world. These poor fish take days to weeks to reach us here in the U.S. and this has an effect on their immune system, which makes them more prone to diseases, and parasite infestation. The fish I collect are in my system within a few hours after collection, with the same seawater they are collected from, thus a lot less stress. :fish1:

Oh, I think that does disqualify you from the no QT thing. LOL. You have fish that did not go thru the collector/wholesaler/retailer chain. Pretty cool.

 

[Mrs. Music]

I did not always QT fish. Had the usual deaths/bad advise thing in the beginning. Then I had intermittent ich that all of my fish survived. Then several fish got ich after QT. Then I realised my fish still had it but had grown tolerant and no longer had visible symptoms. So had to do the whole fallow tank thing. I treated with QP. All my older fish made it thru one QT disaster after another. The newer guys died. I was heart broken. I always QT now. Oldest fish are 9 year old percs. Spawning pair. my fish are older than 5-6 years, except a yellow coris wrasse. He is about 3 I think.

 

[bcb577]

I've got two nano tanks with a grand total of 4fish,lol I've only been in the hobby for a year and a half but the little experience I do have shouldn't be ignored because of my time in the hobby,it only takes one experience to gain knowledge.I didn't qt any of my fish due to the lack of research.I've not lost a fish yet,but I've been lucky.I'm now going to combine my nano tanks into a 40 gallon breeder.I'm trying to talk my wife into using the ten gallon as a at tank,but my lease prohibits more than 46 gallons,but I may cheat on that,lol.I really want to start to qt all m animals,but my short answer up to this point is no I haven't qt my fish!

 

[aznflyfisherman]

I dont QT mine, i try my best to buy a fish that i think is healthy from my own observation n experience. In my area i have only seen 1 out of 4 stores that QT n i dont think they do it all the time. And if they do its only for a few day n goes in the for sale tank or they QT only specific ones.

 

[ca1ore]

I'd dare say 98% of the fish sold at local LFS, are wild caught. I don't think that's the reason for your success.

I think folks missed my point. Catching fish yourself, thus avoiding the dodgy ornamental fish supply chain, would I'd think avoid many of the disease problems that those of us not near the correct ocean cannot avoid. If I were able to snorkel off my back yard and catch my own tangs, not sure I'd bother with QT either. So, it's not the fact that most fish are initially wild caught (they are), it's the 'hell' they go through to get to the LFS that results in so many of the diseases we see.

 

[ca1ore]

While shipping and housing will expose the fish to more crowded conditions where parasite numbers might become abnormally high, .

That's the KEY point. Yes, diseases don't magically appear in the captive supply chain, they do come from the 'wild' but the really crappy collecting and shipping conditions 'concentrates' exposure and lowers resistance. That's why, though it may appear initially counter intuitive, it's better to buy a fish as soon as it arrives at the LFS.