My LFS says not to quarantine?

[Reef Doctor]

I'm new to the hobby with a new tank set up with live rock. No fishes yet, but it's almost time to start adding some. I know the benefits of quarantine to weed out disease, de-stress fish, and help fish acclimate to a variety of foods without competition. However, my LFS says I don't need to QT because their fish are disease free because they treat all their fish with copper. Is this true? And is this a standard practice to treat all fish with copper prior to sale?

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Copper does not cure or prevent all forms of ailment.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Many LFS do use copper; so do most shippers, wholesalers, online dealers, collectors, etc. Like Jeremy Blaze said, copper doesn't cure everything that you can catch in QT. The comments you made about the benefits of QT are correct and your LFS has a real misunderstanding of using a QT. BTW, I've been in several LFS that run copper 24/7 and have seen fish with parasites in most of them. The fish come in the back door, then out the front. That may be using copper; but is hardly long enough for copper to kill the few types of parasites it does work on.

 

[b0bab0ey]

I'm new to the hobby with a new tank set up with live rock. No fishes yet, but it's almost time to start adding some. I know the benefits of quarantine to weed out disease, de-stress fish, and help fish acclimate to a variety of foods without competition. However, my LFS says I don't need to QT because their fish are disease free because they treat all their fish with copper. Is this true? And is this a standard practice to treat all fish with copper prior to sale?

I agree 100% with Jeremy Blaze and MrTuskfish. The only thing I can think to add is if you don't QT all your fish for 8-9 weeks, eventually you're going to wish you had.

 

[The Lance]

Even a couple of our shadier stores here in KC recommend a qt system. I think it is a smart move on your part to ask these types of questions on RC when your LFS advice sounds wrong.

 

[lucky_snapper]

I'm new to the hobby with a new tank set up with live rock. No fishes yet, but it's almost time to start adding some. I know the benefits of quarantine to weed out disease, de-stress fish, and help fish acclimate to a variety of foods without competition. However, my LFS says I don't need to QT because their fish are disease free because they treat all their fish with copper. Is this true? And is this a standard practice to treat all fish with copper prior to sale?

Is your local LFS Petco ? Always QT new livestock.. Look at it this way no harm can come from a QT period but much much harm and aggravation can come from not Qt'ing.

 

[Reef Doctor]

Thanks for the advice. I sometimes question myself how in the six months I've been into reefing that I should know more about some things than an LFS owner (not Petco) knows. It just seemed like a careless recommendation to not quarantine. There has been a few other areas where the LFS personnel have said things that make me wonder what they are thinking? I guess that's the benefits of the mass of info available on Reef Central, and being able to clarify my concerns without someone trying to sell me something.

 

[b0bab0ey]

Even a couple of our shadier stores here in KC recommend a qt system. I think it is a smart move on your part to ask these types of questions on RC when your LFS advice sounds wrong.

LOL! I'm in KC too! In your opinion, which are the best LFSs around here? Lots of shady ones I know.

 

[snorvich]

Many LFS do use copper; so do most shippers, wholesalers, online dealers, collectors, etc. Like Jeremy Blaze said, copper doesn't cure everything that you can catch in QT. The comments you made about the benefits of QT are correct and your LFS has a real misunderstanding of using a QT. BTW, I've been in several LFS that run copper 24/7 and have seen fish with parasites in most of them. The fish come in the back door, then out the front. That may be using copper; but is hardly long enough for copper to kill the few types of parasites it does work on.

I agree. Many LFS that run copper do not run it at a therapeutic dosage. I also have seen low copper mask oodinium. If you run into this, you will wish you had quarantined. Also, any LFS that says something like this needs to be put into the "questionable" box with regard to other recommendations.

 

[snorvich]

Thanks for the advice. I sometimes question myself how in the six months I've been into reefing that I should know more about some things than an LFS owner (not Petco) knows. It just seemed like a careless recommendation to not quarantine. There has been a few other areas where the LFS personnel have said things that make me wonder what they are thinking? I guess that's the benefits of the mass of info available on Reef Central, and being able to clarify my concerns without someone trying to sell me something.

Exactly. We do not sell fish or corals. But the Brooklyn Bridge or Sea side land in Arizona . . . .

 

[geaux xman]

i got one LFS sold a guy off my local reef board a Powder blue and told him he wont get ich b/c he has in copper. Sure enough, the PBT got ich and returned it back to the LFS.

I know two of my LFS uses Copper Power. They just dose their fish only water and leave it at that for months. They told me so themselves. No way is that reliable to void ich and other parasites.

 

[Psionicdragon]

Is your local LFS Petco ? Always QT new livestock.. Look at it this way no harm can come from a QT period but much much harm and aggravation can come from not Qt'ing.

lol, i think its time to look for a new lfs. there are many advantages of Qting includin destressing and getting rid of flukes which copper doesn't do anything for.

 

[hollister]

Whene adding either a fish or frag you take a chance.

 

[jcw]

Qt is a big pain in the behind.

Yes i do it, but getting healthy fish to start with is the key. Maximize your chances to start with and you won't have to worry as much.

If you factor in the cost of water changes, ammonia treatments, copper treatments, time spent, etc in qt and treating fish, your $15 clownfish turns into a $75-$100 investment.

 

[rabbitfishy]

It all depends on your lfs...My lfs treats with Copper and Metroplex as soon as they get new fish in. They also have reserve tanks to act as QT for any of their customers. I once had a tang with a bad case of ich and they took the fishy in and in 2 weeks my tang was good as new. They kept my fishy there for a total of 6 weeks, because ich has a habit of disappearing and reappearing .

 

[b0bab0ey]

There is/was a LFS in St. Louis (Chesterfield area I believe) that QT'd everything for an entire month before selling it. I think they also medicated it during that time. Now, the place was pricey but you also got a two week guarantee. Most LFS owners I've talked to have told me that sort of business model is unsustainable. I don't know... The place looked like it was doing very well to me. Very impressive. They would be getting all of my business if I lived closer.

 

[MrTuskfish]

IMO & IME; the only time I wouldn't put a fish in a QT is when I move one of my fish from tank to another. Even Diver's Den, possibly the best source of SW fish on the planet, suggests their fish be put in QT. It seems that our forum always has an active thread that is suggesting ways to avoid a QT. IMO & IME, skipping a QT with newly acquired fish is never warranted, ever. Sooner or later, I think everyone learns this. (I learned the hard way too.)

 

[snorvich]

IMO & IME; the only time I wouldn't put a fish in a QT is when I move one of my fish from tank to another. Even Diver's Den, possibly the best source of SW fish on the planet, suggests their fish be put in QT. It seems that our forum always has an active thread that is suggesting ways to avoid a QT. IMO & IME, skipping a QT with newly acquired fish is never warranted, ever. Sooner or later, I think everyone learns this. (I learned the hard way too.)

Absolutely. You risk your embedded base of fish any time you decide not to properly QT.

 

[EllieSuz]

I moved a Tomini Tang from quarantine to the Display last night. There was a huge disparity in salinity between the LFS and my Display, so I began the quarantine at the same SG as the LFS, and slowly, through water changes, brought the QT up to equal the Display. During the six weeks I kept him in QT he absolutely thrived. He learned to eat everything I could throw at him. He recognized me as a food source and lost his shyness. There are just too many reasons why quarantine is good for livestock not to do it.

 

[APBonds]

Some fish can't take copper , lionfish are one that can't. Where does this lfs keep the ones that can't take copper? If you want to be 100% sure your fish never get ich, QT them with hyposalinaty (1.010) for 6 weeks.