QT procedures

[Wheel of Time]

I havent really bought or gotten anything new for the tank in quite a while, but since Im looking to start trading frags again and will be buying a school of fish for some added color -- thought Id ask how you are doing your quarantines?

Seperate tank -- for how long?
for fish -- what medications do you use, and where do you buy it
frags -- for how long do you QT, and what medicine is automatic to use?

Also, I see many use the presciption medicine for dogs -- who came up with the idea to use that on corals? very novel idea.
-- how can I get some if I dont have a dog?

Lastly -- I have no diseases in my tank. When trading frags -- is it AUTOMATIC for those trading frags to disclose they have flatworms, red bugs etc in this area -- or is it always buyer / trader beware?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

a qt tank for fish is a bare bones tank with a hob filter, heater, light and a place for fish to hide (big PVC plumbing) oh and NO substrate. The fish should stay in the tank for 6-8 weeks to monitor for disease and establish good eating habits. As for coral not many QT them, they just dip them before adding them to the tank. However that's not full proof because if they have AEFW or red bugs on them they may just as well have eggs and they won't be killed by the dip. If you're selling trading frags than it would be ethical of you to disclose any problems you have with the tank that might affect the corals.

 

[Wheel of Time]

Thank you very much.

 

[scolley]

Seth - While many do not quarantine corals, some do. And while I cannot speak with experience as a reef keeper, but I can speak with experience successfully keeping fragile, disease prone fish in a planted community tank. And I quarantine EVERYTHING. And run EVERYTHING through a course of prophylactic meds. That includes crustaceans. And the result? Massive PITA, lots more time to add new stuff - and a pathogen free tank.

Also a couple of very important practice to note with regard successful quarantining...

1) all QT equipment stays totally separate from the DT equipment. No sharing of nets, buckets, etc. And if has to be shared - like a net to take a fish out of the QT and into the DT - you use the DT net, but then you run it through a hot cycle in your dish washer.

2) If ANYTHING new goes into QT while something else is already in it, the clock gets reset for EVERYTHING. And if you are doing prophylactic meds, those start over too.

A good quarentie is not a tank with multiple "cycles" of quarantine running concurrently. A good quarantine runs in "batches", with everything concluding quarantine at the same time.

HTH

 

[tank o tang]

ANYONE trading or selling infected frags or even if you had a bout with something recently it should be out in the open. It can be absolutely devastating to someone in the hobby to get some of these out after in (especialy in a tank you size).

Fish - 8 weeks Meds depending on problem
Coral - a dip in one of many available solutions(most ingredient iodine) or freshwater dip
Interceptor- perscription heartworm med for dogs, print out info on the treatment and find a vet that actually cares enough to listen

No pests in my tank and I'd like to keep it that way also. After hearing what happen, I am just glad you caught it before it caused havok. But now that this topic is I just remembered how someone on another board was selling frags and when they were posting pics in another forum for another reason someone asked about all the redbugs in the pic. Still haven't seen any mention of the redbugs in any of his threads selling or giving away frags. Only suggestion is to look at the tank they are coming from.