QT vs Toss Em In
- Thread starter Flightpipe
- Start date
SaltyMember
Premium Member
I only quarantine fish, but one time I got caulerpa for a seahorse tank which had a leech that attached to my seahorses face. It was disgusting and difficult to remove. So I really examine it now but quarantining is ideal.
Flightpipe
Sea Turtles Love Me......
I tryed a small QT and it did seem to stress them out even more. I am glad to see im not alone on this.
paulamrein
New member
What I don't get is that people that don't QT always talks about stress in a fish, "not wanting to stress them out" OK. first off, where did you get your fish psychology degree? Should we call these people fish whisperers? Secondly, the ocean is ALWAYS stable in every parameter we test for. Temp goes down a degree, will stress a fish, ph fluctuations stress, not to mention the size of your tank no matter how big could stress them. Personally, I believe that there is ALWAYS a stressed fish in any of our tanks at some point throughout the day. The key isn't to relieve stress, the doctor isn't going to give you a prozac before your open heart surgery he knows you are freakin' out about it... his job is to CURE you!
pledosophy
Active member
Sorry but IMO that is a huge excuse.
There is nothing more stressful about putting a fish in QT then placing it in your display. In fact it is probably less stressful for the fish as it is in a tank by itself instead of having to deal with other fish as well.
That argument just doesn't hold water, it's getting kind of old.
The only reason we see this excuse is because people use excuses when they know they are not doing what they should.
I QT everything. Rock, fish, corals, snails, macro algaes, if it's wet it gets QT'd.
I've never ahd a parasite outbreak in my systems. I've never had ich in my display. Never had an acro eating flat worm. If I did it would cost me thousands, much more then my QT costs.
My QT is kinda more then most. I have a skimmer, a UV, a sump, it's kinda nice. Everything goes in it for 6 weeks min, must of the time more.
QT a fish for 2 to 4 weeks, isn't going to protect you much.
Saying your LFS Qt's your fish, ya doubt it. With how many other fish, under what conditions? I've been to several LFs's (more then 30) never seen one with a real QT setup. Never. It costs to much for the LFS to do that, just the cost of doing business.
There are to many posts on this forum about problems that are completely avoidable. It's kind of sad. If we can't be responsible for what we keep we have no business keeping it.
. I think a flame angel may have contributed to its demise, though I never saw it peck at them. I've since sold the flame angel.
ladyshark
Premium Member
What do you all think about not QT - ing fish from liveaquaria.com? I know they are a great source for fish, but I did call once and they indicated they "QT" for a couple of weeks to make sure the fish is healthy. I know I was just talking to one of their operators who may not have understood the basis of my question. Two week QT does not seem long enough.
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Tang Salad
Algae skeptic
Whoa...there's no shortage of smugness in this thread.
I think the numbers speak for themsleves.
I think the numbers speak for themsleves.
abulgin
Premium Member
I am shocked at the number of people that don't QT as well. I've definitely learned the hard way that you need to QT almost everything. I also agree that people who rabidly defend no QT probably do so because they know they should be doing it. For the record, a QT REDUCES stress, not adds to it. That's one of the reasons to QT--gives your fish a chance to calm down, bulk up, not be bothered, etc.--get it ready to deal with other tankmates.
Personally, I think the reason most people don't QT is not money or space--it's lack of patience. I think people just want/need that fish in the display. Can't stand that it's hidden from view in that crappy 30g from 1980.
Personally, I think the reason most people don't QT is not money or space--it's lack of patience. I think people just want/need that fish in the display. Can't stand that it's hidden from view in that crappy 30g from 1980.
Tang Salad
Algae skeptic
The only people, in this thread and in general, rabidly defending any position are the people who do QT.
People who do not QT rarely come out and say "Nobody needs to QT." However, people who do QT quite frequently state in the most condemning terms that only "lazy", "irresponsible" people don't QT.
I only qt delicate or expensive fish, the rest get bunged in.
E.g. large WC clownfish are a must for qt.
I know I have "ich" in my main system, new fish get 1 or two spots initially, then next time one spot then never again, well fed healthy fish can fight parasites, I believe there is no such thing as a parasite free system.
Fish health and stress are much more important factor than the presence/ absenceof the parasites in my opinion.
As for calming the fish down and getting it used to you and captivity each fish is different, some I have tried to qt and they looked and acted poorly, I decided that qt was not suitable and put them straight in the system, in most cases the fish picked up and did alot better.
As with most things in this hobby there are no hard and fast rules.
E.g. large WC clownfish are a must for qt.
I know I have "ich" in my main system, new fish get 1 or two spots initially, then next time one spot then never again, well fed healthy fish can fight parasites, I believe there is no such thing as a parasite free system.
Fish health and stress are much more important factor than the presence/ absenceof the parasites in my opinion.
As for calming the fish down and getting it used to you and captivity each fish is different, some I have tried to qt and they looked and acted poorly, I decided that qt was not suitable and put them straight in the system, in most cases the fish picked up and did alot better.
As with most things in this hobby there are no hard and fast rules.
cuddle fish
New member
Ok, I know I should...but I don't QT.
otrlynn
Active member
Let's see, what's the worst that can happen? New fish (now in the display tank) comes down with ich. You remove that fish to a hospital tank to treat it. Ten days later you notice two or three other fish now have ich. You've got eight fish in the tank and now realize all have been exposed to ich. You realize you can't safely house/treat eight fish in your 15 gallon QT...
If you were to able to analyze the number of year of saltwater experience that the people who answered have, my guess is that the newer folks just "throw em in" and that those with more experience have learned the hard way that QT saves a lot of hassle, fish, and money. I'm sure that this will generate some guy with 10 years of experience saying, "I just throw em in and I never had a fish with ich", but hey, some people are LUCKY enough to win the lottery too...
If you were to able to analyze the number of year of saltwater experience that the people who answered have, my guess is that the newer folks just "throw em in" and that those with more experience have learned the hard way that QT saves a lot of hassle, fish, and money. I'm sure that this will generate some guy with 10 years of experience saying, "I just throw em in and I never had a fish with ich", but hey, some people are LUCKY enough to win the lottery too...
abulgin
Premium Member
Ha! You're exactly right. That's because they are too busy posting things like "My fish has white spots all over it. Help!!!!!"
I think one of the reasons that some people may rabidly advocate for QT is because we get tired of answering the same ich questions over and over.
Tang Salad
Algae skeptic
Oh, please!
BigJay
New member
I quarantine fish only, not so much the inverts because the QT tank doesn't have the algae, lighting, or fauna to keep them alive.
The only fish I haven't quarantined were the "first arrival" chromis almost two months ago. The quarantine tank gets a 40% water change every other week using some old water from the 180 display tank.
My Qtank is a simple 15 gallon eclipse. Fish that are eating well, healthy, and ich-free spend 5-10 days in it before joining the main display.
One of these clowns was sick and passed away shortly after buying it. The other pulled through and it doing fine in the main tank.
Most recent Qtank resident. He's healthy, eating well, and in a few more days he'll join the main tank. The fish is just getting used to me feeding him, he just stopped hiding under the live rock every time I walk up.
The only fish I haven't quarantined were the "first arrival" chromis almost two months ago. The quarantine tank gets a 40% water change every other week using some old water from the 180 display tank.
My Qtank is a simple 15 gallon eclipse. Fish that are eating well, healthy, and ich-free spend 5-10 days in it before joining the main display.
One of these clowns was sick and passed away shortly after buying it. The other pulled through and it doing fine in the main tank.
Most recent Qtank resident. He's healthy, eating well, and in a few more days he'll join the main tank. The fish is just getting used to me feeding him, he just stopped hiding under the live rock every time I walk up.
abulgin
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12849786#post12849786 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tang Salad
Oh, please!
Oh please what? What's a good reason for not quarantining fish? I don't think I've heard that yet. "Because a QT is stressful" isn't fact, so let's hear good reasons for dumping them into the display.
Search "ich" threads, and I'll bet that in 9 cases out of 10 the person that started the thread didn't quarantine.
Look, I'm not here telling you to do X or Y. I'm just suggesting that (i) there IS a benefit to quarantining fish and (ii) that I would bet most people who don't are simply impatient--want the fish in the display so they can look at it and/or don't feel like going through the hassle of setting up a separate tank.
Slakker
Premium Member
One of the great arguments against QT is that you can never have a system without parasites anyways, and that's just not true.
The studies have been done, we know how to break the life cycle of nearly all of the parasites that commonly plague our fish.
Encysted C. Irritans tomonts can be introduced to a system on any substrate imaginable, sand, rock, snail shells, coral skeletons, frag plugs, nets, macro algae...you name it. If it's wet, it can introduce parasites/pests into your system.
There is no reason not to quarantine any and all new additions to the aquarium.
The studies have been done, we know how to break the life cycle of nearly all of the parasites that commonly plague our fish.
Encysted C. Irritans tomonts can be introduced to a system on any substrate imaginable, sand, rock, snail shells, coral skeletons, frag plugs, nets, macro algae...you name it. If it's wet, it can introduce parasites/pests into your system.
There is no reason not to quarantine any and all new additions to the aquarium.
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