Quarantine Experience

[serpentman]

I just thought I would put this out there for all my fellow noob's considering whether or not to quarantine. One thing I do remember from my previous experiences is what a pain in the tail it is to have an infestation go through a collection. I have been quarantining my reptiles for many years so figured that I would start right from the beginning with my reef.

Well, 1 week ago I purchased a pristine yellow tang specimen. Good weight, fins looked good, blah blah blah. Well, I have been quarantining this little guy in a 20L since then. In that time, he has developed black and white ich (not sure if they are different). Treating him shouldn't represent an overly difficult challenge as I he is isolated. Had he been in the main tank, it would be another story.

Some might argue that this may have been caused by the stress of QT to begin with. This may be the case. However, one can't argue that the parasites were present on him from day 1.

I'll step off my soapbox. I just thought I would share my experience for those of you on the fence or planning to add a QT protocol "when my tank is set up". To me, its a good habit to get into from the very start. For the cost of setting up a QT tank (~$60), its seems foolish to me not too.

 

[anthworks]

I agree with the premise that you QT a fish before adding. On the other hand a fish may have parasites and live a happy healthy life when introduced to a display tank. If kept in good conditions and fed with a variety good foods fish can fight off ich.

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

Good for you for using a QT. :thumbsup:

 

[Vincerama2]

Yep, a friend of mine put 4 fish in his tank...they showed signs of ICK the next day. Now he can't get them out of the tank. Ugh.

V

 

[D-Rod]

is a HOB type filter ok for a QT tank the bio-wheel type if not what type?

 

[D-Rod]

BUMP

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

HOB is fine for a q tank. Many people just use the old spnge filter that go in the tank.

 

[ken123]

I use this Whisper filter in my 10 gal QT tank. I just use the bag of bio-media and the sponge. Leave it in the sump for a week before I use it.

 

[D-Rod]

After i use the QT and just used Hypo and "no copper" is this water safe to use in a WC or if i plan to QT other fish do i need to start with a new batch of SW or or use the same SW.

Do you keep your QT ready at all times just in case.

D-Rod

 

[D-Rod]

BUMP

 

[kevin2000]

While disease prevention is an important part of QTing .. the often overlooked benefit is acclimation to captivity. The unfortunate fact is that many of the fish we acquire are wild fish that have never been acclimated to captivity - they are caught and transported rapidly through the wholesale distribution system and are often underweight, overstressed, and may not even recognize what you think is fish food.

A properly run QT gives the fish a chance to decompress in an environment free of the stress/competition of the fish already in your ST. You can experiment with food without polluting the tank and learn the "quirks" that your particular fish may have.

Here's an old article that talks about the acclimation benefits of qting ... worth a read.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/atj/feature/index.php

 

[poppin_fresh]

D-Rod,
I would dump the water and start over. You should ideally refill it with tank water so the parameters are the same. You can then transfer fish immediately with no acclimation. You dont need to keep a QT running at all times.

You do not want to add fish immediately to hypo water, it would most likely kill them. They need to start off at normal levels and be slowly brought to hypo over 4-5 days.