Quarantine first fish for newly cycled system?

[Tetra84]

Is it necessary to quarantine the first fish you get if you have an otherwise fish-less/coral-less system? Wouldn't just waiting at least a month before introducing the second small batch of fish do the same thing?

 

[Dr. Reef]

my opinion is yes as that fish can contaminate ur system for future fish. i recommend every fish u buy goes thru 4-6 weeks QT.

 

[cordell]

Yeah, start the thing off right. If you put a diseased fish into your tank, now you have the disease in your tank and you'll fight it with that fish and any future fish.

Also, if the fish does have some sort of disease, you need to pull it out and put into a QT anyways, so might as well save the trouble and start it off in QT.

And my last good reason is.... QTing a fish now will help you get the hang of the quarantine and treatment processes. So on the next fish you add, you'll have the hang of QT by then and it should go smoothly.

 

[Tetra84]

so what is your guy's method to quarantining? Just a wait and see approach, or proactive treatment regardless of what you see?

 

[Lorenz725]

I use prazipro on all my new fish in QT no matter what. Other then that I just use the wait and see approach. Some meds can be hard on fish and make them not want to eat but prazipro is really easy on fish.

 

[Peter T]

so what is your guy's method to quarantining? Just a wait and see approach, or proactive treatment regardless of what you see?

I definitely suggest a pro-active approach. If you just observe the fish without treating, a healthy fish can show no signs of ich at all. Then, after 6 weeks of QT with no treatment, you pop him in your DT. That leaves you with an ich or other parasite infested tank from the beginning.

I haven't added any new fish in a long time, but I usually just bring my 8g Biocube back on line and run with hyposalinity for the QT time. This method works for me because I purchase fish when they are young and small enough to fit in the 8g biocube. If you buy large fish, you definitely would need a bigger QT tank.

 

[cbm369]

I personally never treat for anything unless there are signs of a problem that require treatment.

I use the QT more as an observation tank.

 

[cbm369]

Sorry, double post....

 

[BigCountry74]

I definitely suggest a pro-active approach. If you just observe the fish without treating, a healthy fish can show no signs of ich at all. Then, after 6 weeks of QT with no treatment, you pop him in your DT. That leaves you with an ich or other parasite infested tank from the beginning.

X2. Peter is all over it. :beer:

 

[Tetra84]

I usually just bring my 8g Biocube back on line and run with hyposalinity for the QT time.

what salinity do you use for hyposalanity treatment? Is that the best way to kill ich? Is it like that for the whole qt duration?

My QT is currently 1.022.

 

[BigCountry74]

I try to run mine as close as possible to the DT.

 

[Dr. Reef]

i use QT for observation as well no need to medicate if not required. also hypo is at 1.013 to 1.010 range

 

[Tetra84]

I try to run mine as close as possible to the DT.

so you don't do a hyposalinity treatment?

 

[Peter T]

what salinity do you use for hyposalanity treatment? Is that the best way to kill ich? Is it like that for the whole qt duration?

My QT is currently 1.022.

I run at a 1.009 the whole duration of the quarantine. Keep in mind to lower the salinity slowly over the course of a few days to a week to minimize any stress on the fish. After 8 weeks (my preference) I slowly start to raise the salinity up until it matches my display tank. You want to watch your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, and pH) and conduct water changes if needed during the first few weeks of quarantine. The bacteria may take time to build up in hyposalinity and you do not want to poison the fish

I don't know if it is the best way to kill ich, but it is a method I prefer because I don't like to use copper based chemicals. If you decide to use the chemical method, DO NOT combine it with hyposalinity route.

 

[Peter T]

so you don't do a hyposalinity treatment?

There are other ways to be pro-active about quarantine. You can also use the chemical route. If that is the case, you want to maintain the normal specific gravity used in your display tank

 

[daplatapus]

Peter T: how often are you doing water changes in your QT? I've got mine set up right now with a couple fish in it. It's been a week and I'm doing water changes everyday but taking it from my DT. Are you doing this and just watering it down or are you using fresh SW?

Sorry if this hijacks the thread a bit...

 

[Peter T]

Peter T: how often are you doing water changes in your QT? I've got mine set up right now with a couple fish in it. It's been a week and I'm doing water changes everyday but taking it from my DT. Are you doing this and just watering it down or are you using fresh SW?

Sorry if this hijacks the thread a bit...

I use freshly made saltwater, and change it about once every 2-3 days. Water changes will slow down as your tank builds bacteria. I am guessing you are doing changes more often because you have more than one fish in QT. I only have done one fish at a time from the beginning. I also use a sponge from my old tank to help cycle the QT tank faster.

 

[cordell]

+1 on the sponge from your DT. It's almost like an instant cycle. Keep the sponge in your DT for a couple weeks to allow bacteria to colonize on it, then put it in your QT and the bacteria will handle the ammonia from your fish. While you need to check ammonia and nitrate during QT, the main thing to watch out for is high nitrates. Nitrates will have to be removed by water changes.

If you can't wait 2 weeks, you'll have to keep up with the ammonia by water changes. I would go ahead and do the sponge route anyways. When I started my QT, I ran an aquaclear20 sponge filter in my sump on my DT for a couple weeks, then put it in the QT and have never seen any ammonia in QT, and very low nitrates actually.

For your reading pleasure (to answer all of your questions re: QT):
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Basic Quarantine FAQs on RC by Jacob D and others

 

[Sk8r]

There's a sticky on that, something about 'new specimens,' etc. Read from the top.

 

[Tetra84]

can you conduct a hyposalinity treatment at the same time as using prazipro for de-worming? or is doing both as negative as doing copper and hypo?