Quarantine Methods! Survey says...

[blennielove]

I have recently lost half of my fish from a crypt infected "live rock". Yes, I might as well go stand in a thurderstorm, and I will most likely be stricken by lightening. I did not quarantine it long enough...12 days was not long enough. So now I am considering restocking, but want to do an "active" quarantine versus the "passive" quarantine with my fishes.

Question:
If you do quarantine your fish, which of the following methods do you use routinely. Please add any details that you would like to share!
1. Quarantine in regular salinity water, watch for x number weeks.
2. Quarantine in hyposalinity, at _______, for x number weeks.
3. Quarantine with copper/chelated copper, for x number weeks.
4. Quarantine with quinine or chloroquine, for x number weeks.

 

[nonstopfishies]

3. Cupramine for 2 weeks. And at least 1 week of Prazipro.

 

[geaux xman]

3 weeks cupramine at .3-.5ppm. plus 2 prazi treatments. 1-2 one hr formalin dip also.

i just cupramine'd a PBT for 4 weeks, 2 prazi treaments and 2 formalin dips.

 

[blennielove]

3. Cupramine for 2 weeks. And at least 1 week of Prazipro.

Do you first give the new fish a few days-weeks resting time before you start cupramine or do you go directly from bag to cupramine?
Do you use Prazi along with cupramine or wait till cupramine 2 weeks is finished?
Do you then wait another couple of weeks of watch time, or do they go into DT?

I know, I'm full of questions! But just wanted to know in a little more detail!

Thanks for being the first to answer this question! :celeb1:

 

[LukFox]

Three weeks cupramine and 2 rounds of prazi, normally used at the same time. I give new fish a 1-2 week rest period if there are no symptoms that need more immediate action. Normally the first thing to do is get the fish eating well.

 

[blennielove]

3 weeks cupramine at .3-.5ppm. plus 2 prazi treatments. 1-2 one hr formalin dip also.

i just cupramine'd a PBT for 4 weeks, 2 prazi treaments and 2 formalin dips.

Hi Geaux Xman!
Your the guy with the many many tangs!

When do you utilize the formalin dip and what are you seeing that makes you take this extra step? I think I've read somewhere that you often quarantine for 6 weeks? Are they always treated during this time or do you give them a non-medicated observation time?

Thank you!:rollface:

 

[geaux xman]

nah, all i have is one tang in my tank. plus 7 "large" angels(3-6").

assuming the fish eats pretty well within 1-2 days of arrival this is my usual QT routine.

after i see that it is eating well for 1-2 days, i start on the prazi treatment. then 1-2 days after the prazi treatment is started, i would start the cupramine dosing. i start dosing very lightly and arrive at .5ppm at around 4 days, rather than 2 days per the directions on the bottle. sometime during the cupramine treatment, i will do a 2nd prazi treatment.

if the fish continues to eat well at around 14 days, then i push it another 7 more days of cupramine.

sometime during the cupramine treatment, i would do 1 one hr formalin dip. then prior to the fish going in the DT, i would do another 1hr formalin dip, then add the fish into my DT.

4mls formalin/4gal of water with 1 airstone for one hr.

a few months ago i added an angel fish that wasnt personally QT by me. about 2 weeks later in a 48hr span, i had 5 fish that was perfectly healthy die in what presented like velvet/oodinium. i then pulled all the remaining live fish to cupramine and fallow the tank. during the cupramine treatment, the fish was still flashing bad, so that was when i started formalin dipping. 1hr dip every other day for 2-3x. formalin dip for 1hr, then back in the cupramine QT tank.

formalin dips are very easy to do plus the fish just swims around like nothing is going on for an hr. i use a little small bucket to catch the fish, which is very quick and easy to catch the fish, not causing any stress.

 

[blennielove]

Geaux Xman - you're the angel guy!
This is what happens when you read too many threads per day! Sorry!
Your recent example is why I'm thinking I want to prophylactically treat and finding something that more experienced people like you are using and know it's really working! I've been "lucky" enough that marine crypt have been the only thing that I've ever had in my four years of experience, but I don't want to acquire any other experience if you know what I mean!
I did a little reading on Cupramine and there is definitely a "pattern" of success to those who use it as part of their quarantine method.
I will keep on reading and to those who have not responded - share your experience!

 

[blennielove]

Three weeks cupramine and 2 rounds of prazi, normally used at the same time. I give new fish a 1-2 week rest period if there are no symptoms that need more immediate action. Normally the first thing to do is get the fish eating well.

Thanks LukFox!
I've read somewhere that Prazi does something to the cupramine level? Do you also dose at around 0.3-0.5 ppm? Your quarantine time is around 6 weeks then?
:crazy1:

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I can't be much help to tell you what I DO, but I do plan on prophyatically treating like the people who have commented are doing. My plan was to do a Prazi treatment, Cupramine, then a Prazi treatment. I may add a formalin dip or two now, don't want any other nasty diseases in my tank.

 

[LukFox]

Thanks LukFox!
I've read somewhere that Prazi does something to the cupramine level? Do you also dose at around 0.3-0.5 ppm? Your quarantine time is around 6 weeks then?
:crazy1:

I've never had prazi affect the cupramine, or a bad reaction as some worry about. I keep the cupramine in that range. Quarantine is 4-6 weeks on average, sometimes up to 8 or 12, however long it takes for a fish to settle and stay healthy. Sometimes things show up like internal parasites and I need to treat beyond cupramine and prazi with metro+. Haven't had prazi work for internal parasites ime.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I quarantine for about 6 weeks. I give the fish 4-7 days to settle in and start eating well. I then dose 2 PraziPro treatments for about 5 days each (total 10-11 days). I start Cupramine part way through the second PraziPro treatment and dose at .35 (assuming there is no evidence of parasites) and run it 3 weeks or a couple of days longer.

 

[lhm nole]

Prazi treatment twice in a week period followed by water change then hypo for 6 weeks then into DT they go. Did the cupramine thing but liked the hypo better

 

[aznepydna]

4 weeks cupramine. 2 weeks prazi. 4 weeks no meds. 10 weeks total.

 

[niles1967]

4 weeks cupramine. 2 weeks prazi. 4 weeks no meds. 10 weeks total.

+1 patience is the key here. Only thing I would add to this is the importance of the QT tank being fully cycled before any new arrivals are added.

 

[blennielove]

Thanks everyone!
Wow, Prazipro and Cupramine sounds like the most frequently used so far!
I've LEARNED about patience (I'd better), with my DT in hypo (1.008) and not even thinking about returning it back to normal salinity for 12+ weeks...
The time spent in QT is NOTHING especially when the QT is well cycled and the fish is doing well.

Ihm Nole, you had said:
Prazi treatment twice in a week period followed by water change then hypo for 6 weeks then into DT they go. Did the cupramine thing but liked the hypo better

What is it about hypo that you liked better?

I don't want to take short cuts, BUT (I know, a big BUT) since my DT is currently in hypo...would you guys/gals hang me if I say, QT fish, watch, give it time to eat (2-4 days), then treat with Prazi x 2, then start lowering salinity in QT to hypo saline conditions (1.008) watch for 4 weeks at the hypo condition, if nothing else is going on then into my hypo DT?

 

[gmigmi]

NICE THREAD!!

To add another question, do you guys QT your corals too?
And if yes how long?
If no then whats the point of QT the fish if you introduce the disease with the coral?

 

[blennielove]

I QT my corals for 6 weeks. I do dip with Flatworm Exit at a higher concentration than what it says on the bottle after the corals have acclimated and once before they go into the DT.

 

[hvacman250]

My regimen is close to the same as others:

Once eating (no meds), 4 weeks Cupramine. Then 2 back to back PraziPro treatments. 1 hour Formalin dips throughout all this. Last week is ParaGuard. I dont know if the ParaGuard does anything, but it cant hurt. Also have Furan 2, and Maracyn 1 and 2 on hand.

Corals, snails, crabs, etc (anything other than fish) get quarantined 8 weeks after dipping in Coral Rx. Then Coral Rx before the DT.

 

[aznepydna]

All non fish additions are qt'd for 10 weeks also.