Question for those who don't QT new fish

[scuzy]

The question is how much are your existing fish worth to you? I have over 5k in fish there is no way I would not quarantine just to get some nasty and wipe them out.

 

[ali1]

Not only fish, how much is your reef worth to you? Good chance you'll lose corals trying to tear the reef to grab all fish for ich treatment.

I was one of those that didnt QT. Paid the price. Now I wouldnt take a sohal if it was free.

 

[djbon]

Quality food!

 

[silverking]

The question is how much are your existing fish worth to you? I have over 5k in fish there is no way I would not quarantine just to get some nasty and wipe them out.

Valid point. I only have a few hundred dollars in fish. If I had 5k I would probably QT everything

 

[Sk8r]

If you aren't going to qt, set up with a potent CUC fed handsomely for four to five weeks, to prep the tank's biosystem to handle a load, and then get all the fish you're ever going to get and put them in at the same time or real close together---using all the skill and observation you've got not to buy from a 'sick' tank, including how they're piped together. Do it once, cross your fingers, and be equally careful adding corals. Don't buy coral from a fish-sale tank or one piped to it. If you didn't get hit with parasites, fungus, bacteria, or virus in your one fish purchase, and never add to it again, your luck will be FAR better than the guy who shops the fish store weekly to get some other fish to try.

 

[reefgeezer]

Thanks all. No miracles I guess. I'll stay with a shorter version of my QT process. I just can't rely on luck. Hopefully I can QT in groups to short the stocking period even further.

 

[FirstContact]

I've never quarantined. Been doing this since 2006. My oldest fish is my clown from 2007. I am on my first blue tang and purple tang which I've had for years along with a Jansen's wrasse. All first time fish. I'm on my second black cap basslet. First one got chased into the overflow years ago by a coral decimating pygmy angel that went back to the LFS. I lost a couple of fish to jumping before I put a net over my tank, and a few to poor husbandry(inappropriate for other tank members due to size or real estate or aggression). All of those were generally smaller. Some of the fish were fresh water dipped, but not all. The corals and fish go straight into the tank after acclimation. Some corals received iodine dips. I've never had ich, red velvet, or anything more dangerous than some aiptasia. After upgrading tanks I added one more fish but got rid of all the aiptasia during the upgrade.

I only added inhabitants from the LFS stores I've trusted based on perceived conditions in their aquariums and the general healthiness of their livestock. I've also added corals picked up at clubs. I've been very lucky and plan on quarantining all new additions coral, fish, or otherwise to my upgrade. Just not sure how or when I will treat the fish I already have.

 

[Alexraptor]

Never quarantined, had one really bad bout with Ich many years ago in which I lost the animals trying to treat the outbreak in an unprepared tank. =/
Otherwise I've pretty much been in the clear, like others I try to avoid buying from systems with ailing fish, and my big fancy in more recent years has been Mandarin Dragonets anyway which are a bit more resistant against external parasites.

I "should" have a QT, but sadly just don't have the space for one. =/