Treat all fish as if they have parasites in the QT?

[flixxx]

Hello,

considering that I started on the wrong foot and now i'm paranoid of anything wet, i'd like to get your input on how to proceed.

I introduced my 3 first fish in my tank with LR and a CUC. They all died of either flukes or ich.

So now that i've learnt my lesson of how important it is to QT, I am running my tank fishless for the next 9-10 weeks.

I will buy my new fish on the 6th week and put them in a QT. Now, should i treat all fish as if they have parasites? I am thinking starting a dose of Prazipro and on the 10th day introduce CP (Chloroquine Phosphate). I wouldn't go copper because it's so hard on the fish and it would be torture for some that may be perfectly healthy.

The way I see it, is treat everything as if it has parasites in case they are able to carry the parasites without ever actually getting sick. Because if the fish is a carrier with no symptom and then after 8 weeks of QT, i will be introducing the parasite to the DT.

Does this make sense?

 

[HumbleFish]

This is a hotly debated topic. I can only tell you what I do, and then let others weigh in with their opinions.

I just assume every fish I buy is diseased and prophylactically treat them. This approach has worked well for me.

Once the new fish is eating, I treat with Chloroquine Phosphate for one solid month and then do 2 rounds of Prazipro, 5 days apart. Sometimes I reverse the process if I suspect the fish needs to be treated for flukes first. I try not to mix the meds if I can help it.

 

[kv2wr1]

This is a hotly debated topic. I can only tell you what I do, and then let others weigh in with their opinions.

I just assume every fish I buy is diseased and prophylactically treat them. This approach has worked well for me.

Once the new fish is eating, I treat with Chloroquine Phosphate for one solid month and then do 2 rounds of Prazipro, 5 days apart. Sometimes I reverse the process if I suspect the fish needs to be treated for flukes first. I try not to mix the meds if I can help it.

+1 I used to observe and then treat if necessary, but then things would slide by. With certain fish you are better off just treating them and assuming they have something such as with acanthurus tangs. The main thing is to get them eating and fattened up a bit, then treat.

 

[flixxx]

Thanks for the replies. Between Prazipro and CP treatment, do you do any water change or treat with carbon?

My understanding is once CP is in, don't touch the tank and try to avoid any water changes. (Treat once only)

 

[kv2wr1]

Yeah you still want to do water changes especially if you are seeing ammonia, then you definitely want to do a very large water change. You then have to add back the ammount of medicine per the amount of water you changed. When you are done treating with one type of medicine for the length of the treatment, you can then run carbon to get any trace amounts of that medicine out (and possibly a large water change on top of that) before treating with the other medicine.

 

[ca1ore]

Once the new fish is eating, I treat with Chloroquine Phosphate for one solid month and then do 2 rounds of Prazipro, 5 days apart. Sometimes I reverse the process if I suspect the fish needs to be treated for flukes first. I try not to mix the meds if I can help it.

I do this for most fish - certainly for Tangs. Wrasses I tend to treat with two rounds of prazipro then observe.