To QT or not to QT

[sooju]

Just curious, do you quarantine your new fish?

 

[catmel]

For anyone wondering if they should while looking at this pole, heres some info

Yes yes and yes!!! I highly recommend it. You can get a small 10-20 gallon set up for pretty cheap ( $20-$40 usually). Make sure its big enough to house several fish at once if needed. Its very worth spending a few $'s on for several reasons:

1) It allows the new fish to get use to the new environment & diet without being bullied by other fish or competing for food

2) The new fish is away from your current tank so if it should have a disease ( sometimes not evident for a few days after you buy a fish) you can treat it in the QT instead of compromising your inverts or other fish with disease or treatment.

3) so if you have ich, velvet etc ( related to #2 above) you dont have to go fishless in your aquarium for 7-8 weeks

It is VERY worth it. When I first started out I didnt have a QT. My very first two fish I put in the tank directly. They both showed signs of ich a few days after putting them in the tank. One died, the other I ended up buying a QT to treat it and it lived. But, I had to leave the main tank fishless for 7-8 weeks, which is very frustrating, especially after just starting the hobby.

VERY worth it!

 

[ccCapt]

I agree 100% with Melinda. I've qt'ed every fish I have ever bought, but only had to treat a few. You can just watch it for 2 weeks or so in a qt. For the most part, any parasitic problem will show up in 2 weeks time. If you don't see any problems, it can then go in the display.

As far as the poll, I always QT, but not always less then 3 weeks or not always more.

 

[melosu58]

QT is an excellent idea. Here is a good link about it.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Got Water?]

OK, I read the link info and I think I want to set up a QT. I'm sooo new to all of this, alot of it went right over my head.
I have a 140gal. SW and have invested alot of $$$$$. I have quite alot of livestock in it already and guess I have been very lucky so far. My LFS said I don't need one. But, I don't want to loose everything.
So I have some questions. But go slow, please.

Is QT just like have two tanks?

Dose it add more stress to have a fish aklimate twice? (once to the QT and then once to the main tank.)

If I don't have anything to quarantine do I just keep an empty tank up and running?

If I put something in the QT do I have to wait until it's out before I put something else in?

Is the importance to deal the health problems, or do you try to dupilcate the main tank for aklimation?

Do you need to adjust lighting or water flow (i.e. power heads) depanding on what is in the QT?

I hope these arn't dumb questions you have answer a million times before .

 

[melosu58]

One purpose of the QT is to put new fish in to observe them and make sure they are OK and dont have parasites or any other health problems. The fish is already going to be slightly stressed from getting him from the LFS anyway. So that one was going to happen anyway. It might stress him to go from the QT to the main but he`ll be OK. I would observe the fish for 3-4 weeks to be sure he is OK. The second purpose of the QT is to treat sick fish in. Bacterial problems, Parasites and other health issues always need to be treated in a QT IMO.

 

[catmel]

to answer your q's:

Is QT just like have two tanks?
Basically. Just a small tank will do for a QT. Usually 10-20 gallons

Does it add more stress to have a fish aklimate twice? (once to the QT and then once to the main tank.)
No, especially if you have your QT tank in the same parameters as your main tank.

If I don't have anything to quarantine do I just keep an empty tank up and running? You can either do that or take it down. If you plan on adding several new fish soon ( over a few months), I would recommend keeping it up. If not, you can take it down and use it when needed, just keep a small sponge filter, or regular filter pad in your normal aquarium and put it in the QT to get the bacteria started when needed. Then keep a close eye on water parameters.

If I put something in the QT do I have to wait until it's out before I put something else in? Yes. I would recommend it. Enless you get to very small fish together eg: two clowns, chromis etc

Is the importance to deal the health problems, or do you try to dupilcate the main tank for aklimation? Depends on the use. I would try and get the QT as close to the main as possible. This helps ease the stress and makes treatment easier.

Do you need to adjust lighting or water flow (i.e. power heads) depanding on what is in the QT? No not really. You dont need a PH in a QT tank. Lighting is the same as with all fish.

 

[Tank2379]

HHHHHMMMM, Everyone seem to be for QT I would be the one vote for Never. I think as for me being in the hobby for years FW and SW I have never QT a fish. Personal preference I feel if you watch a fish long enough and you trust your LFS and the quality of fish you should not have to QT them. I have always been lucky without a fish dying. "knock on wood"... But even with Sickness not a problem. Well I guess maybe I should start investing in a QT tank.

 

[melosu58]

I have what I consider to be two excellent LFS. They have excellent knowledge and great livestock. But I would never trust their water no matter who they are. Every week hundreds of new fish going in and those same fish going out. Every week new fish going in some with diseases, some with parasites, some with bacterial infections and some with fungal problems. They are all mixed together in the same water at the LFS. I guess you can see my point.

 

[Tank2379]

I have what I consider to be two excellent LFS. They have excellent knowledge and great livestock. But I would never trust their water no matter who they are. Every week hundreds of new fish going in and those same fish going out. Every week new fish going in some with diseases, some with parasites, some with bacterial infections and some with fungal problems. They are all mixed together in the same water at the LFS. I guess you can see my point.

That's understandable. The LFS I go to QT there fish before selling making sure they are in good health before putting them in the selling Tank. They have a separate system from the actual selling tanks for QT only. Maybe that's why I have been so lucky. But I understand about all the parasites and other bad bacteria, and water quality. Not saying that everyone should not QT there fish. I feel it is important to QT. Again I just been lucky.... "knock on wood"...

 

[Got Water?]

OK,
Do you need to adjust lighting or water flow (i.e. power heads) depanding on what is in the QT?

Would the lighting and water circulation be the same for corals?

 

[Innovator]

My vote is always for both freshwater and saltwater.

 

[joeyswife]

After seeing what my husband has to do every day with the hyposalinity treatment... ALWAYS!!!!

 

[sooju]

Do you need to adjust lighting or water flow (i.e. power heads) depanding on what is in the QT? Would the lighting and water circulation be the same for corals?

A simple 10 gallon QT for a fish doesn't need a power head OR a light, just a filter and a heater. A QT for corals, on the other hand, does need sufficient flow and lighting.

I have to admit, even though I am newly committed to quarantining all new fish, I am not planning to invest in equipment to quarantine new corals. Is that short-sighted?? Maybe I should post a new poll about how many people QT their new corals. I'm not sure I want the answer though.

 

[Got Water?]

If I'm going to set up a QT I thought it would be wise to quarantine anything that goes in my tank. A LFS had to brake down a whole tank because of one coral with some hitch hiking flatworms. It wiped out everything in it. It's just not worth the risk.