Are quarantine tanks even necessary for freshwater?

[electromango]

I decided to upgrade my 29 gallon tank to a 40g breeder, so now I have an empty 29 right now. I'm wondering if I should use the tank as a quarantine tank, or should I save it for another aquarium/breeding tank/vacant for some other purpose? Thanks.

Also, how many of you quarantine/don't quarantine and how successful are you with your practiced methods?

 

[sinibotia]

Ask the rampant finrot that would have spread to $100 worth of fish in our community tank! Yes, quarantine tanks are very important. That said, you can go a lot smaller than a 29.

Pick up a 10 gallon in the dollar per gallon sale, and a cheap heater. Set up a sponge filter and stick it in your 40 gallon (extra filtration is always good!). When you need to quarantine a fish, throw the 10 gallon together bare-bottom with the sponge filter (instant cycling) and the spare heater. Cheap and fast quarantine tank!

Alternatively you can just get some cheap and hardy fish like guppies and keep them in your QT tank to maintain the bacteria. That's what I personally do.

 

[FWFishTanks]

They are not necessary, but are recommended. for the price of setting up one, they can save you many fish and money in the long run. Like sinibotia stated, they are easy and cheap to maintain. a tank, a sponge filter, and a heater is all you need

 

[IllusionX]

I always leave extra bio media in my HOB to seed extra tanks when needed.

 

[totalnoob]

To add to this, I have been wondering - what do you do after the QT? Do you put the sponge filter/extra media back in your filter/tank, or do you chuck it and buy a new one to put in there?

Say, for instance, the fish dies. What then? Wouldn't it be bad to put that back in your main tank? Or how do you know if the organism is killed and won't spread again after treatment?

 

[MissGurnus]

After a fish dies and the qt is empty the only things you should really have to worry about sticking around in the water is ich and fungus.

To make sure ich is completely out if you entire tank assuming there are no live animals still in there turn the hearer up to any temperature above 76. Or just crank it as far as it will go for a few days.

Fungus is a little trickier, but adding some salt to the tank and leaving it running like normal for a few days (week is ideal in both cases) you should be ok. Salt also works on ich so you could use it as a 1-2 punch


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[sinibotia]

To make sure ich is completely out if you entire tank assuming there are no live animals still in there turn the hearer up to any temperature above 86. Or just crank it as far as it will go for a few days.

I fixed your typo good advice though. Honestly I would just add a ton of salt and let the tank run run. You'll kill the biofilter but it should get rid of any nasty pathogens.

 

[katiekelsey]

I've had a 45 gal tank thats been up for 4 1/2 years & a 75 gal up for 6 months. I've never quarantined and I've never had any problems. Maybe I've been lucky. But I'm also careful where I buy my fish.

 

[sinibotia]

I've had a 45 gal tank thats been up for 4 1/2 years & a 75 gal up for 6 months. I've never quarantined and I've never had any problems. Maybe I've been lucky. But I'm also careful where I buy my fish.

The rampant fin rot happened with great looking fish from the best LFS in the area. You're definitely lucky, that's for sure.

For the cheap cost and ease of use of a QT, vs the potential risk involved in adding potentially ill fish, I don't know why everyone doesn't use a quarantine. Anything you spend on a QT, you'll save multiple times that from having to buy significantly less medication and replace a lot fewer fish.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Let me just say a month ago I would have said no.. I've never quarantined, it's not necessary.

Now I have 3 and maybe 4 discus with columnaris disease. A simple quarantine could have prevented the spread of this. There really is no downside, you still have the fish, you can still watch it, you are just monitoring it to make sure it's healthy first...

I am now a full supporter of quarantine. No exceptions.

Don't want your fish to end up like this guy..(velvet on rear fins)



Caleb

 

[Mebbid]

To add to this, I have been wondering - what do you do after the QT? Do you put the sponge filter/extra media back in your filter/tank, or do you chuck it and buy a new one to put in there?

Say, for instance, the fish dies. What then? Wouldn't it be bad to put that back in your main tank? Or how do you know if the organism is killed and won't spread again after treatment?

Just let it dry out, boil it, or bleach it.

Freshwater qt is almost never done, but it's super important. Its like a game of russian roulette.

 

[electromango]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone! I'll probably get one of those 10 gallon tanks from that petco sale of $1 a gallon thingie. But I have a question: what if the fish is already carrying the parasite or infection/illness but doesn't show it because they're not stressed enough? Wouldn't they still be introducing the harmful things to the display tank (because you won't b properly able to detect and treat it effectively)? Thanks again!!

 

[Mebbid]

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone! I'll probably get one of those 10 gallon tanks from that petco sale of $1 a gallon thingie. But I have a question: what if the fish is already carrying the parasite or infection/illness but doesn't show it because they're not stressed enough? Wouldn't they still be introducing the harmful things to the display tank (because you won't b properly able to detect and treat it effectively)? Thanks again!!

qt tanks aren't 100% but most illnesses should show themselves within the 4 - 6 weeks of QT

 

[totalnoob]

Just let it dry out, boil it, or bleach it.

Freshwater qt is almost never done, but it's super important. Its like a game of russian roulette.

How would you boil or bleach a sponge filter? (Which is what I am currently running in my QT.)

I did do as another poster suggested and added a crap ton of AQ salt to the tank and let it go. I can leave it there for a week. My fish are actually all fine, no deaths or disease, lol. The QT is just empty now, and I wasn't sure what the hell I was supposed to be doing with it now. So good timing on this post, lol.

 

[Mebbid]

How would you boil or bleach a sponge filter? (Which is what I am currently running in my QT.)

I did do as another poster suggested and added a crap ton of AQ salt to the tank and let it go. I can leave it there for a week. My fish are actually all fine, no deaths or disease, lol. The QT is just empty now, and I wasn't sure what the hell I was supposed to be doing with it now. So good timing on this post, lol.

Boiling

Bleach - 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Soak it, rinse it, and dry it.

Bleach breaks down very quickly when exposed to the environment and especially sunlight.

 

[totalnoob]

Boiling

Bleach - 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Soak it, rinse it, and dry it.

Bleach breaks down very quickly when exposed to the environment and especially sunlight.

Awesome, thank you! I was more worried about like...harming the base of the sponge filter with boiling water, or having leftover bleach hanging out in the actual sponge part. I can rinse and rinse, and I use bleach to sterilize pretty much everything, but I am still sooooooo paranoid about it on super absorbent things.

 

[Mebbid]

Awesome, thank you! I was more worried about like...harming the base of the sponge filter with boiling water, or having leftover bleach hanging out in the actual sponge part. I can rinse and rinse, and I use bleach to sterilize pretty much everything, but I am still sooooooo paranoid about it on super absorbent things.

Well.. to put your mind at ease I bleached almost all of my Live rock for my reef tank. Live rock is used as the biological filtration and acts a lot like a sponge filter. I soaked it for a day in the bleach solution, rinsed it out really well, let it sit outside in the sun to dry out for a few days, and then let it soak with a high dose of prime. That was a year ago and I have yet to have a problem because of it.

Live rock isn't absorbent, but it has super deep pores that will hold onto water.

 

[totalnoob]

Well.. to put your mind at ease I bleached almost all of my Live rock for my reef tank. Live rock is used as the biological filtration and acts a lot like a sponge filter. I soaked it for a day in the bleach solution, rinsed it out really well, let it sit outside in the sun to dry out for a few days, and then let it soak with a high dose of prime. That was a year ago and I have yet to have a problem because of it.

Live rock isn't absorbent, but it has super deep pores that will hold onto water.

Lol, thank you. I might let my sponge filter sit for a few days in the salt and then bleach it and let it sit outside for a few days (if it will ever actually stop freaking raining!), as you suggested. I like this sponge filter a lot, I am hoping actually to use it in a betta tank of mine once I know it's clean and cootie free. I think it would be a lot better for my betta than the filter that came with his tank.

 

[gemach7]

Pure Bleach (no additives)when rinsed and air dried disperses into the air quite readily from natural redox reactions, why the scent of bleach is so strong open the cap and begins to break down.

And to overblow this horn never QT'd either till had to treat over 1000 gallons for anchor worm in addition to $150 lost in Koi.

So now always QT.


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[FishyMamma]

This is a good thread. I just recently started QTing everything after an expensive disaster. Learn from our wisdom.


~ Sent with an unladen European swallow