Quarantine

[johnkristie]

Do any of you medicate your quarantine tanks as a preventative measure against disease from new fish even if they show no ill signs? Is so, what would you recommend for treatment?

 

[kwan]

Most people in this forum will probably say leave the fish in QT and monitor for 4 weeks. If the fish show no sign of parasite or illness, then it is safe to go in the main. After all why would you want to put the fish through more stress with medication? This is what I am doing now.

However, I have in the past used Seachem's ParaGuard as a preventive measure. I believe this contains a mild malachite green, so not too stressful on the fish. And I have not noticed any more stress than without. But I also do not know how effective it was, since the fish did not show any signs of illness.

 

[Atari]

Don't try to fix something until you know it's broken

 

[reefrunner69]

If you have a refractometer, there is no harm in doing a hyposalinity treatment while in QT, this will prevent introduction of the most common ectoparasites from entering the display tank.

 

[Atari]

True, but if you QT for at least 4 weeks then you should see signs of any infection during that time.

 

[reefrunner69]

Should being the key word, it is hardly a sure thing, and since hyposalinity is not stressful on a fish, there is no harm in treating prophylactically.

 

[steve-s]

Not meaning to play devils advocate but I agree with Atari...

Although C. irritans is one of the most common problems with new fish, it is not the only parasitic infestation you will come across. If treating new arrivals with hyposalinity and it developes an alternate problem such as Brooklynella or Amyloodinium, the hypo will be useless. There are certain meds which can easily be used in conjunction with hypo but copper and formalin cannot. In order for the proper treatment to begin, the salinity in the tank needs to be raised first. It cannot simpley be elevated as quickly as it was lowered. It can take about 3-4 days to bring up so as not to shock the fish. Any sooner and it could (but not always) finish the fish off.

The time you take to switch treatments gives more time for the parasite to do it's damage.

Cheers
Steve

 

[quarryshark]

To add to what Steve and Atari said. When I moved all my fish to qt months back to treat for ich, I purchased a refractometer and performed hyposalinity. We discovered that they instead (or as well) had velvet. In the time it took me to raise the spg up enough to treat with copper, we lost 3 fish.
Its easy enough to just have copper or formalin standing buy.

 

[johnkristie]

So what seems to be the concensus? Use hyposalinity? What salinity should I bring it down to? Seems to be a rather hot topic.

 

[quarryshark]

I think you have
wait and watch 3
hypo treatment 1

Of course I believe Kevin counts as 3 votes.

 

[reefrunner69]

Apparently the consensus is to wait and watch And treat appropriately as conditions require.