Quarantining healthy looking fish from your LFS?

[skip_16157]

Do you quarantine healthy looking fish if you get them from your LFS?

If they look healthy and they eat is their any reason to do this. I am just concerned that I don't pass on ick into my display tank?

Looking for everyone's opinion.

 

[d9hp]

My advice is quarintine EVERYTHING in all cases. My say becasue I lost every fish in my FW tank becasue of ICK.

 

[michealprater]

I have bought fish that look very healthy but were not. They just were not showing signs of it yet. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[cmor1701d]

How long do you quarantine?
One week? Two?

Do you have any substrate or LR in your QT?

 

[michealprater]

1 month is usually long enough.

 

[fishfreek]

Yep. 4 weeks. Check out our article on how we recommend you quarinteen.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=17

 

[cmor1701d]

Thanks for the link to that article.
As my QT has been cycled with some live rock, I guess I can look forward to my first purchase. The main tank is almost there.

Now for that first fish selection...but that's another topic

 

[skip_16157]

I think the topic is good but how do you control your chemical balance with only that type of filtration? I had problems with my nitrate and trites being real high. If you put live rock in to help then you can't treat ick with copper because you will have to take the LR out sooner or later to take down the tank. A skimmer is expensive, a DSB wouldn't cost much but you needs something so keep it clean and chances are your chemicals to treat a disease will kill them.

This hobby is a lose - lose situation. I fell you just have to be real LUCKY!!!! or be rich and buy all the necesarry mechnical filtration for a quality Q. tank.

 

[clownfish]

I had a lot of trouble with my Q-tank and am convinced that is why I lsot my flame angel. I was acclaimating my newest addition, a royal gamma to my Q-tank he started looking acting funny and stressed. Finally gave up and acclaimated him to my main tank. Been doing great for three weeks now.

I for one am giving up on Q-tank. I think buy from reputible dealer. pay attention to your fish before purchase. acclaimate carefully, perhaps a freshwater dip if parasite concern is high, throw in a little good luck and hope for the best.

 

[michealprater]

Here is a simple solution for a q tank. buy a 10 gallon with a small mechanical filter,heater and a piece of PVC pipe. When you plan on buying a new fish fill the tank with water from you main tank. Turn on the filter and heater with the pvc pipe in there and get it up to temp the day before. Get the fish acclimate him and monitor him, treat him if he gets sick. After a month put him in the main tank and discard of the water and put the tank and equipment back in storage. It could not be any simpler.

 

[clownfish]

Yeah but how do keep the chemistry right? I had flame angel in their in the space of 3 days the ammonia levels were way too high! Also, my ph level seemed to drop down to 7.8.

 

[skip_16157]

4 weeks in a Q tank is great, but how oftern do you do water changes with only that type of filtration. I had the same setup myself and had water quality problems.

If a fish is going to get ick it will get it wether you use a q tank or not. If your display tank will provide for a more stress free situation for the fish then chances are it will not get ick. Feed your fish good foods with good supplements.

I am not opposing a q tank, but ever since I used one all of my fish died. I put them right into my display, AOK.

My article above reinforces my thought, but they are ONLY MY opinions. Everbody has different methods.

 

[reefrunner69]

4 weeks in a Q tank is great, but how oftern do you do water changes with only that type of filtration.

Depends, I have done monthly, bi monthly, weekly, bi weekly and everyday, I use water from the display tank for water changes on my q-tank.

If a fish is going to get ick it will get it wether you use a q tank or not.

This is just no accurate. There are several reasons why a fish may or may not get ick in the display rather than a q-tank. Whether a fish gets ick is not fate, not a forgone conclusion.

My article above reinforces my thought, but they are ONLY MY opinions.

What article???

Curious as to why you posted this thread, seems your mind was already made up.

Yeah but how do keep the chemistry right?

The filtration that you choose should be running in the sump of the display tank or on the display tank. Then it can be transfered from the tank to the q-tank to maintain the ammonia and the nitrite. Nitrate would have to be controlled via waterchanges.

 

[clownfish]

LAst quote above was actually from a different post than the others you were responding to, but glad you did. I did have a sponge filter running in my main tank for alomst 2 weeks before going into the q--tank. still had chemistry problems.

I for one love the idea of protecting my main tank, but for me I jsut can't get it the q-tank right enough to actually support life.

 

[michealprater]

Yeah but how do keep the chemistry right? I had flame angel in their in the space of 3 days the ammonia levels were way too high! Also, my ph level seemed to drop down to 7.8.

Did you use the water from you main tank?

 

[skip_16157]

Do you mean you tap into your sump and filter your Q tank with the same water that goes into your display tank?

I'm not sure I understand.

How does a sponge filter breakdown wastes? If you prep it in your display tank will it then continue to convert over toxic chemicals in your Q tank?

If I'm doing something wrong then I would like to correct it because I do believe that a Q tank is better, but it's not working for me!

 

[michealprater]

IF the tank is 10 gallon. I take 10 gallons out of the main tank to setup my quaritine. I replace the main tank with fresh saltwater. when i am done quarinting i break the q tank back down and discard water.

 

[reefrunner69]

I for one love the idea of protecting my main tank, but for me I jsut can't get it the q-tank right enough to actually support life.

In your case (I remember it and was stumped as to why it had problems), I would have set up the q-tank as any other tank. Allowed it to cycle (useing cocktail shrimp) and then left it running. I would continue to add an ammonia source to the tank (small pieces of shrimp) once per week or so, and only torn it down after needing to medicate.

 

[reefrunner69]

Do you mean you tap into your sump and filter your Q tank with the same water that goes into your display tank?

No absolutely not. You have a filter with some surface area for nitrification (like a sponge filter or a bio-wheel etc...) running constantly in an aquarium that already has a biological filter and has cycled. The size of the filter will prevent it from causing a serious nitrate problem, but it's qualities will encourage the colonization of nitrifying bacteria on the filter media.

How does a sponge filter breakdown wastes?

Any media that has water passed over it, will be colonized by nitrifying bactria. This is why LR is an acceptable media for nitrification. Nitrifying bacteria live on surfaces pourous surfaces are best, they are only found in limited numbers free floating in the water.

If you prep it in your display tank will it then continue to convert over toxic chemicals in your Q tank?

Yes, if you mve the filter from the display tank to the q-tank....it will work fine.