Does anyone in here have this habit?

[robotcholi]

For me, everytime i got new fishes, I wanted to just go ahead and put the fishes straight into the main tank and enjoy looking at them right away but there is a voice in my head keep telling me to quarantine the new fishes first for at least 2 weeks. So to compromise both the instant gratification urge and good logic, I quarantined for a day or two then just threw them into the main tank. LOL. Sometimes I even just put the fishes straight in if they look healthy. And with my tropical fishes, since i don't have a second heater, I just put them straight into the main tank. LOL. Luckily, my bad habit hadn't cause me any trouble yet! I think another reason i have this habit is because i hate to see my fishes have to live in a bare tank for 2 weeks or more. Anyway, just wondering if you guys do what i do lol.

[madasafish]

Yes... I've been known to do that once or twice, but only under exigent circumstances (i.e. heater on other tank wasn't working, didn't have a QT tank etc.) Don't do it any more tho! Learned my lesson with ich in the big tank a couple of times...

[tkos]

I guess it is one of those things that many people do until they get that one bad fish. With the cheap cost of heaters I would just go out and purchase one if I were you.

[robotcholi]

that's true tkos, it's not the cost but just plain lazy and impatient

[eykis9]

so what do you suggest for those (like me) that don't have a QT tank? i've never quarantined new fish... never even considered it but am now given the info in this post.




is it just me or does anyone else find the falling snowflakes a bit annoying, lol...

[Allivymar]

*grins* Get one.

I am serious tho; I have discovered the QT tank has been a lifesaver (literally). I've avoided infecting my entire planted tank with ich, and kept an unknown disease out of my angelfish tank, all by using a QT and keeping new fish in it for a minimum of 2 weeks. And when I've had to treat single fish for disease, I had a place to put them so I didn't kill off the good bacteria in the main tank, and was able to use less meds as my QT is smaller.

Doesn't take much to set up a QT tank either; some sort of receptacle: either a 10g or so tank ($10 at wallymart) or a largish new rubbermaid container, a filter of sorts, an aerator if its not a HOB filter (one needs some sort of surface agitation for O2 exchange) and a heater. Thats about it. Maybe a plastic plant or plastic/ceramic tube for fish who need to hide.

[tkos]

Tuperware and rubermaid make the best and cheapest QT tanks. Just make sure to not use it for other purposes. And the QT tank only needs to be as big as the type of fish you keep. Neon tetra sized? 2 gallons or so, Oscar? much bigger. Plus keeping it to a minimum size will save money and time when medicating.

[Sinuhe]

I have a nice 10 gallon QT tank, with live plants (leftovers from other tanks) and all, so it really doesn't matter to me if I observe the fish in the QT or final tank for first couple of weeks. It makes me so much more relaxed when buying new fish, even tho I've never had a fish bring in a disease so far, and my LFS is high quality and won't sell fish they know are sick.

I think it really is worth it in the long run. And when you don't need it for quaranteeing, you can use it as a fry tank, for example.

[William]

Its fun to just dump them into the main tank now.


But wait till your LFS gets a bad, sick batch of fish. Before you know it you'll have 3 or 4 different mallodies floating around in your tank at the same time.


Thats how I learned my lesson, and while I don't have a QT yet, I have yet to buy any new fish. [ Plans to get a sponge filter and 10gal tank are on hold till I buy another fish ]