To quarantine or not to quarantine

[busymom23]

Starting my first saltwater tank!!! I've been everywhere researching and stuff, finding out all of the mechanics that go along with keeping a saltwater tank. I'm not finished researching by far, but I'm hoping you guys here can help me out with one problem. To quarantine or not to quarantine.....
I am getting a 55 gallon corner tank, ( because it is cheap), and planned on using it for a quarantine for my soon- to-be saltwater tank. However, after researching, I've found that there are pros and cons to quarantining. How many of you have a quarantine set up?


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[gleach]

I don't find it necessary my lfs quarenteens all the fish I buy anyway.I have only been up for a year I've read about different fish diseases and what to watch out for, and although there are one you can miss I have been successful thus far.

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[gleach]

Have some one experienced take a look at the fish befor you purchase it till you know what to look out for.

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[TheTodd]

I totally disagree that you can look at a fish at a LFS for a few minutes and tell if it will be okay. If it looks bad, obviously pass, but things like Ich have parasites that spend more time off the fish than on.

I'm honestly all over the place with QT. I have a 35g that I've used for many fish, but I've also had fish that I've seen at the LFS for weeks and kinda felt that counted as QT. I've observed fish for 2-3 weeks in my QT and put them in my tanks and have done the 5-6 with others.

That being said, I've had one tank years ago that got something and it wiped out over $800 worth of fish in less than a week. I've had lesser catastrophes too . That's no fun.

It all works fine not QTing until it doesn't. If you don't, then you have to be cool with the loss.


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[gleach]

Just goes to show stuff happens so how much do you like living on the edge is all up to you. My fish are tough they've be been through some bad times lol. I just personally am not worried that much I've heard the story's though.

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[busymom23]

Thank you for feedback! The specific cons I was worried about was that the increased stress a fish in quarantine would go through. As in not much decor in quarantine for obvious reasons, having to be moved yet again, etc. Thoughts??


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[Adamski]

If it can be afforded, I'd QT every time. It's extra cost and space taken up but I'm always dubious of the LFS


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[treemanone2003]

Most respectable LFS's that I've ever come across have tanks set up with little to no "anything" in their tanks. One in particular only has sand in tanks for fish requiring such. Another is BB. I really see no increased stress levels from them being in a QT. There's always a few instances I've heard of some particular fish not making it out of QT also.


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[Rutrag]

Originally Posted by busymom23

Thank you for feedback! The specific cons I was worried about was that the increased stress a fish in quarantine would go through. As in not much decor in quarantine for obvious reasons, having to be moved yet again, etc. Thoughts??


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When done properly, QT is not stressful. You can match water parameters in the QT to match the LFS to ease the transition over weeks to whatever you maintain the DT at. The fish is away from any bullies or competitors, and can be easily observed for any pathogens. If you have a fish you're concerned about going after corals, you can test him on a frag in the QT instead of having a fish in the DT wiping out your prized stuff. The QT turns to a HT very easily if necessary, without the stress of catching the fish or worrying about the meds affecting inverts in the DT or infecting fish already in the DT. The only extra stress is from an additional move, which should be very minor when the final move happens as your QT water and DT water should be nearly identical at that point.

The only fish I personally would not quarantine are those that tend to eat pods very heavily AND are typically very resistant to parasites like dragonets and leopard wrasses.

[Mebbid]

Its a game of Russian roulette to not quarantine.

Fish in a lfs can have ich or even worse velvet and show no outward signs of it. Ich has a tendency to infect the gills first so doesn't always show up. Velvet isn't noticeable until it's in the advanced stages, it can also completely wipe out a tank.

Imho, qt everything including your very first fish. Even if your lfs qts fish. If you do a qt tank correctly it's no more stressful than a display tank.

[alyxandria]

Quarantine quarantine quarantine. Always! Guess everyone has their own opinions but often when you look at something in the LFS and it looks good, you bring it home and a couple days later it's developed the visible stages of ich and then all your current fish are at risk including your corals from the copper treatment.

It makes more sense to than not to. It's a lot less work to set up a QT than to treat a reef tank that's suddenly infested with ich.

[busymom23]

My saltwater tank will be a 300 gallon, and with fo or fowlr. No corals at all, as for my first ever saltwater, I wanted to get used to the processes that are different than keeping a freshwater tank. Maybe, down the road, I'd do coral. But do having coral in a tank play a role to quarantine or not?

I never have quarantined any of my freshwater fish and have never had an outbreak of any kind. But I do 30-50% water changes once, on some tanks, twice weekly.



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[alyxandria]

Originally Posted by busymom23

My saltwater tank will be a 300 gallon, and with fo or fowlr. No corals at all, as for my first ever saltwater, I wanted to get used to the processes that are different than keeping a freshwater tank. Maybe, down the road, I'd do coral. But do having coral in a tank play a role to quarantine or not?

I never have quarantined any of my freshwater fish and have never had an outbreak of any kind. But I do 30-50% water changes once, on some tanks, twice weekly.



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No. I don't think it matters in whether or not you quarantine. I was just referring to the copper treatment in case of an outbreak. Corals don't take to that so well.

I don't think water changes have anything to do with not having an outbreak. I think it's more luck.

[Mebbid]

Originally Posted by busymom23

My saltwater tank will be a 300 gallon, and with fo or fowlr. No corals at all, as for my first ever saltwater, I wanted to get used to the processes that are different than keeping a freshwater tank. Maybe, down the road, I'd do coral. But do having coral in a tank play a role to quarantine or not?

I never have quarantined any of my freshwater fish and have never had an outbreak of any kind. But I do 30-50% water changes once, on some tanks, twice weekly.



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Coral doesn't make a difference on whether or not you should quarantine. Any of the treatments for things such as ich or velvet will kill off a ton of things that grow naturally in your tank such as sponges and all the inverts that grow in the dark corners of your tank. This mass die off very likely will nuke an entire tank with ammonia.