Do You, or Don't You QT?
- Thread starter beth
- Start date
aileena
Member
I have had a tank for only 6 months but in that time have had only 1 problem with sick fish and cured it with garlic in the food and buying a UV steralizer. By no means am I an expert but just speaking frankly as a consumer I think the whole QT thing is a conspiracy to get people to spend more money on aquarium products and electric bills.
I have not had the need for one yet, but who knows? I just think its a big $$$ conspiracy!!!
I have not had the need for one yet, but who knows? I just think its a big $$$ conspiracy!!!
marinetank
New Member
No I have never quarantined. MOST of my fishes and inverts are all ones that I caught myself from the sea and they have all done just fine.
I did purchase a seahorse but had no problems there either.
Perhaps I am lucky and perhaps the need to quarantine is just a little exaggerated, at least for small setups like mine (20 gal tank).
However those with larger more expensive setups have more to lose so quarantining may be a good insurance policy.
[hr]
"it is not even wrong" -Wolfgang Pauli
I did purchase a seahorse but had no problems there either.
Perhaps I am lucky and perhaps the need to quarantine is just a little exaggerated, at least for small setups like mine (20 gal tank).
However those with larger more expensive setups have more to lose so quarantining may be a good insurance policy.
[hr]
"it is not even wrong" -Wolfgang Pauli
neutronics
Member
I didn't quarantine fishes before. Lost ALL my beautiful fishes in the picture below.
Now, I do. Hard lessons learned.
Now, I do. Hard lessons learned.
jim672
Member
I do, now, have a Q tank that I just bought and am still cycling. It's a 10 gallon with a small bio-wheel filter, a couple pieces of lr from my 45 and an old ph. I started the cycle with half of a small cocktail shrimp. My wife wasn't about to let me replace "her" easy-chair in our family room with the Q tank so it's in my basement. Oh yeah, I do have a heater on it as well. The tank was $9.95 and the filter was $20. The rest of the equipment is used from the 45.
Why do I have this tank? Real simple. I lost all the fish I had in the 45 from an ick outbreak. I believe the ick outbreak began when I introduced a flame angel which, of course, had not been Q-ed. After that happened, I began reading may of the postings from Terry and Ed about the value of quarantining. Even though I'm slow to change, the info they shared made real sense to me. I have not added a fish......yet......but plan to as soon as the Q tank is cycled.
Some of the non-Q group have something I don't......a trustworthy lfs nearby. I have found out the hard way that I have to be VERY careful about what I buy from my local lfs.
Jim
Why do I have this tank? Real simple. I lost all the fish I had in the 45 from an ick outbreak. I believe the ick outbreak began when I introduced a flame angel which, of course, had not been Q-ed. After that happened, I began reading may of the postings from Terry and Ed about the value of quarantining. Even though I'm slow to change, the info they shared made real sense to me. I have not added a fish......yet......but plan to as soon as the Q tank is cycled.
Some of the non-Q group have something I don't......a trustworthy lfs nearby. I have found out the hard way that I have to be VERY careful about what I buy from my local lfs.
Jim
slick
Active Member
I have read this thread and to be honest I'm amazed at the fact that I finally get to see some of the mods disagree Anyway I am getting ready to set up a QT and was wondering if a 10 would be big enough for lets say a yellow tang? And can I use a hang on the back filter like a small emperor or what? Oh by the way I know those of you who mod or frequent the diease and treatment fourm belive in QTing all fish. But IMO you guys are being a little rude to some of the members of this BB who don't believe in the QT process. Please don't take this as a personal attack.
Anyway I am getting ready to set up a QT and was wondering if a 10 would be big enough for lets say a yellow tang? And can I use a hang on the back filter like a small emperor or what? Oh by the way I know those of you who mod or frequent the diease and treatment fourm belive in QTing all fish. But IMO you guys are being a little rude to some of the members of this BB who don't believe in the QT process. Please don't take this as a personal attack.
fshhub
Active Member
would it be more rude to not stress teh importance or potential to those who want to listen to lfs's and not do so, now it is not mandatory, but i would highly reccomend it as an almost vital tool adn will stand by this, i have seen many instances where many expensive and LOVED fishes would have benifitted greatly from having one on hand, even after the fact(leta lone before) where a q tank could have been used to save lives that were already in the tank, by removing an treating a fish
fshhub
Active Member
qt'ing with hyposalinity will also take care of parasites adn is much safer and healthier for the fish, copper is toxic(even to fish) inverts willnot survive with copper and it is hard on th efish as well, use whatever method you like but hypo is much safer and just as reliable as copper(IMO)
martinc909
Member
what would be a good QT tank size?
martinc909
Member
and i should quarantine ALL my new fish?
20 gallon
ro water
salt
heater
filter
light
is that all i need
20 gallon
ro water
salt
heater
filter
light
is that all i need
martinc909
Member
tanks
crt81
Member
Well wether you QT the new arrivals or not, they at some time have the possiblity to develop a disease or infection. If the fish or what ever you are adding doesn't have a problem in the beginning that's great but that doesn't mean that since it is okay now that it will always be okay.
The key is to watch your inhabitants closely and when you see a problem with them act fast, and if you do this you are more likely to have a wonderful tank.
The key is to watch your inhabitants closely and when you see a problem with them act fast, and if you do this you are more likely to have a wonderful tank.
texanangel
Member
I'm on my first saltwater tank, but I've been doing freshwater all my life; and yes, I qt. I have four tanks, two display and two quarantine, 2 fresh 2 salt. Well, I do have a 5th devoted guppy tank, and a freshwater puffer in the works, but they're in a different room. I qt in 30 gallon tanks, just because that's what I have available, and I've found that new fish adjust much better after they have full reign over a 30 gal, it seems to make them less afraid and more eager to eat. I keep them in there from 3-6 weeks depending on the species and where it came from. And personally, I'd rather have a backup tank just incase something goes wrong with my main tank.
I never take chances with anything I love, fish included.
I never take chances with anything I love, fish included.
lesleybird
Active Member
As I see it the problem with a quarenteen tank is that it needs to be cycled and maintained also....if not, put a fish is a tank that is too small for it and not fully cycled you get a nitrogen spike and stress out the fish and make him sick. I never buy fish from any tank where I see even one spot on any fish in the tank, or any other tank running on the same water system, and only buy a fish if it's fins and body are in perfect condition and looks very vigorous and healthy. I never through any of the water from the fish store in my tank. I only had ich once in the 5 years that I have had salt water fish and cured it with Kick Ich (the only one safe for inverts), which most people say does not work. I think the reason it works for me is that I use it for a full six weeks, and not only two, (when I used it for only two weeks and stopped it would keep comming back), to make sure that all the swimmers are killed as I think it only kills in this stage and not the cysts. If you miss a few in the first cycle, by the third life cycle they are mainly dead. Maybe the 50 micron filtration pads help remove some of them also. I have not had ich in my system for the last couple of years....knock on wood!
