Do you quarantine new fish?

bizzmoneyb

bizzmoneyb

Member
Just curious if you quarantine all new fish you purchase?
I recently purchased a blue hippo tang from my LFS that had ick and destroyed my entire tank. Im now upgrading from my 55 to a 90 and will be quaranting all new fish before they enter the DT to avoid this problem in the future. Live and learn. Any new hobbyist I seriously suggest you do the same.. dont cheap out, it will cost you in the long run!
Do you quarantine and simply monitor and observe the fish for diseases or do you treat your new fish with hypo? Im thinking hypo is the route I will go.
I understand you introduce the fish to the normal salinity QT tank (mine is around 1.025) than lower this to 1.009 over a 48 hour period? Then keep at this salinity for a few weeks to rid of any parasites, then raise back (in my case to 1.025) over about 7 days? Then transfer to DT. Is this correct?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
I quarantine and monitor. I keep the fish in QT until I am certain that the fish is disease free and eating well enough to compete with my other fish. If you are quarantining a tang or angel, then hypo them. They are prone to ich and are likely to have it. Other fish you must watch like a hawk but they don't HAVE to be treated first. Some people hypo all new fish. I don't. I watch them carefully.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
I QT all my fish and from now on will hypo them as well. As said, a straight QT does not always keep your tank free of ick. Fighting to stabilize the pH isn't fun, but it will be worth it for me in the future. I am battling a sick fish right now. WAY not fun.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/2741461
I QT all my fish and from now on will hypo them as well. As said, a straight QT does not always keep your tank free of ick. Fighting to stabilize the pH isn't fun, but it will be worth it for me in the future. I am battling a sick fish right now. WAY not fun.
I quarantine and do not treat unless needed. My tank has been ich free since it was set up at home a few years ago. PH only jumps if the tank is not fully cycled.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
As you know, I usually don't used cycled tanks. This time I used a cycled one and I'm having the hardest time with pH.
Here's my story.... can I infringe on on this thread? It's an ick story......
I haven't had ick in the last 10 years. I had it in my first tank and wiped out everything. Learned early to QT. Well, I've had my volitan for 4 years, he's always been alone in the tank and has never been fed saltwater fish. His first tank was a 5 gallon he stayed in for a year and then onto a 24 followed by a 65. Each tank was set up especially for him as he grew so each tank was fallow for a minimum of 2 months. This month my skimmer stopped working and it went unnoticed by me. The 02 dropped, the pH dropped and as you can imagine the nitrates rose. It's when I woke up one morning to a pile of cyano that I went checking to see what was going on. Within a few days he had ick. Probably me trying to correct the parameters and get a handle on the cyano stressed him more. The only way for him to have gotten it was for him to have come in with it 4 years ago. It's weird that I never saw a spot on him the whole time and he is one of my most photographed fish... he's my fav. I'm so sad.
There... that's my sad ick story. :)
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
I don't think ich was with him all of that time. You would have seen it. Each tank was fallow before he moved? You never added a new piece of rock or anything without quarantine? That is interesting... Tell us more.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
There was nothing ever added. I never switch rock or coral between tanks.... that comes from keeping WC seahorses over the years. Each tank was fallow.... they were set up and cycled especially for him as he grew. I let my tanks cycle for minimum of 2 months and then wait for them to go through the nasty algae stage. I QT my inverts..... Each tank has their own maintenance equipment. I really am careful about going from tank to tank and use alcohol on my hands in between.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Sorry if my posting is choppy... I'm at work.
He had no corals in his tank.
Should I start my own thread or could this be considered a part of the "Ick discussion"?
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
I quarantine my fish. I don't do hypo though. I would if needed. I just monitor for 3 or 4 weeks and if they are good to go, then in they go to the DT.
 
rort

rort

Member
I have QT'ed all my fish. I have currently been QT my Tomini Tang who came down with bad ich... for at least 1 1/2 months. I have tried both hypo, and now am trying copper, but not really seeing any results... :-(
 
jpa0741

jpa0741

Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2741468
I don't think ich was with him all of that time. You would have seen it. Each tank was fallow before he moved? You never added a new piece of rock or anything without quarantine? That is interesting... Tell us more.
That is not always true. I had a few minor ich outbreaks over a year ago. Since then I have never seen any other signs of it. So with that said ich must be present in my tank. That is why I am not a huge fan of QT. I don't do it because I know it is in my tank already. Although I have had no problems with new additions. It is just so hard to keep it out of our tanks anyway. Like many have posted, they QT and observe for weeks. Fish may never show signs but still carry it. If you don't treat for it in QT chances are you will still introduce it to the display. I am a strong believer in keeping your system stable and fish healthy by feeding with viatimins and garlic.
 
bizzmoneyb

bizzmoneyb

Member
Originally Posted by jpa0741
http:///forum/post/2742338
Like many have posted, they QT and observe for weeks. Fish may never show signs but still carry it. If you don't treat for it in QT chances are you will still introduce it to the display.
Thats why I think i will treat each new fish with hypo for a few weeks to be certain. This tang I bought infected my entire tank and killed everything in just a few weeks.
 
metweezer

metweezer

Active Member
Hypo is lowering the salinity content of your water to 1.009 over a period of a few days. Your fish can survive it but the ich parasite can't. I am not sure of the time period of maintaining hypo (a few weeks?), but once you are finished you gradually raise your salinity back up to 1.025.
 
bizzmoneyb

bizzmoneyb

Member
Originally Posted by brianc60
http:///forum/post/2743614
how do you lower it? Just add fresh water? Please explain
Thank you
Yes. Typical saltwater in home aquariums ranges from around 1.022-1.028. You lower this by adding fresh water to get it to 1.009 (using a refractometer) in a 48 hour timespan. At this salinity ich doesnt survive. Keep it there for about 3-4 weeks. Then slowly raise it back to normal levels over 5-7 days.
 
rort

rort

Member
I have never tried, but does any one quarantine more than 1 fish at a time? Is it okay to do?
 
rort

rort

Member
well how about a 20g QT with a very small puffer and a medium foxface?
They both came down with ick in my DT...
 
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