Quarantines???..what they do...

[jb clown]

I was wondering what quarantines actually do. I herd people talk about them and I was wondering what they do. I think people put fish in them for when a fish as ich or something like that but do you put fish in them before you put them in your tank. I have a 36 gal tank and i have live rock in it and it has cycled and I am going to get some fish online. Should i put fish in my smaller tank and put some stuff in there? Or what stuff should i put in it or even if i even have to put anything in there?
I don't know much about this stuff because i am a beginner and would take any information.
Thanks

 

[goldenboy]

Have a qt tank available at all times. The reason for a qt tank isn't for an ich outbreak, but that's a good reason. It's used as a holding tank for new fish. If you're confident that the 36 gallon tank is ready for fish, there isn't a problem adding 1 or 2 to it to start. After a month of success, add the next fish you want to the qt tank. Wait another month. If no signs of sickness appear, acclimate the fish in the qt tank to your 36 gallon display tank. Always have a qt tank available for a possible ich outbreak. Learn about salinity treatment. And remember, if your tank stays in the right perimeters, and you don't add sick fish, you won't have to worry about ich.

 

[jess74]

jb clown-
Yes having a QT (quarantine tank) setup is a VERY good idea. When you get any new fish you put them in the QT for 3 weeks to make sure they aren't carrying any diseases (ich is especially common). At first I didn’t t have one setup, then when joining this board I decided to do it. Right after that I got 3 new fish and low and behold my blackcap first had flukes, then ich. He is probably wondering if he will ever make it out of the QT!
If you go to the disease forum and look in there for setting up a QT, you will find excellent info on the best way to do it, that is where I went. Best of luck to you with your new tank!

 

[goldenboy]

Oh yeah, make sure you're using a refractometer. They're worth the $$. I got mine off this website for $50. Those hydrometers(especially the plastic ones) aren't to be trusted.

 

[sharkbaite]

I have a fresh water and salt water qur tank. easy set up and well worth the money ( I do Discus and there more expencive than most saltys). Just rememder the time in qurintean is worth the money saved in lost stock

 

[faraday]

are you saying to QT and wait 3 weeks before adding the fish to the tank, and NOT using the acclimation procedures that swf.com has set out?

 

[thomas712]

You should always use proper acclimation procedures when ever you take a speciman from one tank to another, so that they can get slowly used to the new conditions.
Thomas

 

[faraday]

So I have to say this because some people are confusing us newbies.....
"Have a qt tank available at all times. The reason for a qt tank isn't for an ich outbreak, but that's a good reason. It's used as a holding tank for new fish."
A QT is not neccesary but an option for Acclimating your fish and livestock to your tank. There are many other ways to acclimate your fish.
QT (Quarantine) - means, separting sick or diseased fish from healthy fish or livestock. QT does not mean acclimation.
And yes, I did read about the differences between QT and Acclimation. From a few books, as well as some other www sites. They are two very different things. Please stop using them as if they are one and the same.

 

[thomas712]

Originally posted by faraday
A QT is not neccesary but an option for Acclimating your fish and livestock to your tank. There are many other ways to acclimate your fish.

Hmmm :thinking:
My opinion here is that you can look at it that way, however., when you obtain a new arrival, from any on line source, or LFS, unless you know that it has been there for a while (month or so) and completly trust the LFS, then it should still IMO be placed in the QT for at least the 3 week stated period or more. Especially in the case of adding a new Tang since they are more delicate and suseptable to ick.
This single step could save all the fish in your whole tank, and prevent disease from entering the main display. It can also prevent you from having to QT all the fish at one time.
It is an option, but it only takes once to make you a supporter of the QT everytime.
Thomas