Do You Use Any Kind of Quarantine Process?

[leebca]

I'd like some information. Please don't hold back. If you're reading this post, then please take the 15 seconds it takes to fill out the poll. All votes are anonymous/secret. You can post a comment to this thread only if it relates to quarantine, please.

I'm interested in how many people are using what kind of, if any, quarantine system for new marine arrivals. All contribute, please. Thanks!

[dougc]

I use a 30 gallon tank for QT. For most fish, a smaller tank would probably be better because water changes and medication are much easier to manage in a smaller tank. The only reason I went bigger is that I anticipated adding pairs or groups of fish at the same time.

[leebca]

Thanks for posting Doug.

That kind of plan usually doesn't work out in the long run. What if one fish comes in sick/diseased? That fish is now in with others. All the fish have to be treated. The sick fish is not alone but has to contend with competitors at eating time. Not so good.

What if two fish come in diseased -- with different diseases? Now you have to do battle with multiple diseases on multiple fishes.

I would prefer to have multiple 10 gallon QT (if they are the right size for the fishes you want) on separate systems if you want to put through multiple fishes.

[rjs5134]

I didn't use a QT until my orbic bat, then hippo tang came down with ich. When everything bega dying and reef safe treatments didn't work, I purchased the 6gal nano-cube and Qt'd my snowflake eel for 8 weeks and then a pair of P.clowns for 8 weeks. I will QT anything that enters the tank for a minimum of 6 weeks from now on and treat the fish with hyposalinity. Seems like little work for the benefit.

[leebca]

Which of the reef safe treatments did you use, rjs5134

[leebca]

Poll will end in a week. How about taking the poll. It is totally anonymous and takes less than 15 seconds!

PLEASE

[WillieM96]

I know I should quarantine but I have a black thumb when it comes to quarantine tanks. I've done everything by the book and every time I put a fish in there, it dies within a week. I just go straight into the tank now. I know that's like playing roulette but it's the only way I had of keeping my the fish alive.

[leebca]

I appreciate and understand many of the challenges of setting up and successfully running a quarantine tank. I hope you won't give up on it, though. It can be very useful as a hospital/recovery tank, also.

Have you read this Willie?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-1...ture/index.htm

Like most marine aquariums, the quarantine tank also takes patience.

[leebca]

Thanks to all who made the effort to contribute to this poll.

If I've done the math correctly:
35% of those who responded quarantine all their fish.

This is (unfortunately) pretty much the national average as gathered by other polls through periodicals and the Internet.

I'd like to say that since mid-1970 I have quarantined all marine fish before putting them into my display aquariums. So far I have had zero (0) fish-loss in the display tank from fish disease, parasite, or organisms. When someone can match that experience (1,700+ fish over a 35-year span) without doing a single quarantine, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Thanks again to all who participated!