Describe your quarantine tank and procedures

[vasubandu]

I read that it is prudent to keep a quarantine tank, and to dip and treat new fish. Does anyone really go through this process? I assume so. If you do, please describe your setup. I am thinking of setting up a 20 gallon tank with minimal substrate and keeping neon gobies in it while it is not being used for quarantine. As a plus, the Gobies would clean the new fish. But I am not sure how to set it up - filtration, etc. Also, should I dip new fish in fresh water and/or medications? Let me know what you actually do, and how it works.

[This message has been edited by vasubandu (edited 01-08-2001).]

[ScottWV1]

I definitely am a strong believer in a q-tank. If for no other reason than to isolate new fish prior to introducing them into a show tank environment where disease could reek havoc!

I want to set one up too, but wondering what 'method' to use. Seems that most of the setup methods used today are based around live rock and deep live sand beds. Most (if not all) the living creatures in our LR and LS would be labelled as inverts (right?). Yet, many medications and treatment methods are not reef or invert safe, so how do you setup a q-tank and treat effectively without destroying your living things?

Scott

[Ironreef]

an ideal q-tank is bare bottom. LR just for filtration. this way is you medicate you won't have alot of LS to kill or home parasites. But I have a q-tank that i keep ls and lr. I never had to medicate a fish. I mearly observe. I don't buy fish that have any visible disease but never know.I'f I did have the need to medicate I would do it in a rubbermaid bucket with a heater and powerhead. You shouldn't medicate unless its really needed.

[fishonly]

If you are using a Q-tank to try to keep incoming fish from introducing ick into your main tank, keep this in mind. 1) Each time you net a fish = more stress. 2) you have to treat the fish with meds or hyposalinity while in the tank in order to *kill* the parasites. 3)the new fish must remain in a Q-tank for a minimum of 4 weeks to be sure all parasites have completed the lifecycle and died. 4) If using copper to kill ich (which most ich meds are) it is hard to test accurately and know how much you are dosing and anything that you use in the Q-tank can never go into the main tank b/c of the copper.

I think a lot of people use the Q-tank ineffectively. They don't follow these steps and will still introduce ich into their tank. If the fish has been at the lfs for over 4 weeks, can that be considered Q-tank time? Almost all fish carry ich with them at all times. It's just that they are healthy enough so that the ick doesn't bother them. As long as you keep your fish healthy, you won't see ich in the first place. Just my $.02 [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Shelly

[Ironreef]

you don't have to treat the fish when its in a q-tank. This is why i keep LR and lS I mearly observe it just for a week or so incase I missed something at the lfs. I use a container to catch it not a net.If I wre to treat I would use a separate container like a large rubbermaid so not to contaminate the main reef. But I never had to treat a fish. I've been luck in picking good ones. Theres other things than ick to introduce to your tank.

[fishonly]

You are right Ironreef but it seems that ick is what most people are concerned about and a week in a q-tank will not get rid of ick. Also, ick will remain on the fish unless the fish is suscepted to some kind of treatment like hyposalinity or meds to kill the parasite. As long as it has a host, it will survive.

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Shelly

[Ironreef]

yeah but by you saying if you keep your fish healthy in the first place I was under the impression you don't qtank your fish anyway? If you keep your fish healthy it should remain healthy I agree. I don't q-tank my fish for more than a week or so cuz my qtank is small. Seems the fish I buy aren't happy and it can add stress and create probs. But qtanking your fish for a mo or more is best. But I don't worry about it. I've had ick in my reef so it must always be there cuz I always have fish. when I remove the aggression there fish are healthy again. so to completely keep a reef ick free how would you do that? It may always be there but the fish are strong enough to not have a break down. It won't die as long as theres fish?? well anyway i don't worry my fish have always been fat and healthy

[fishonly]

You are right. I personally don't Q-tank my fish. I don't buy a fish unless it has been at the lfs for over a month. by that time, I feel that it is over shipping stress and would have died already from any disease it might have had.

As long as a fish is present, ick is also present. It can come in on rock and other things as well. It will live in very minute quantities in your tank UNTIL a fish becomes stressed for whatever reason and susceptible to an outbreak. The only time you can see this microscopic organism is when you have a full blown outbreak. So it is there all along, you just don't know it because your fish's immune system is working to keep it at bay. Just like our skin is always covered in bacteria but we don't get infections until we get a cut or something.

"I don't q-tank my fish for more than a week or so cuz my qtank is small. Seems the fish I buy aren't happy and it can add stress and create probs."

I agree and that is why I don't advocate Q-tanks. Most people have small q-tanks but are buying fish for a 55 gal or more tank. Why put your fish through the stress of being caught at the lfs, living for a week or so in a too small environment, being caught again and again get adjusted to a new home. Seems to me like the entire time the fish is in limbo from the lfs to your main tank it is under stress. Too much for me.

If you really wanted a completely ick free reef tank, you would have to go through these tedious measures setting up your tank. Fill with water, sand and LR. Leave tank for minimum of 4 weeks preferrably 5 weeks without fish. Without a fish host for this long, all the ick on rock and sand will die out. When you buy a new fish, q-tank it with meds or hyposalinity for the appropriate amount of time for the meds or 5 weeks for hypo. This will probably get your fish ick free but not necessarily. Dosing copper is not easy. Testing is not always accurate. Hyposalinity is a fine line as well. Ick can survive at 1.011. So you have to strictly maintain 1.009 for a minimum of 4 weeks. This can be tricky with inadequate hydrometers and small q-tanks where water evaporation is more crucial. Each time you get a new coral or invert or anything new, you must q-tank it (at normal salinity) for the 4 week min. to make ick die due to no fish host.

That just seems like a lot of work and I seriously doubt if anybody does all that. So the bottom line is, you're probably going to have ick in your tank. Keep your fish healthy (no stress so they have strong immune system) and you'll never even know that ick is there. [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Shelly

[vasubandu]

What about mail-order fish? I have been disappointed with many of the local fish, and I cannot find other fish that I want. Those fish arrive stressed, but not more stressed than the new fish I see in the LFS quarantine tank.

I was dispapointed by the lack of posts on the boards about quarantine, and I wondered if it is something that everyone agrees should be done, but rarely is. I also still am at a loss to figure out exactly what it should contain, what water changes are recommended, etc.

[This message has been edited by vasubandu (edited 01-12-2001).]

[Ltspd]

I try to buy fish that have been at the LFS for some time and appear to be healthy. Thats easeir said than done. The LFS around here get a limited supply of decent fish that are reef freindly. I too have thought about the MO of fish but decided otherwise for the folowing reasons. The overnite on a fish fed-ex is atleast 30 bucks plus the cost of the fish. I dont like the idea becasue I cant see it first which is why I buy from the LFS. Then the shipping is spread-out over lots of livestock. This is all MPO.
I think it is a waste of money to set up a Q-tank unless you hold the fish in there for the 4-5 weeks. Like Fishonly said, most q-tanks are small compared to our main tanks and all we are doing is stressing the fish even more.

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Paul C
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Einstein

[Ironreef]

I like to put them in a qtank cuz sometimes I miss something in the LFS like anything that may not look right. i wouldn't want to infect my tank. If you put a fish in a qtank for a week it maynot be enough time but the fish can act funny then you may want to qtank it longer. there more than ick. all kinds of diseases. I heard of locals lossing all there fish from one bad one. Doesn't matter if the others are healthy. Having a reef I would qtank. fo maybe not so bad.

[Marine-mania]

I am reading these thoughts about using a Qtank with interest. What are the thoughts on doing a freshwater dip, and then into the display tank (no qtank)? If you do do a freshwater dip, what methods do you employ?