Quarantining Fish????

[The_Browns]

Since we are new, can someone explain the QT process of fish. How to do it and what dipping is for?

[snorvich]

I am not an advocate of dipping although some people do dip in fresh water or formalin. The reason I don't do this is it is hard on certain species of fish and fish are normally pretty stressed out from transportation either from an online vendor or LFS.

But quarantine of fish is desirable to keep disease from entering your main display. Often times treatment in a main display is infeasible or undesirable. The quarantine process is establishing a small, fully cycled tank to host your fish (preferably only one unless acquired from the same source) for about four weeks. This allows you to insure that your fish is healthy.

In my case, I have a 24 gallon tank used only for quarantine. Some people also establish a hospital tank to treat fish that require it.

[The_Browns]

Thanks for the reply snorvich, I understand what a quarantine tank is but I dont understand how to do the right thing if you find a particular disease on a fish.

[spike78]

Start here:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume...Quarantine.htm

[stuccodude]

i have had great success with soaking my food with garlic to keep my fish healthy, sometimes a qt tank is not a option, good luck in this great hobby

[spike78]

Originally posted by stuccodude
i have had great success with soaking my food with garlic to keep my fish healthy, sometimes a qt tank is not a option, good luck in this great hobby

NOT having a QT tank is not really an option in this hobby. With all the money you spend on livestock, it makes no sense to risk it all because you can't scrape together $20 for a proper QT tank.

[stuccodude]

true and myself i do have a qt tank that i used at first and still got ich and someone on here said to use garlic and i did and within days it was gone and tank is healthy. its been almost a year with no signs of ich. have you ever poped a garlic pill before camping and notice the mosquitos dont bother you, maybe its the same as ich, possible?

[edwardlmarshall]

The link the Spike provided is a great place to start. All you really need is a small tank with some sort of hang-on, canister, or integrated filtration, a light source, and a heater. The sponge filter that comes with most such devices can be placed in your main tank or sump for 3-4 weeks to develop the necessary biological filtration capacity. Then, when you acquire a new fish, you just return the sponge to the QT and your QT is instantly cycled. After a 2-4 week quarantine, you can sterilize the sponge and return it to your main tank or sump, drain and clean the QT, and you'll be ready to go the next time you want to introduce a fish.

This also means you have a ready, cycled place to put your livestock should something go terribly wrong with your main tank. It's a win-win.

[blackthunda77]

Originally posted by edwardlmarshall
The link the Spike provided is a great place to start. All you really need is a small tank with some sort of hang-on, canister, or integrated filtration, a light source, and a heater. The sponge filter that comes with most such devices can be placed in your main tank or sump for 3-4 weeks to develop the necessary biological filtration capacity. Then, when you acquire a new fish, you just return the sponge to the QT and your QT is instantly cycled. After a 2-4 week quarantine, you can sterilize the sponge and return it to your main tank or sump, drain and clean the QT, and you'll be ready to go the next time you want to introduce a fish.

This also means you have a ready, cycled place to put your livestock should something go terribly wrong with your main tank. It's a win-win.

Wait, give me alil more info on what you just said in your statement. About the part where you said you can drain and clean the QT and when you need to use it you just fill it up and add a sponge from the filter to the QT tank and it will be cycled? That cant be true can it? If it is that would be great. the only reason i dont QT all the time is that i dont have the space and the extra cash to run an additional tank 24/7 in case i decide to add a new fish. Does that work though because if it does i will always QT my fish. Ill just tear down the QT tank i have now, cuz its empty anyways, and il pop the filter media in the sump of my main tank and if i decide to get a new fish ill just fill the QT with new saltwater and jst add the filetr media into the filer. ANyone else do it like this?

[justinpsmith]

Yeah you do not need to run a QT tank all the time. Not QTing fish is terrible though and there is no excuse for it. Its not fair to your fish!

I have my 40G QT set up with a canister filter, heater, small clip on light but I usually just use sunlight and PVC for hiding in.

I keep the canister filters sponge and carbon in my sump until I need the QT. When I need it, I use 40G of water from my display tank and the media from the sump and set up the QT. Qt new fish for 3 weeks and if nothing comes up, I add them to the display along with the sponge from the filter. I drain the QT and put it away. If they do get ich in QT, then I go with hypo usually for 8 weeks and when its done, put the fish in the display BUT this time, sterilize the sponge to make sure Im not putting parasites into my display. Then you just have to let the sponge sit in the sump for a few weeks again until bacteria colonize it. Very easy and worth it. Personally, I QT anything new, not just fish. I never get disease in my tank since doing this. Before this, I killed more fish than I care to admit because I never QT'd. Very sad when I look back

[blackthunda77]

Thanks for the info justin. I have lost fish in the past too, and i since ihave stopped adding fish due to the frustration. But with the info i just learned it makes QTing more practical for me. Thanks!

[blackthunda77]

Ps.....i know QTing is not a matter of practicality. But as a student, living on my own and in a small condo, another full time running tank was very hard. thanks again though

[spike78]

Originally posted by blackthunda77
Ps.....i know QTing is not a matter of practicality. But as a student, living on my own and in a small condo, another full time running tank was very hard. thanks again though

Like was said before, no need to run the QT 24x7. I just keep a square of sponge in my sump, and when I need my QT, I pull it out of the garage, fill it with water from my display, add the sponge and I'm good to go! When I'm done, I throw everything in the dishwasher and put it back in the garage.

[blackthunda77]

Wel there you go. QTing in a nutshell!!