Quarantine tanks....

[Littorina]

Hi everyone,

     Is a quarantine tank an absolute necessity when bringing home new stock?  I've read some on the subject, and it's strongly recommended, but supposedly few people actually do it.   

     Just wondering, what do people do?  Do you have to have it cycled and ready to go, and if yes, do people just keep their quarantine tank going at all times, or do you empty it out and clean it inbetween, and just set it up the day your new addition comes home?

[Greatwhite]

Generally QT tanks have nothing in them aside from a few large PVC pipe fittings for timid fish to hide in. There is no cycle.

It's always a good idea to have a QT unless you like to gamble.

I have never QTed a fish in my 9 years in the hobby and haven't had a problem... But I only buy healthy looking fish from reputable stores.

Some people QT everything and also have never had problems.

Others chronically have problems no matter what they do.

This probably has no answered your question - but that's because there are many different right ways to run a tank. It's all about how cautious you want to be, what kind of budget you have for the setup and how much patience you have.

[Littorina]

So if people decide to have a quarantine tank, is it usually a 10 gallon?  Do you need to have an extra powerhead laying around for the QT tank, or do people just often use an airstone with a little air pump?

[Philnashbass]

I use a 30 gal. tank to quarantine. Bare tank, no filtration - depending on the species, I will likely use Cupramine for up to 3 months. Then again, depending on the species (how hardy they are known to be) and the general health condition of the fish, I may introduce to my tank directly. The inhabitants of your display tank also play a big part in the decision, i.e. do I want to risk losing favorite/costly fish(es) for the sake of convenience? My main tank is 220 gal, and catching a sickly fish is a days worth of tear down and upset for my system-not worth a questionable new addition.

Lots of variables and just when you think you have it all figured out, you get another surprise/education. This in large part for me is appeal of this hobby-very dynamic.

[sanny]

It really depends on the size of the fish. If the fish you are keeping are small tropical fish, you could have a 10-15 gallon quaratine set up easily, or If its a medium to large size fish, you should have at least a 30 gallon quarantine tank fully cycled. Im not sure about saltwater fish, but I know for a fact, that tropical fish that are sick, will probebly not make it if the tank is not cycled in the quarantine tank because there ammune system has already weakened, which will give the fish no hope, but to die.

[Littorina]

Another quarantine tank question, but this time referring to corals.........do most people just dip and clean their new corals and  then immediately introduce them directly to their display tank, or should they be quarantined for a few weeks, as you would a new fish? 

[Philnashbass]

I would wager that the majority simply add new corals to the display tank...no dip, no qt-just acclimation (as is done with fish.)
I would resist the strong temptation to do this, so...qt qt qt
As well, a dip won't kill all parasites or cysts for that matter, so qt is the way to go for peace of mind and life without (or at least with less) stress.

[Littorina]

I've been reading that the average recommended QT time for fish is a 4-6 weeks - same for corals then, in case they are hiding a parasite with a long life-cycle?

    For that matter,  I plan on only having a 20 or 30 gallon nano tank, with small fish, so planned on having maybe just a 10 or 20 gallon QT tank, with a HOB filter and an airstone.  For CORALS, would I need to invest in an extra powerhead for the QT tank?

[Surfdog]

A week max and I never had an issue. More like 5 days for me in all honesty. If there's something wrong, the stress of being in a QT will bring it to the fore. This is what I have found to work for me. I will never nay say folks who do things differently, especially when on the side of caution. My 33G QT is bare bones, heater, HOB and piece of PVC pipe and air stone, I imagine most have theirs setup the same. This is not the most stress free environment and being such should exacerbate any issues the new inhabitant has.


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[Littorina]

Do you automatically treat for ICK in that first week as a precaution, even if you don't see symptoms, or ONLY if the fish shows signs?

[Philnashbass]

Depends on the species.
I tend to treat with Cupramine right from the get go. A diluted solution for most fish (be sure that the species is tolerant of whatever medications you may use!) And then I ramp up the dosage if necessary after a couple of weeks if I observe symptoms of parasites etc.
Everyone seems to adopt a certain qt regimen that they feel comfortable with. Much of the time you will find fish stores will have their livestock in copper already-btw, never transfer a stores water to your tank! Acclimate the fish and qt.

[Littorina]

Thanks for the info!

[Littorina]

I'm back for another quarantine question!

     Just saw some 10 gallon tanks at a LFS....they're bigger than I thought.  The 5.5 gallon tanks are more along the size I was thinking for a QT. 

For nano reef fish, such as clownfish, and clown gobies, would a 5.5 gallon tank suffice as a quarantine tank for a week or two?  Or considered too small?

[robt18]

One of the best reasons to go with a 10gal is that the majority of medications are measured for 10 gal increments. This isn't a huge deal for liquid meds, but any prepackaged powders or tablet medications you're using can become difficult to divide evenly. You also want to give the fish enough space that they feel comfortable, if they're too stressed in QT they're more likely to develop/show illness.

[Littorina]

Ah ha.  Good to know about the meds dosage!  Thanks.  10 gallon is the better size then....

[Greatwhite]

I didn't even think of the 10g for medication reasons until today...  I just got a 10 because I didn't think a 5 would be big enough to medicate a Tang if needed.  Plus, it wasn't tall enough to hang my old sea clone skimmer on for QT'ing.

I learned something new today! 

[Stussi613]

What a great point Rob...