Question about quarantining new arrivals

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Nigelk8485

Gambusia
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Oct 3, 2014
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I've been researching it and get a lot of varied answers on how people quarantine their new arrivals. Some say they just watch them a few days to see if anything is unusual, I've seen some people say after acclimating they put the fish in a quarantine tank and do a mixture of an epsom salt bath as well as using methyl blue to rid the fish of any external parasites, and others say they use a course of action similar to API general cure to be preemptive against diseases. What is your course of action when receiving new fish? After being delivered rainbows with internal parasites and having more than half die I've gotten nervous about adding new fish and like the last option, but I also don't want to be overly harsh on the new fish.


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skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
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May 16, 2011
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Hello; I have been holding new fish in a QT for two to three weeks for some years now. I do not add any special treatments unless signs of disease or parasites show up during the QT peroid.

I also have been following a suggestion from this forum about water. When I bring a bag of new fish home they are floated in the QT long enough to get the temps equal. I then add a little of the tank water to the bag a couple of times and let them get use to it. After a while I pour the fish and water thru a net. I then add the fish to a display tank. This helps to avoid transfer of things in he water.

You will likely get a variety of suggestions about QT. Pick a method that appeals to you as I doubt there will be much consesus.

good luck
 
jeaninel

jeaninel

Potamotrygon
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Oct 15, 2014
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I do the same as skjl47...new fish stay in QT for at least 3-4 weeks. I don't add any special treatment unless something shows up. I would think it also depends on the type of fish you are purchasing. If they are wild caught I think the anti parasite treatment is probably a good idea. Also, most of the fish I buy are CA/SA cichlids and community fish. If you're spending hundreds of dollars on fish such as Rays, Aros, etc then you probably want to protect your investment with some kind of preemptive treatment. But for me, what I've been doing has been working well.
 
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Jc1119

Feeder Fish
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Dec 27, 2010
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I qt for at least 3-4 weeks and sometimes 2-3 months depending on the situation.

Lots of clean water, no stress and good food.


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duanes

duanes

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Quarantining is not only about protecting the fish you already have.
It is also about protecting new fish from vectors in your existing tank(s), that your existing fish may be semi-immune to.
A new fish without immunity may end up becoming sick, and produce in turn, an infective dose in large quantities, that even your existing fish can't fight off.
When I quarantine, I add daily amounts of water from my tanks to prepare the new fish for the environment its getting into.
If the new fish stays healthy, and survives a few weeks to a month of this regime, I figure there is a fair chance all is good.
But there are diseases with lengthy incubation periods, or that are benign until the fish comes under the stress of a new environment (water parameters, etc) and or new tank mates, so its a gamble no matter how long you quarantine.
And I never add chemicals and or treatments unless I know what I'm treating for. Especially and antibiotic that could produce antibiotic resistant super bugs in the system.
 
MyGiants

MyGiants

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I think quarantine is a good practice but I have to admit I never do it. There's been a couple times over the years I introduced a new fish that had Ick. I felt more stupid I didn't see it before adding them. Never did my whole tank break out with ick though. 98% of the time I never have any problems just dumping a new fish to my tank.
 
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predatorkeeper87

Potamotrygon
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Sep 8, 2014
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MyGiants said:
I think quarantine is a good practice but I have to admit I never do it. There's been a couple times over the years I introduced a new fish that had Ick. I felt more stupid I didn't see it before adding them. Never did my whole tank break out with ick though. 98% of the time I never have any problems just dumping a new fish to my tank.
Click to expand...
+1 its a gamble but I do the same...depending on the fish for me mostly.
 
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krichardson

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MyGiants said:
I think quarantine is a good practice but I have to admit I never do it. There's been a couple times over the years I introduced a new fish that had Ick. I felt more stupid I didn't see it before adding them. Never did my whole tank break out with ick though. 98% of the time I never have any problems just dumping a new fish to my tank.
Click to expand...
I'm in this group.
 
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predatorkeeper87

Potamotrygon
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krichardson said:
I'm in this group.
Click to expand...
Kind of a relief to know others do it hahaha. I just give me fish a once over for any visual signs...also if I'm getting them at a local LFS I observe them for a while in their tank...not the most thorough of ways to protect my tanks but so far it hasn't failed me. Worst case scenario so far is a mild case of ich and a quick paraguard bath takes care of that.
 
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