Once you do your "normal" observation of 3-4 weeks, and the new fish in QT does not exhibit anything, you can take filter media and water from the main tank into your quarantine tank to see if any pathogens that may exist in the water or media will affect your QT fish. During a water change of QT, add main tank water with the new tank water. Also, you can take the next step that RD. suggested and take a known healthy main tank fish and place into the same tank as the QT fish. After another month or 2, you can be assured that the new fish won't bring anything into the main tank.
Quarantine New Fish
- Thread starter H]-[H
- Start date
Once you do your "normal" observation of 3-4 weeks, and the new fish in QT does not exhibit anything, you can take filter media and water from the main tank into your quarantine tank to see if any pathogens that may exist in the water or media will affect your QT fish. During a water change of QT, add main tank water with the new tank water. Also, you can take the next step that RD. suggested and take a known healthy main tank fish and place into the same tank as the QT fish. After another month or 2, you can be assured that the new fish won't bring anything into the main tank.
This is also so while in quarantine, I always slowly add water from the tank it will be eventually placed into, sometimes with a little vacuumed up detritus so any bacteria is added at small enough doses for the new fish to build gradual resistance.
Seems like a lot of anal, extra work, but compared to having to treat for a disease later, is worth the trouble.
I always have an unstocked extra tank running in line with a sump as a hospital tank, with bags of bio-media sitting in it (usually a 55 gal). This way no cycling will be needed
When it is about to be used for quarantine or hospital tank, I take it off line, and add a powerhead to maintain circulation.
This is also so while in quarantine, I always slowly add water from the tank it will be eventually placed into, sometimes with a little vacuumed up detritus so any bacteria is added at small enough doses for the new fish to build gradual resistance.
Seems like a lot of anal, extra work, but compared to having to treat for a disease later, is worth the trouble.
I always have an unstocked extra tank running in line with a sump as a hospital tank, with bags of bio-media sitting in it (usually a 55 gal). This way no cycling will be needed
When it is about to be used for quarantine or hospital tank, I take it off line, and add a powerhead to maintain circulation.
I don't necessarily QT new fish. I like to grow out a group of fish together that I'll keep for a few years. Once I've settled on the fish I'm going to keep I treat them all with Prazi.
I don't want any of you guys to take this the wrong way because it's not meant to come across that way... But I think some of you guys may be scaring off the OP or others reading this from trying QT all together with some of these replies.
While I commend those that are going to such great lengths with their QT process to protect their fish, if the OP was just asking for a basic idea of QT... then some of these methods mentioned about 6 months, waiting a few months and adding one fish from main tank to QT etc etc... He / others are probably looking at some of this and thinking "Jeez no way I'm doing all that".
Again I think it's great that some people go to those lengths. For "most" people though a simple common sense approach to QT new fish works just fine 99% of the time and goes like this...
- Buy a small QT tank like a 29g when the $1 per gal sale is on
- Keep a small HOB filter running as a spare on a main tank
- When you get a new fish fill the QT tank and swap the filter on it
- Watch the new fish in QT for about 3 weeks for any signs of illness. If any show then get some meds to treat it until all signs are gone. If no illness then after 3 weeks add to the main tank.
For me and most others that is normally all that is needed. Again not saying anyone is "wrong" per say, I'm simply saying QT'ing is a good practice to get into doing and it does not have to be complicated.
While I commend those that are going to such great lengths with their QT process to protect their fish, if the OP was just asking for a basic idea of QT... then some of these methods mentioned about 6 months, waiting a few months and adding one fish from main tank to QT etc etc... He / others are probably looking at some of this and thinking "Jeez no way I'm doing all that".
Again I think it's great that some people go to those lengths. For "most" people though a simple common sense approach to QT new fish works just fine 99% of the time and goes like this...
- Buy a small QT tank like a 29g when the $1 per gal sale is on
- Keep a small HOB filter running as a spare on a main tank
- When you get a new fish fill the QT tank and swap the filter on it
- Watch the new fish in QT for about 3 weeks for any signs of illness. If any show then get some meds to treat it until all signs are gone. If no illness then after 3 weeks add to the main tank.
For me and most others that is normally all that is needed. Again not saying anyone is "wrong" per say, I'm simply saying QT'ing is a good practice to get into doing and it does not have to be complicated.
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An excerpt from the article:
Is an Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure?
Many of the professional aquarists I’ve talked to over the years go a step further, routinely medicating quarantined fish for a host of diseases, even if there’s no evidence those diseases are present. Some also give new freshwater fish a salt dip, and new marine fish a freshwater dip, to kill off parasites before placing them in quarantine.
But that’s not something most home aquarists should be doing for several reasons, and Miller-Morgan and Noga agree. First, both pointed out that professionals usually use medications based on an in-depth knowledge of both the species they’re dealing with and the kind of pathogens that species is prone to; they also understand the impact of medications on both organisms. Home aquarists, however, rarely have that kind of knowledge.
In addition, adding medications to tank water is in itself a stressor to fish because it changes the concentration of dissolved solids in the water, which in turn affects the fish’s osmoregulatory processes.
And lastly, said Miller-Morgan, treating for diseases the fish may not have can ultimately lead to medication-resistant pathogens, which can create a much bigger problem down the line.
So my question is should I continue with the dewormer plan with the fish not showing any worm symptoms?
For me, I like to always quarantine, however, many times new fish are not meant for my community display tanks and they go into their own tank (which is inherently a quarantine tank). If they are meant for the display tanks, I quarantine for about 3 weeks for signs of visible illness. I do a treatment for ich, and stress upon arrival and then end up with a treatment for worms and other internal parasites (prazi) as well because there are some things that I will never be able to see. After about 6 weeks or so, the fish have not have come down with anything visible and their health is good, they would have acclimated to the quarantine tank well and be very comfortable in their new surroundings by then. If this is the case, then observation will tell if they are OK to be added to the community tank. I think that while most people might look for visible signs such as spots or weight loss, there's an obvious identifier that tells you about how they are feeling: their behavior.
HH - both of those Dr's were speaking in general terms, some medications (when used properly) are uber safe to fish. The fish that YOU own (a FH bought in Malaysia) should have been treated from the get-go, and I have already explained why that is. Deworm, don't deworm, totally up to you.
Steve - I don't see the small amount of extra effort being described as such a BIG thing? So instead of 2-3 weeks, a person goes 6-8, and for the final weeks one adds some tank water/bacteria from the main tank. So what? I don't get what the big deal is? What Rocksor & Duane laid out is an AWESOME manner in which to teach hobbyists to QT new fish, and from experience some of us can state that it can sometimes prove to be a lifesaver, not just for the new fish, but potentially for the entire fish room. Your only argument is that you haven't experienced this first hand, so it must not be required. Where's the logic in that?
It seems like the term biosecurity is not well understood by some. This is huge in the ornamental fish industry - do a bit of research, you might be surprised at what you learn.
Steve - I don't see the small amount of extra effort being described as such a BIG thing? So instead of 2-3 weeks, a person goes 6-8, and for the final weeks one adds some tank water/bacteria from the main tank. So what? I don't get what the big deal is? What Rocksor & Duane laid out is an AWESOME manner in which to teach hobbyists to QT new fish, and from experience some of us can state that it can sometimes prove to be a lifesaver, not just for the new fish, but potentially for the entire fish room. Your only argument is that you haven't experienced this first hand, so it must not be required. Where's the logic in that?
It seems like the term biosecurity is not well understood by some. This is huge in the ornamental fish industry - do a bit of research, you might be surprised at what you learn.
