In the spirit of tying to show the reality of fish keeping, I try to show my mistakes, as well as successes, and…
this has turned out to be one of my major mistakes of late.
The normal quarantine time duration for “any” new fish I acquired in the past, or of late, is usually at least 2 to 3 months, dependent on number of observation factors.
But……
Because in observing these latest fish, all seemed to be (at least on the surface) healthy, at 6 weeks in, so I stupidly cut short the time I usually extend, and am now paying the price.
Within a week of adding the new ones, my normal tank residents (cichlids) started kicking the bucket.
One death the day before yesterday, 3 floaters when I got up yesterday, again this morning, at least 5 cichlids were corpses by 7 am, and another 2 this afternoon.
I took the ferry to town yesterday to pick up Pazicuantrel,
because I live on a small fairly remote island, and there are no aquarium stores, of even a dog or cat pet shop on Taboga with to access medications here. So a trip to the vet in Panama City was warranted.
Some may think because I collect wild fish, this is a special case, and QT is not that important,
but…
any new fish has the potential to carry stress induced diseases in the form of opportunistic bacteria and viruses, due to pressure caused by transporation stress issues, and simply new changes in habitat by being put in a new aquarium. These phages don’t need to be overt pathogens, just opportunists.
Different pH, different water harness, different tank mates, can all contribute to a stress induced immune system compromise
Just because an aquarium shop is located in the same area, doesn’t mean, the way they treat their water, is the same way one or another aquarist treats theirs.
The question I ask myself today, is whether to aggressively treat the remaining fish, (although most fish in the tank are probably and appear to be infected, or to let the disease run its course, and to treat after the fact, and start the tank fresh.
this has turned out to be one of my major mistakes of late.
The normal quarantine time duration for “any” new fish I acquired in the past, or of late, is usually at least 2 to 3 months, dependent on number of observation factors.
But……
Because in observing these latest fish, all seemed to be (at least on the surface) healthy, at 6 weeks in, so I stupidly cut short the time I usually extend, and am now paying the price.
Within a week of adding the new ones, my normal tank residents (cichlids) started kicking the bucket.
One death the day before yesterday, 3 floaters when I got up yesterday, again this morning, at least 5 cichlids were corpses by 7 am, and another 2 this afternoon.
I took the ferry to town yesterday to pick up Pazicuantrel,
because I live on a small fairly remote island, and there are no aquarium stores, of even a dog or cat pet shop on Taboga with to access medications here. So a trip to the vet in Panama City was warranted.
Some may think because I collect wild fish, this is a special case, and QT is not that important,
but…
any new fish has the potential to carry stress induced diseases in the form of opportunistic bacteria and viruses, due to pressure caused by transporation stress issues, and simply new changes in habitat by being put in a new aquarium. These phages don’t need to be overt pathogens, just opportunists.
Different pH, different water harness, different tank mates, can all contribute to a stress induced immune system compromise
Just because an aquarium shop is located in the same area, doesn’t mean, the way they treat their water, is the same way one or another aquarist treats theirs.
The question I ask myself today, is whether to aggressively treat the remaining fish, (although most fish in the tank are probably and appear to be infected, or to let the disease run its course, and to treat after the fact, and start the tank fresh.
