QT tank for new fish

[Linkblaze]

Question: when you QT new fish do you introduce them to the same environment as the display tank, or do you go ahead and start them right off with hyposalinity? Even if they show no obvious signs of disease?

Starting with hyposalinity seems to be a good way to be proactive about disease as well as possibly being a less stressful environment for a newly aquired fish. However, putting them at the same SG as the main tank would allow you a greater chance to visually see them develop any diseases they may have. In this case you could just return the fish and not risk dealing with any disease it may have.

[Freed]

You should start at normal salinity of 1.025sg Then you can be proactive and drop the salinity to 1.009 over a couple days to make sure any ich is taken care of before putting in the main tank. Hypo should be performed for no less than 4-6 weeks as should any QT length.

[wooden_reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10641719#post10641719 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Linkblaze
Question: when you QT new fish do you introduce them to the same environment as the display tank, or do you go ahead and start them right off with hyposalinity? Even if they show no obvious signs of disease?

Starting with hyposalinity seems to be a good way to be proactive about disease as well as possibly being a less stressful environment for a newly aquired fish. However, putting them at the same SG as the main tank would allow you a greater chance to visually see them develop any diseases they may have. In this case you could just return the fish and not risk dealing with any disease it may have.

You should assume that all new fish are infested with ich and will become heavy infestation if you do nothing to eradicate it. For ich there is no need to observe except to gauge the severity of infestation.

Ask yourself how much more your LFS has to charge you for six weeks of labor and store space rent to quarantine for you. He can give his newbie clients longer quarantee, but only if all newbies are committed to buying from him and only him. Hard to enforce.

[otrlynn]

I am fairly new at this and understand the necessity to quarantine new fish, but this is the first I had read the suggestion to assume that all new fish are infested with ich and to begin hyposalinity to deal with it even before seeing it. Is ich so much more prevalent than marine velvet, which, as I understand would not be effectively treated by hypo?

[Freed]

Ich can come in on ANYTHING WET and should be regarded as present even if you don't actually see it in QT. Hypo will ensure that you kill it and don't infect the other fish in the main tank. Hypo cannot however be done on inverts and corals though. 4-6 weeks with no fish hosts will ensure that there is no ich in the water if you QT corals and inverts.

[andrewsmart]

i put my fish in to a 20 gal qt with external filter and observe for 4 weeks.

if they do well than i just go for it.

in a small system like this ich would spread pretty quickly.

i have never had ich from this in the main tank though it often does come in with the fish to q/t 50/50 i would say.

q/t is an absoloute must for me it has many many benefits.

[otrlynn]

Thanks andrewsmart and Freed. Freed, I guess you are a fan of quarantine huh...just noticed your current tanks and interests at the bottom of the post...have a good one. Lynn