How Careful Are You?

[CarrieB]

So I'm sure we all QT new fish from the fish store, but what about fish from another hobbyist? Similar question about dipping coral. Do you trust personal tanks to be pest free?

[Reef Frog]

I've never done what you describe. But if I was getting a fish from a private individual, I think I'd be on high alert for disease and act accordingly.

[scooter31707]

Same here. Remember sometimes illness can be present in the tank, but the fish are able to ward it off and it would be your luck when you get it home in your tank, it explodes. So no, I would not take any chances.

[wrott]

Don't even trust your Mother when it comes to QTing and dipping.

[Brooks87]

I QT all fish without exception. I dip corals on occasion, but it would be safe to assume that a coral may have pests even from a friends (clean) tank.

[outy]

Bag floats for a 2 minutes tops and in ya go boy!

[thegrun]

Even trusted friends tanks are susceptible to disease. I would say at least once a year one of our local fish club members have some disease break out in their tanks almost always from coral frags. Many pest eggs and diseases are difficult to eradicate with just dips. Having to catch all your fish in a reef tank and then letting it sit fallow for 72 days will cure you of being tempted to bypass a quarantine period. It happened to me once, NEVER again!

[outy]

So I'm sure we all QT new fish from the fish store,

Never

in 25 years I have never had to worry.



I look and observe the fish for 20 minutes and base his health on MY observation.


The tanks current residents usually are a bigger problem then any disease.

[outy]

Even trusted friends tanks are susceptible to disease. I would say at least once a year one of our local fish club members have some disease break out in their tanks almost always from coral frags. Many pest eggs and diseases are difficult to eradicate with just dips. Having to catch all your fish in a reef tank and then letting it sit fallow for 72 days will cure you of being tempted to bypass a quarantine period. It happened to me once, NEVER again!

If I did SPS I would agree whole hearted.

My LPS and fish are very tolerant of just about everything we can throw at them.

[MondoBongo]

just like the X-Files i Trust No One.

all corals get dipped at the very least. that's a simple proactive step. then, depending on the type of coral, and how much i feel i trust the other person, i decide whether or not it goes in QT.

i'm willing to be a little more flexible on coral QT, just due to the fact that i have a more difficult time keeping sensitive corals happy and thriving in my grow out system.

as for fish, they would get the same treatment regardless where they came from: TTM with two rounds of prazi, then in to the grow out system for a few weeks of observation and time to get settled and eating.

[kmbyrnes]

What makes you think a private tank is any less prone to disease?
True, the LFS has more opportunity for exposure, but an infected tank is infected whether it was one fish or 100.
On the other hand, I am inclined to purchase 'trade in' fish ahead of new arrivals. They have shown they can survive in captivity. But I am lucky enough to have the space to buy those fish that need new homes.

[sreefs]

I QT everything no matter where it comes from!

[zeebies]

Don't even trust your Mother when it comes to QTing and dipping.

Yup. Sorry, Mom

[running scott]

From what I understand anything that has been in the water with fish within 72 days could have ich. So any live rock, coral attached to a frag plug, a return pump, a protein skimmer, a nori clip ect... The people that keep that new coral purchase out of their DT for 72 days amaze me. Essentially you have to have a qt tank set up that can keep coral alive for 72 days. Also a new fish in at could have ich and show no visible signs. I think very few peoples tanks are ich free! I sure this post will make some people angry. People in the hobby get very emotional when discussing this topic, and have been through ich I understand why!

[Dmorty217]

So I'm sure we all QT new fish from the fish store, but what about fish from another hobbyist? Similar question about dipping coral. Do you trust personal tanks to be pest free?

No way would I not QT anything coming from someone else.

[MondoBongo]

I think very few peoples tanks are ich free! I sure this post will make some people angry. People in the hobby get very emotional when discussing this topic, and have been through ich I understand why!

the reason that people (and by people, i mean me) get irritated by claims like these, is because they are demonstrably untrue.

ich has a defined lifecycle. it is not an omnipresent threat, lurking in the shadows. it is an animal. not magic.

let's draw a parallel to human disease. the flu. it's not everywhere, all the time, waiting for it's chance to surprise you. it is spread through understood mechanisms. discreet interactions with infected individuals, or shed virus that stay on surfaces for a known amount of time. no magic there, and no magic with ich either.

so yes, it makes me "angry" when people willfully and vehemently deny the incontrovertibly codified facts about ich, and choose instead to ignore the science and spread superstition.

[rollers]

Just take the time and do it the right way QT everything ...

[Fish Keeper82]

I think if your in this hobby long enough you realize QT is the way to go. That ususally comes from experiance of fish/ coral deaths from not QTing from the beggining.
I am fortunate to never have gotten ICH in 10 plus years in the hobby but i would fairly regularly have new fish deaths from things like flukes and such.
Now i QT every fish for 2 months.
At the end of the day why risk it? A simple QT and I sleep better at night. Especially at this stage in the game my oldest fish is 8 years old and i would feel just terible if it succum to a desise i could have prevented.