Interest in a Fish QT Service

[abcha0s]

One of the biggest challenges that I find with effective qt is how do you know for certain that you have been successful? Really this must apply to all water in your system at any given point in time. To eliminate the risk of cross contamination you have to consider all of your tanks essentially as one system even if they are disconnected and separate (as mine are). But how can you be absolutely certain?

Qt protocol will supress symptoms. Not just for a two week observation period, but for months, years or forever. I had fish with velvet in a community tank that showed no visible signs or symptoms for over two years. I know it was there because these were the survivors and I don't think velvet magically disappears in a tank with fish. There was ich in that tank as well. These same fish went through QT and never showed any symptoms. They were In an isolated observation tank for months and never showed any symptoms. I know they had velvet and I am now reasonable certain that they don't, but how to be 100% certain of this? I cannot say with complete certainty that I didn't somehow cross contaminat them with something new and they are now carries but still symptom free. I would say the risk is very small. Less than 5%, but am I willing to risk it all on a less than 5% risk? I would like to get that down to less than 1%. I don't think zero risk is possible and if you aspire to that level of discipline then there's no way this is fun anymore.

Fresh water black mollies seem to be one strategy. Perhaps I need to get some.

Brad