Who uses quarantine tanks?

[michika]

I dip all my frags going in, and if I can, I dip them on the way out as well. I use Tropic Marin Coral Pro Cure, and Interceptor (only if I feel a need, and only on incoming frags). I never used to dip frags, but after a complete tank wipe out, frags, and fish in 2005 due to red bugs, I am compulsive about it.

I don't currently use QT because I'm not adding anything anymore, and I have a severe space restriction. However, I used to QT and did hyposalinity on fish when possible.

[Reefer Rob]

Fish get quarantine.

Acros get quarantine and red bug treatment.

All my corals are going to get Flatworm Exit as well from now on.

[michika]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

Fish get quarantine.

Acros get quarantine and red bug treatment.

All my corals are going to get Flatworm Exit as well from now on.

I assume all the treatments are for incoming corals? May I ask what using Flatworm Exit is like?

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by michika

I assume all the treatments are for incoming corals? May I ask what using Flatworm Exit is like?

I just did it yesterday. Cost me my White Cheek Tang Multiply the number of flatworms you can see by 2 or 3 hundred to give you the total number in your tank.

I thought I was witnessing the end of my tank. I'm going to do another treatment next Saturday to make sure I got them all. I hope I never see the little buggers again! From now on everything incoming will be treated.

Cryptocaryon, Red Bugs, Flatworms. Sometimes I wonder why I keep an aquarium! The only line of defense is quarantine to keep them all out.

[michika]

I'm so sorry to hear that. So your treating your whole tank right now with flatworm exit, and then from now on you'll treat each individual incoming coral?

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by michika

I'm so sorry to hear that. So your treating your whole tank right now with flatworm exit, and then from now on you'll treat each individual incoming coral?

That's the plan.

[mseepman]

Where do you get your flatworm exit. I understand it doesn't meet Canadian standards for "drugs" and therefore most stores don't sell it. J&L has pulled it too.

[Gordon H]

I had been using a quarantine for about six months, and then was advised against it by my LFS. It appeared that about 1/3 of the peopleworking at the LFS did baths and used a quarantine and the other 2/3 did not. I discussed the issue at length with a group of people working at the LFS and at the end of the day, concluded that I would not dip or use a QT. While everything on the Internet and in the books strongly suggests a quarantine, the arguments against using one seem equally as strong. The main argument is that the strongest determinant of fish health is water quality and that it is almost impossible to get as good a water quality in your QT as it is in your display tank. Unless you are willing to basically duplicate the equipment from your display on your QT, you might be doing the fish more harm than good by using a QT. This seems to be the conclusion reached by most of the people working at the LFS.

Am I the only one that has come to this same conclusion? Not according to the results of the poll ;-)

[marie]

Originally Posted by Gordon H

I had been using a quarantine for about six months, and then was advised against it by my LFS. It appeared that about 1/3 of the peopleworking at the LFS did baths and used a quarantine and the other 2/3 did not. I discussed the issue at length with a group of people working at the LFS and at the end of the day, concluded that I would not dip or use a QT. While everything on the Internet and in the books strongly suggests a quarantine, the arguments against using one seem equally as strong. The main argument is that the strongest determinant of fish health is water quality and that it is almost impossible to get as good a water quality in your QT as it is in your display tank. Unless you are willing to basically duplicate the equipment from your display on your QT, you might be doing the fish more harm than good by using a QT. This seems to be the conclusion reached by most of the people working at the LFS.

Am I the only one that has come to this same conclusion? Not according to the results of the poll ;-)

To me the biggest reason to quarantine new fish is to protect the fish that you already have in your tank. If I hadn't quarantined my achilles tang I would of lost all of my fish to marine velvet

[surgeonfish]

Except for Gordon H, everyone posting a reply is in favor of quarantine and/or dipping, often because of personal experience. If done properly, I think the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives.

Maybe we should talk about ways to quarantine that reduce stress on the animals/corals. If done poorly, it may just add more stress to the anima or coral. I am always worried about plopping a fish into a newly set up quarantine tank with the potential added stress of the tank cycling. Therefore, I have a 44 gal tank always running with a filter, protein skimmer, and a few permanent resident fish. As a result, the quarantine tank is already stable. I do weekly water changes, alternating between new SW and water from the main tank. Before moving a fish out of the quarantine tank, I will do additional water changes using water from the main tank so the water in both tanks is as similar as possible. However, this requires additional time to keep the quarantine tank running constantly; but personally I think it provides the least amount of stress on new arrivals.