To those of you who DON'T quarantine...

[Atomikk]

The value of quarantining new fish gets displayed only when hobbyists encounter Marine Velvet in their reef tank. It is really unfortunate that many do not use their QTs.

I have seen it too many times, and it is really hard to understand why a simple process is not practised. A 20 gallon tank, with a trickle filter, airstone/powerhead, ammonia detector (SeaChem made), some PVC (2" or 4" cut pieces, or Ts and elbows), heater, and a light (CFL). That is it. All for under 100$.

[Albertan22]

Ok, for those that are QTing then, what kind of survival rates do you get and what are you doing to increase the fish's chances? Ken mentioned drip aclimating and using products like selcon or garlic. I haven't been using a dietary supplement, but my doomed fish have always been eating, active and healthy looking (except for the one clown with the growth). They seem to take a turn for the worse within one or two days when they die. They won't eat one day (usually around a week in), then they're dead sometime over the next two days.

The two fish that did survive through QT are thriving and have been happy as can be in my DT for many weeks now, so it's not like I can't keep saltwater fish alive...

[BlueWorldAquatic]

What do you have for flow & such in your QT tank?

Ken

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by Albertan22

Ok, for those that are QTing then, what kind of survival rates do you get and what are you doing to increase the fish's chances? Ken mentioned drip aclimating and using products like selcon or garlic. I haven't been using a dietary supplement, but my doomed fish have always been eating, active and healthy looking (except for the one clown with the growth). They seem to take a turn for the worse within one or two days when they die. They won't eat one day (usually around a week in), then they're dead sometime over the next two days.

The two fish that did survive through QT are thriving and have been happy as can be in my DT for many weeks now, so it's not like I can't keep saltwater fish alive...

Qt set up should be around a 20g tank with a heater, airstone and pvc hidding places. I have found that the most important thing with QT to prevent healthy fish from dying, is that you have to do a 40%-50% water change every two to three days, no exceptions. This is because that is the only way I have found to keep ammonia and nitrate levels down low enough so that it doesn't spike causing the fish in QT to die.

[Atomikk]

Originally Posted by Albertan22

Ok, for those that are QTing then, what kind of survival rates do you get and what are you doing to increase the fish's chances? Ken mentioned drip aclimating and using products like selcon or garlic. I haven't been using a dietary supplement, but my doomed fish have always been eating, active and healthy looking (except for the one clown with the growth). They seem to take a turn for the worse within one or two days when they die. They won't eat one day (usually around a week in), then they're dead sometime over the next two days.

The two fish that did survive through QT are thriving and have been happy as can be in my DT for many weeks now, so it's not like I can't keep saltwater fish alive...

That's is a sign of something else.. like cyanide. All cyanide caught fish display those types of symptoms. Sudden loss of appetite, and then the next day they perish. Usually when fish don't want to eat, they are sick. But when a fish dies within a day or two, it must be cyanide (unless there are visible signs of distress).

[BlueWorldAquatic]

Definatly a possibility of Cyanide caught fish. Hawaii fish are really bad for it, also possibility of copper in the system, we found Angels don't like that.

Ken

[Delphinus]

Cyanide caught from Hawaii, really?? I would have thought (hoped?) Hawaii is the least likely place to find that. I'm very disheartened to hear that it could be going on there.

[Albertan22]

My QT is a 29g tank with a heater, korallia 1, one of those sponge filters that you hook an air hose too (provides the bubbling) and a bunch of PVC elbows and such. There shouldn't be any copper in the system, the tank itself is used, but I know the guy who used it and it was just used for goldfish, everything else in the tank is new. I've been wondering about the cyanide thing, as the fish have never really looked sick prior to death.

[BlueWorldAquatic]

I actually dropped a supplier out there when all the Flame Angels dropped 72 hours after arrival here. My agent no longer uses this company either, as it happened to other LFS also.

Some divers just want to harvest the fish the easiest and most economical way.

Ken

[hillegom]

cyanide! Thats too bad they are also doing it in Hawaii. Never would have thought that.