Quarantine time?

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by burgerchow

Of course I would have a canister or job filter, and would start off with water from display tank. I thought I wouldn't have to say that.

Sorry, when you said sterile tank, I thought you were setting up a new QT that is not fully cycled, and were trying to short cut that process, too. You did state you had never QT'ed before. It takes at least a few weeks, or more, to get a canister filter fully cycled. How long have you had your QT and canister filter running?

If your QT is fully cycled with a working canister filter, then you don't need the UV or Ozone. But I wouldn't cut the time short in the QT, if you want to be sure the new fish are healthy and strong before moving to the display tank.

And I wouldn't use copper either. Why not give your new $400 fish the best start possible?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by burgerchow

But what if you have a sterile tank, say bare glass, treated with copper, a strong uv light and maybe even ozone. Theoretically speaking, any hitch-hiking parasites should die quickly. Wouldn't that speed up the quarantine process?

If you do all that you will probably kill the fish. The strength of a UV sterilizer needs to be 336,000 uWs/cm2 to kill 99.99% of Ich (which is huge btw). Copper treatment has a very small "safe" window, and even a minor overdose can cause liver and kidney damage. Even the "safe" dose is hard on the fishes' organs. Ozone is also easy to overdose which can even be harmful to you. Taking shortcuts is really not a good idea, and defeats the purpose of quarantine.

[burgerchow]

Originally Posted by Myka

If you do all that you will probably kill the fish. The strength of a UV sterilizer needs to be 336,000 uWs/cm2 to kill 99.99% of Ich (which is huge btw). Copper treatment has a very small "safe" window, and even a minor overdose can cause liver and kidney damage. Even the "safe" dose is hard on the fishes' organs. Ozone is also easy to overdose which can even be harmful to you. Taking shortcuts is really not a good idea, and defeats the purpose of quarantine.

Ok, but I thought the main purpose of quarantining a fish was to make sure it had no pathogens and parasites that could infect the other fish in your display tank. If I treat it in quarantine, ok say I just use a 50 watt uv for a week in a 20 gal, and the fish remains healthy and is eating, wouldn't you think it would be safe for the display?
I've never had to quarantine fish before, but only because I don't buy fish that have just arrived at Lfs. I usually wait til they've been in the tank at the Lfs for at least a month.

The fish I'm considering is a goldflake angel. Might have to special order it, which means I have to pick it up shortly after it arrives at Lfs.

[daniella3d]

YOu could, but copper is too toxic to be used as prevention.

I generally use Seachem Paraguard for 3 to 4 weeks in my QT. This would take care of ick and brooklynella.

UV don't do much for parasites already on the fish and for those that do not pass through the UV.

A UV does not kill the parasites at all, it just control their numbers. It cannot get them all.

Originally Posted by burgerchow

Ok, but I thought the main purpose of quarantining a fish was to make sure it had no pathogens and parasites that could infect the other fish in your display tank. If I treat it in quarantine, ok say I just use a 50 watt uv for a week in a 20 gal, and the fish remains healthy and is eating, wouldn't you think it would be safe for the display?
I've never had to quarantine fish before, but only because I don't buy fish that have just arrived at Lfs. I usually wait til they've been in the tank at the Lfs for at least a month.

The fish I'm considering is a goldflake angel. Might have to special order it, which means I have to pick it up shortly after it arrives at Lfs.

[Megalodon]

Originally Posted by burgerchow

But what if you have a sterile tank, say bare glass, treated with copper, a strong uv light and maybe even ozone. Theoretically speaking, any hitch-hiking parasites should die quickly. Wouldn't that speed up the quarantine process?

I've been lucky so far,but when seahorse told me about his bout with velvet, might start to do it, especially for $400 plus fish

Nope, the UV won't eradicate your tank and fish of ick. Only copper and hyposalinity can do that, and I wouldn't recommend copper because it's harmful to the fish and increases their mortality rate substantially. The best thing is hyposalinity in addition to certain other medications as necessary.

Here's a good article...

"Hyposalinity can be employed in better acclimating recently transported fish, for quarantine, treating wounds, with antibiotics, getting fish to begin eating, conserving metabolic energy, improving growth and alleviating the effects of stress."

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/6/fish