Cost to Quarantine

[Nav]

After my recent fish loss, I started thinking of a next fish I could add and really want to make sure its QT'd well before adding to DT.

I've done this in the past but was a lot of extra time & effort. I'm sure there are many members here having QTs running 24/7 with some fish being treated in it, and was wondering what would it cost to add a fish I buy to that system so its also QT/treated? (hypo or CP)

I'm debating between setting up a QT or just paying to have another member QT for me Thoughts?

 

[650-IS350]

You could set up a cheap one especially when petco has those dollar per gallon tank sales. Or find a used small biocube to be used as QT.

 

[Nav]

You could set up a cheap one especially when petco has those dollar per gallon tank sales. Or find a used small biocube to be used as QT.

Agreed with setting up for cheap, my concern was the extra time and effort in keeping it running

(was almost about to downgrade my 40B for same reasons)

 

[JAR]

I have had almost all my fish for over 5 years. The time and money spent in the beginning to QT was worth it.
Just do it.

 

[tankguy]

agree with Jar , my 20L qt runs 24/7 with little effort

 

[neuro]

I haven't QT'd, but most of my fish deaths have happened way after they were added to a tank.

There is no guarantee your fish will survive in the long run, even after proper quarantine procedures.

 

[euod]

So true. Got a goldflake angel on Sat. from a local reefer who had it in a holding tank, but not sure for how long. Thought it was a sure thing but it checked out by Monday.
Also, had a 6" blue tang in qt for months and transferred to a new 90 tank all by himself. Major ick breakout so took the tank apart. The tang is now very happy in a 10 gal tank
Don't get me wrong, QT is required. I now keep fish in holding tank for 2 months or longer, and fish go to acclimation box for 1-7 days before releasing into the tank.

 

[bondolo]

I water change the QT tank with waste water from the main system. Not only does this save time it helps acclimate the fish.

I also culture the QT system's hang on filter sponges in my main system sump. I have a supply in the sump, grab one out, replace the one in the QT filter. Rinse out the dirty filter sponge and put it into a bath of sodium percarbonate (neat trick I picked up from beer making). A couple of days later I rinse the sponge out and return the fresh and minty (not actually minty) sponge back into my sump to be re colonized by appropriate bacteria.

 

[bluprntguy]

Not sure how big a fish you are planning, but I have 5 gallon tanks, filters and heaters if you want to borrow them. I might even have a pack of Chloroquine Phosphate still.

For the last few fish, I've quarantined and did prophylactic treatments with CP.

Also, you might want to consider having California Reef Company order something for you from ORA and then picking it up when it arrives and before it goes into their system. I'd still quarantine, but your chances of getting a diseased fish are reduced substantially.

 

[Nav]

Thanks Phillip. I'm planning on another Midas Blenny and possibly a wrasse (solar fairy or mystery or mc coskers)

All my fish are from Ca Reef Co. I know they also have a large QT system... I'll check if they can get those or I'll PM you to borrow the QT

 

[bluprntguy]

Thanks Phillip. I'm planning on another Midas Blenny and possibly a wrasse (solar fairy or mystery or mc coskers)

All my fish are from Ca Reef Co. I know they also have a large QT system... I'll check if they can get those or I'll PM you to borrow the QT

Yeah, CA Reef's "quarantine" system is really an "observation" area. It's still all one big system where all the water is recirculated between the individual fish holding areas. If one fish in this area shows symptoms, then they probably all have whatever the first fish got - eventually.

 

[aqua-nut]

Also, you might want to consider having California Reef Company order something for you from ORA and then picking it up when it arrives and before it goes into their system. I'd still quarantine, but your chances of getting a diseased fish are reduced substantially.

That's exactly what I do at my LFS. Every time I've been there, there seems to be at least one fish in the system that doesn't look 'right'. No sense exposing the incoming fish to extra crap in their 'beastie soup'. It still goes thru QT with CP and PraziPro treatments.