Quarantine or not to quarantine?

[Simon]

Personally I think to quarantine fishes before adding them
to your tank is very important, even though, the fishes
came from a reputable source. I, myself do not practise it,
though I have to admit, the lazy bug is always in me
I have heard stories and had some experience of my own
regarding the need to quarantine, even if the fish is from
a friend. So, do u quarantine all your fishes? or do u
select what is to be quarantine? or do u only do it to
expensive fishes?

let me related one particular story, there was this fish
farm which import mainly wild fishes, in one case. One
customer asked if he can exchange his bigger angels for smaller
ones, so the owner agree to that exchange, took the customer's
angel, add them to their storage tank with other smaller angels
together. After a few days, one by one, his angels started dying
off, then he is left with zero survivor.

jus a discussion.

[Simon]

Personally I think to quarantine fishes before adding them
to your tank is very important, even though, the fishes
came from a reputable source. I, myself do not practise it,
though I have to admit, the lazy bug is always in me
I have heard stories and had some experience of my own
regarding the need to quarantine, even if the fish is from
a friend. So, do u quarantine all your fishes? or do u
select what is to be quarantine? or do u only do it to
expensive fishes?

let me related one particular story, there was this fish
farm which import mainly wild fishes, in one case. One
customer asked if he can exchange his bigger angels for smaller
ones, so the owner agree to that exchange, took the customer's
angel, add them to their storage tank with other smaller angels
together. After a few days, one by one, his angels started dying
off, then he is left with zero survivor.

jus a discussion.

[Simon]

Personally I think to quarantine fishes before adding them
to your tank is very important, even though, the fishes
came from a reputable source. I, myself do not practise it,
though I have to admit, the lazy bug is always in me
I have heard stories and had some experience of my own
regarding the need to quarantine, even if the fish is from
a friend. So, do u quarantine all your fishes? or do u
select what is to be quarantine? or do u only do it to
expensive fishes?

let me related one particular story, there was this fish
farm which import mainly wild fishes, in one case. One
customer asked if he can exchange his bigger angels for smaller
ones, so the owner agree to that exchange, took the customer's
angel, add them to their storage tank with other smaller angels
together. After a few days, one by one, his angels started dying
off, then he is left with zero survivor.

jus a discussion.

[Simon]

Personally I think to quarantine fishes before adding them
to your tank is very important, even though, the fishes
came from a reputable source. I, myself do not practise it,
though I have to admit, the lazy bug is always in me
I have heard stories and had some experience of my own
regarding the need to quarantine, even if the fish is from
a friend. So, do u quarantine all your fishes? or do u
select what is to be quarantine? or do u only do it to
expensive fishes?

let me related one particular story, there was this fish
farm which import mainly wild fishes, in one case. One
customer asked if he can exchange his bigger angels for smaller
ones, so the owner agree to that exchange, took the customer's
angel, add them to their storage tank with other smaller angels
together. After a few days, one by one, his angels started dying
off, then he is left with zero survivor.

jus a discussion.

[sherchoo]

So far I have never quarantine any fishs b4. First of all I have no tank or the space for it. Another important reason is, I got the same lazy bug as Simon's. So far so good.... lucky I guess.

[akoh]

I usually Q and treat them for abt 1week b4 introducing them to the main tank, more so if the fish is wild caught.

Safe Diving !
akoh

[scoobydoo]

So far I have never quarantined my fishes too. It's simply a matter of space, or the lack of it. Whenever I buy fishes, I try to spend some time observing them first. Not the ideal method, but guess for me, that's the best I can do apart from getting a quarantine tank.

[eggz]

Hi Simon, I agree, quarantine is something we should practice.

I wonder if this is something that LFS or some farms can help.

For example, if I buy fish from a LFS. Pay my money already, they then transfer the fish to a quarantine tank for a week (perhaps pay a small fee to them for feeding). After a week, I can collect.

If a LFS has such a service, do you think those of us who don't have quarantine tanks/space etc. will be more willing to buy from them?

Of course, we have to trust the LFS won't swap the fish, have the space etc.


eggz

[Simon]

scooby, IMHO, even if u observe those fishes u wanna buy for 1 whole day
u are still at risk.

eggz, u can try Gan

[kunner]

Quaratine as a matter of fact is to let the fish get use to the water from your tap.
Of cos in general, it is to prevent the diease which might be inside a newly bought fish spread to the rest of the existing one. Which serve as a protection to prevent major loss. But in this day, fish medicine and drug has developed rapidly and most of them are able to obtain somehow or rather. So for those FF doing import, exporting of fishes, they have established a certain level of quaratine skill. They also want their shippment to remain alive and sellable and further their repo in this line.
I notice in most cases, when new fish are bought especially wild fish they tend to get uneasy when first introduce to a new environment althought u r told they have been well treated and quaratine. The problem is they cannot get use to the water in your tank. So eggz, even the FF provide such a service although it will only reduce the fatal rate to certain extend. Bcos we all know very well stress will trigger sickness.
I personally take the trouble to quarantine all fishes I brought (wild or tank breed) I have a 1.5ft solely for quaratine, the process of relising the fish into the tank will take 3 hours[]. But still I notice some "burn fin". The new fish will stay there for 3 mths b4 they join the rest.
Just a though of mine[] bcos I bely $$$ consious[] []

[scoobydoo]

Agree with you Simon, it's not a foolproof method, but w/o a quarantine tank, guess that's the only way to go for me. It's just to make sure that at least majority, if not all of the fishes in the tank are ok. Whether or not they will be sick after I bring them home, I just hope and pray after that []

[akoh]

Remember awhile ago " Hitman " - my plecory bro.[] bought this particular pleco from this LFS. Without Q-ing he introduced this "newcomer" to his " beli beli stable and conditioned pleco tank ( no casualties b4 adding this fellow ). Disaster struck ! he suffered KO [] of 20+ pcs of his pleco collection - amounting to almost $2K+.
Believe me it's worth the while to Q ur newly purchased fishes especially if u have $X fishes in ur tank !.

Safe Diving !
akoh

[benetay]

It's been a long time since i got any fish, but yes i do agree to Q them for at lease a week. Setting aside a 2ft tank as a Q tank will do it. It can be a holding tank as well.

Q your fishes before they Kill all your fishes.

[Vican]

I used to be lazy and didn't quarantine new fishes.

I bought some otos and introduced them into my betta barracks to eat brown algae. Soon, all my bettas fell sick and almost all died.

Initially, I didn't know what happened. Later, 1 LFS told me their theory that different tanks have different diseases in them. Most of the stable fishes in this tank have immunity from these diseases (or they would have died off). But, they could be carriers. So when you add these to the tank in your house, all your fish will be infected and even killed.

2nd example. I bought my aro from a farm that fed it guppies. Livebearers are favorite hosts of camallanus and my aro was infected. I didn't know and took it home. I put him in a 2' tank for temporary housing till my 5' was cycled with some SAEs and otos. 2 wks later when the tank was cycled, I put him in the 5'. A couple of days later, I saw that the camallanus worms were sticking out of its anus.

I had tried different drugs with no apparent effect, till I managed to get some levamisole to dose the whole tank.

Now, some dangerous parasite could stay dormant for quite a while. Q-ing them 1 wk is just the minimal. I now dose the Q-tank with anti-biotics from Huey Huang aquarium and thus far, it's been OK for me.

I just do my Q-ing in those plastic tanks with a sponge filter. Not much space and you can keep the water decent for a week or so for small fishes before adding to your main tank.

Believe me. Nothing is worse than the sinking feeling that I should have quarantined my fish when my fish started dying brought about from disease from new fishes

[akoh]

another thinker ! - I usually draw water from the main tank for the Qing.

Safe Diving !
akoh

[loupgarou]

doesn't really make sense,

they have been quarantined, but as you say, the fish might be carriers and immune to a particular disease X.

while fish in your main tank and are carriers for disease Y.

mixing them together make them infected by y and x respectively...

[Allen_1971]

----------------
On 11/12/2002 10:17:15 AM

doesn't really make sense,

they have been quarantined, but as you say, the fish might be carriers and immune to a particular disease X.

while fish in your main tank and are carriers for disease Y.

mixing them together make them infected by y and x respectively...
----------------

In general I wouldn't mix the water, but it has some use. The disease Y from you main tank (if waterborne) would be introduced while your new fish in tank X are in quaranteen. If they get affected, you can treat them in your Quaranteen tank seperately. No need to treat in your main tank, or to go through the process of netting them out again.

[eggz]

[/quote]


In general I wouldn't mix the water, but it has some use. The disease Y from you main tank (if waterborne) would be introduced while your new fish in tank X are in quaranteen. If they get affected, you can treat them in your Quaranteen tank seperately. No need to treat in your main tank, or to go through the process of netting them out again.




----------------
[/quote]

I tend to agree with Chris, there's still no way of knowing if your new fish are carrying disease X and if they will affect your old fish. Since the new fish has immunity to X, no matter how long they are quaranteend, you won't see it. Unless in the Q period, they are treated with medication.


eggz

[Allen_1971]

agreed... there is no way of ensuring that your fish in Tank X are disease free even after quaranteen. This is on the assumption that your fish are purely carriers of the disease and are themselves not affected. Thats why some people recommend certain treatments like using higher salt concentrations or even some medications during quaranteen.

What shouldn't be ignored is the fact that like human diseases, fish diseases have incubation periods as well. What quaranteen serves to do is to "wait" out this incubation period of so called "healthy" fish. In such cases, you can easily tell if your fish are indeed diseased, and spare your old fish the agony of being exposed to new diseases.

Oh and one more point... I think the normal recommendation for quaranteen is about a month... which is why people seldom do it (properly)... laziness and impatience often come in. Something I'm guilty of myself.

Allen

[akoh]

I usually look for " tell tale " signs b4 making a purchase, signs like : any dead fishes in the tank, is the water in the tank treated, any " sick or injured " fishes, any balance food in the tank - especially tubiflex worms, are the tanks in the LFS community style or individual tank etc - I usually avoid buying fishes from communtiy tanks. All these observations helps reduce Q-ing time , Just a thinker ! Cheers ! []

Safe Diving !
akoh