Quarantine time?

[burgerchow]

For all you out there that quarantine fish. How long do you keep them in quarantine before introducing to main display.?

[burgerchow]

I haven't ever had to quarantine before, but thinking of some really expensive fish so might do it. I'm thinking if I use a 20 gal barebottom, with a u/v filter hooked up, probably would only have to quarantine for a couple of days. ( assuming the u/v would have killed any ich or any other parasites)

What about adding a dose of copper to the quarantine tank. That should kill just about anything ( provided the fish survives LOL )

[Aquattro]

I now quarantine for 4 weeks and treat with chloroquine.

[Reef Pilot]

Mine take about 3 months total. That's because I do the hypo salinity routine which takes a little longer. But I make good use of the extra time to get the new fish feeding well so they are healthy and strong before they go into the display tank.

Be sure you have a fully cycled QT, so you don't have any ammonia or nitrite issues. I keep a canister filter with a sponge running all the time, so it is always ready to go. I recycle display tank water through it when I do water changes.

I just completed another QT with new fish, and they are all healthy and happy now in the display tank.

[daniella3d]

The very minimum is 4 weeks, but best is 6 to 8 weeks to be sure.

Last time I did quarantine it was 8 weeks, and 3 of those were with Paraguard.

For all you out there that quarantine fish. How long do you keep them in quarantine before introducing to main display.?

[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

[Aquattro]

It's not about a single $400 fish, it's about all the fish in your tank. I lost thousands of dollars of fish by adding one more fish, which was a $50 fish. It was fine in the DT for weeks before velvet broke out and killed everything in 4 days...

[Reef Pilot]

How are you going to keep the tank sterile with fish eating and pooping? That's how ammonia starts up. You can treat it with all kinds of stuff, but not sure how your fish are going to like it, along with the copper, etc. Why not do it right with a fully cycled QT.

I have never used copper. I think common Ich is often mistaken for MV. The hypo routine is a lot easier on your fish, and using recycled display tank water to bring the salinity back up means they will be fully acclimatized when you're ready to move them to their permanent home.

If you are going to buy $400 fish, shouldn't you be giving them the best possible start in their new home?

[Myka]

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]

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.

[burgerchow]

How are you going to keep the tank sterile with fish eating and pooping? That's how ammonia starts up. You can treat it with all kinds of stuff, but not sure how your fish are going to like it, along with the copper, etc. Why not do it right with a fully cycled QT.

I have never used copper. I think common Ich is often mistaken for MV. The hypo routine is a lot easier on your fish, and using recycled display tank water to bring the salinity back up means they will be fully acclimatized when you're ready to move them to their permanent home.

If you are going to buy $400 fish, shouldn't you be giving them the best possible start in their new home?

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.

[marie]

Don't try to rush the quarantine process, the fish should be with you for a possible 15 to 20 yrs.... a few extra weeks before it goes into the display is nothing.

[Reef Pilot]

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?

[Aquattro]

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

Agreed. Essentially you're poisoning the fish with copper.

[burgerchow]

Agreed. Essentially you're poisoning the fish with copper.

Ok, but what about blasting the tank with uv? That should kill all parasites and speed up the process shouldn't it?
My thinking is that these very expensive fish might be more susceptible to ich and other pathogens , cause being rare, the collection and shipping process would be sped up. For ex. They catch it and ship it the very next day. Doesn't even stay in a tank for a few days. (that's what I would do if I was in that business) once shipped, it's the responsibility of the buyer. This puts a lot of stress on the fish, that's why I'm thinking of quarantining it if I buy one.
Actually, it's because I saw a goldflake angel at j&l the other day dyeing.

[shootingstar]

If I recall uv is only potentially effective (there are different opinions) at one stage of the ICH parasite life span, that being the short window when it is free swimming.

Using UV for a couple of days could only be considered "maybe effective" during that short stage. If the parasite is in a different stage of development blasting the water column with UV will do nothing towards reducing ICH.

[Megalodon]

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 fishNope, 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

[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.

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.