Expensive Fish But No Quarantine Tank.

[WILDER]

Can't understand fish keepers who buy really expensive fish and don't have a quarantine tank, what's your thoughts.

 

[ringham]

I must admit to being one of thise kind of people. I am saving up right now to but a quarentine tank. I guess that some people just have to learn the hard way or not at all.

 

[Durbkat]

I am also one to buy fish but not quarentine them because I look at them at the store and if they look sick or are acting wierd I either won't buy any of the fish from that tank or will have them get a none sick looking fish if I really wanted the fish that day. Also another reason I don't quarentine my fish is because the lps where I get them hardly ever have sick fish and if they do they quarentine the tank and won't sell fish out of that tank and I've never quarentined any of my fish before and have had no ill effects :knock on wood:.

 

[SamUK]

id rather spend that money on fish that on another tank and all the equipment needed to run it.

thats why i dont have one.

 

[DarkSeraph]

I think I'm just going to use an old 10g as a quarantine, but it won't be able to hold most of my fish when they get larger. A 6" Discus in a 10g is just... not cool...

 

[wendywc]

I don't have a quarantine tank. But then again, my fish are small and so are my tanks (compared to most others). I try not to buy any fish that looks sick. And I have the mentality if one of my fish is sick, I'm fine in treating the whole tank, just in case someone else might be sick as well.

 

[Bloo]

I'll be totally honest and say I've never quarantined a fish in my life
yes, I know I know.......

I observe all fish extremely closely for a couple of weeks after adding a new purchase. (Touch Wood) the worst I've encounted (actually the only thing ever) was a dash of ICH which was nipped in the bud very quickly with no loss of fish.

 

[smithrc]

I'll be totally honest and say I've never quarantined a fish in my life
yes, I know I know.......

I observe all fish extremely closely for a couple of weeks after adding a new purchase. (Touch Wood) the worst I've encounted (actually the only thing ever) was a dash of ICH which was nipped in the bud very quickly with no loss of fish.

I never isolate new fish... I buy from know and trusted stores (2 in our area) one will even hold fish for me after import

Like Bloo - the worst we've had is a case of whitespot. it effected more than a few fish so treaded the whole tank.

However - Wilder may well be referring to quarantining sick or troubled fish, normally I treat the whole tank if its has an ill fish - If ones got it others are at risk. I do however have lots of possibilities now
I started up a 2ft last night for an apisto that has not settled down in the 350l and I have a heavily pregnant endler with dropsey being treated in a 4gal (its recovering too )

I agree, if your going to keep expensive fish its a false economy not to have back up equipment (wether its for equipment failure or setting up a quarantine tank.

 

[Bloo]

Ah ok - a do have a spare tank to use as a hospital tank - so can isolate any of my fish if need be (for treatment / observation). Also have a small spare pump (that I can instantly fully seed with some filter media from either of my large external filters) & heater to go with it of course

 

[Synirr]

I'll be totally honest and say I've never quarantined a fish in my life

Same here
I've never even gotten a case of ich from it that I can remember... I've had new fish die of columnaris or something of the sort, but have never had it spread. My oscar did get ich from some ghost shrimp once though (presumably in their water)

When I want to add new fish from a questionable source to a tank with fish I highly value though, like my $40 Betta albimarginata, I tend to pop them in a different tank for observation first.... so the fish I don't like as much can be the ones to get the ich

 

[steelhealr]

To any newcomers who read above the following comments:

will have them get a non sick looking fish if I really wanted the fish that day

id rather spend that money on fish that on another tank and all the equipment needed to run it.

I try not to buy any fish that looks sick.

I've had new fish die of columnaris or something of the sort, but have never had it spread.

At the risk of being flamed, I must comment that this is NOT RECOMMENDED and is NOT THE STANDARD OF CARE in freshwater aquarism. All new fish should be quarantined for a minimum of 2-3 weeks prior to adding them to your main aquarium.

Reasons to quarantine your fish with respects to the above comments:

• most fish are stressed at the lfs whether they show it or not. They are usually transported under extremes of handling. The tanks are usually overstocked with no shelter for hiding
• current fish disease theories suggest that parasites may exist on fish without signs or symptoms; that some harbor immunity but my transmit the organism to other's without it
• similar to humans and other animals, bacteria, viruses and parasites may have an incubation period before the numbers become apparent and overwhelming
• Columnaris can be deadly and difficult to diagnose AND treat
• the first time you 'wing it' and transmit disease to your entire aquarium, you'll regret it. I don't think a comment like "well, I'll just treat the entire tank" is conscientious aquarism.
• a cheap hospital tank can usually be acquired for under $18 and can be stored out of sight

With all due respect to some of the above superb fishkeepers here, this post was necessary for any newcomer who might be swayed to avoid quarantining any new addition to their tank.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I have to admit that after the long months of misery when one of my first purchases brought in a bacterial infection which very slowly spread through the tank, and all the work before I finally managed to eradicate it, the thought of maybe having to go through that again with any new purchase- well, I'm with Steelhealr on this one. Whenever I buy again, I will quarantine!
Mind you, the way my platies bred before succumbing, it will be a long time before I am in a position to make that second purchase.

 

[Tolak]

I agree with s.h. big time. I quar everything, 2 weeks from a known breeder, 4 weeks from an unknown source. I have way too much to lose having a breeding setup. If I'm doing this, and have the fish pretty much paying for everything through sales, any newbies might want to as well.

You don't have to have a tank for quar, a Rubbermaid or similar container will do. You can get them for less than $5, a cheap heater for around $12, sponge filters can be made for a couple of bucks. The 20 bucks you spend will be saved the first time you catch a sick fish you didn't put in your main tank, meds for a larger tank can be expensive, daily water changes can take up time.

Some of my fish I buy I get from other breeders. I know what their setup is like, their maintenance procedure, breeding techniques and so on. I still quar those fish for 2 weeks, and it does get some breeders upset. I've told them that they are welcome to come and med, do water changes, whatever I would have to do to solve any problem their fish create if I toss them straight in a working tank in my setup. No takers on that one yet.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

When buying a more expensive fish, I don't think about quarentining them. Basically, I just go to a LFS that I know and trust, not only are the fish healthy and of a good size, they also give me discounts now.

 

[steelhealr]

(sigh). SH