QT Questions

[Coolysd]

Hey y'all!
This is my first time ever having a QT. I currently have 3 platys that have been hangin out for 2 weeks and 2 days. I have been observing them daily and they seem to be okay. I would like to transfer them to my 75gal but I have a few questions.

What is the typical quarantine time?
Is there a specific technique to transfer?
Is there anything that should be done prior to the move?

For the past week ALL of the parameters for both tanks have matched, temperature, PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
Thanks for helping this newbie out!
I appreciate y'all!!

 

[Colin_T]

The minimum quarantine period is 2 weeks but 4 weeks is safer.

Common livebearers from fish farms regularly carry intestinal worms and gill flukes. I like to treat all livebearers and in fact all new fish for intestinal worms while they are in quarantine. This ensures you don't have to treat the main display tank for worms further down the track. See section 3 of the following link for treating intestinal worms in fish.

What to do if your fish has Stringy White Poop.

Fish do a stringy white poop for several reasons. 1) Internal Bacterial Infections causes the fish to stop eating, swell up like a balloon, breath heavily at the surface or near a filter outlet, do stringy white poop, and die within 24-48 hours of showing these symptoms. This cannot normally be...

www.fishforums.net

To move fish from a quarantine tank to the display tank, just catch them out of the quarantine tank and put them in the main display (assuming the temperature and water chemistry is similar).

 

[GaryE]

My view is close to Colin's - I QT 3 weeks minimum and sometimes go several weeks to months longer. I don't treat for worms unless I suspect they're present, but otherwise, if the tank water is equalized, I net them and drop them in.

 

[Rocky998]

How do you know when their "ready" to be added into the main tank then?

My view is close to Colin's - I QT 3 weeks minimum and sometimes go several weeks to months longer. I don't treat for worms unless I suspect they're present, but otherwise, if the tank water is equalized, I net them and drop them in.

 

[Colin_T]

If the fish have shown no signs of disease for 4 weeks, and are eating well and swimming about happily, then move them into their permanent home.

And the 2-4 week quarantine period, the fish must be healthy and not get sick. If they do get sick, the quarantine period starts after they have recovered from the disease.
eg: You buy some guppies and put them in quarantine. One week later they get an external protozoan infection. You treat it and at the end of the second week they are free of disease. You restart the quarantine period from then, when they are free of the infection.

 

[Coolysd]

Thanks everyone for the info!! Much appreciated!!