Quarantining

[k0olmini]

Hey everyone. I have a LFS that actually quarantines their fish for 1 month before putting them out to sell. They monitor and medicate the fish during that time. I know the easy answer is always quarantine but my set up at home doesn’t allow it. I have a 40 breeder and a 10 gallon shrimp tank. No other places to me to temporarily house fish. Before I got away with it because my shrimp tank was empty, now not that case anymore. 
 

Main question, do you think it’s safe enough for me to just add fish? I’ve done it before with other fish from them, so far a good track record, but now I’m a little gun shy 

[Mmiller2001]

Do you trust their word? If so, just add them. Ask them about their return policy too. If they stand behind it, you are probably safe.

[DSH OUTDOORS]

That will work until it doesn't...

I have a local fish store that quarantines for a few weeks before actually placing a price on the tank.  I have bought enough from them to trust their process and simply place directly into the majority of my tanks.  I have bought fish from them that they are actively medicating and quarantining because of their rarity and I didn't want to miss out on them, I just continue that at home in a separate tank before adding them in with other fish.

No one can tell you if it is safe or not.  You know your local fish store, if you trust their process, as I do with mine, go for it!

 

 

[Bobbie]

I’d suggest doing some googling to see if other people have had good or bad experiences with the shop. 
 

As someone who regularly bought fish and medicated them in the community tank instead of a separate tank, and then had it come back to bite me a few days before I went on holiday: have a backup plan, because there’ll eventually be a fish that comes in sick. 
 

Obviously having a spare cycled tank up and running at all times is the safest method but, even if it’s a small bucket or tub, have somewhere you can put the sick fish. Depending on species size, you could even keep an empty nano tank somewhere and just fill it with the water & some plants/decor from your main tank when it’s needed. 
 

Personally, my new quarantine tank is a 6 gallon that’ll house a small group of cheap fish (I’m thinking white clouds or endlers) that will get along well with any new fish I bring in. If the new fish go in and the current fish get sick, then I’ll know they’re carrying something. 

[Mmiller2001]

I forgot to mention. Seachem makes a line of meds that can be mixed into food with their product call Focus. This allows you to target feed and is very cost effective.

If you run into flukes, dosing the tank is very safe with Paracleanse. I've never lost a plant or animal using any med.

Just FYI