Quarantine Process

[ccurtis]

Hello Everyone, 

I am currently in week two of my quarantine process. I am currently quarantining 30 cardinal tetras getting them ready to go in my 75g tank. I am curious what your quarantine process looks like.  My process is as follows provided no issues arise and the fish seem healthy:

Week 1 - Observation - No meds / End of week 25% water change

Week 2 - Aquarium Coop Med Trio / End of week 50% water change

Week 3 - Expel P - After 24 hours, 25% water change/vac of bottom of tank - Observation rest of week no meds

Week 4 - Expel P - After 24 hours, 25% water change/vac of bottom of tank - Observation rest of week no meds. 

At the end of week 4, if no issues have arose and the fish seem to be healthy and looking good, I clear them from quarantine and put them in the display tank. Should any issue arise during the quarantine process, I treat that specific issue and once the issue is clear, the quarantine process starts over again. 

Just curious what your quarantine process looks like? I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to quarantine, as long as you are doing what works for you and keeping your fish healthy. Just curious what other peoples quarantine process look like. 

[nabokovfan87]

In general, I can't or don't have the space/tank to QT something.  My fish have been with me for years and I use my QT tank for treatment more than anything.  However, if I was to bring in something new this would be the method and how I would run things....

Tank size, 20L, 2 sponge filters, optionally adding on a tidal 35 for carbon or added circulation. Substrate in the tank with a piece of wood, moss.

Fish arrive at the house, I would add them to the tank after acclimation (if need be) and then I would add in the med trio, aquarium salt, and some alder cones.

Week 1: I follow the directions on Maracyn for meds, After each water change I would re-dose in Ich-X and Maracyn with a 50% WC. 
Week 2: Rest, monitor
Week 3: Rest, monitor
Weeks 4-10: Follow Odd_Ducks method for parasites to treat for internal parasites.
---->Day 1: Black out tank, dose in levamisole / Expel-P
---->Day 2-6: Water change, siphon gravel, dose in paracleanse... follow directions on the box.
---->Day 7: Rest
*Minimum 2 treatments for internal parasites, 3-6 for a fish that shows a severe infection*

I would then rest those fish, monitor, and make sure everything is doing well, then decide when to move them.  When I do move them, I will usually rescape a tank to reset boundaries.

Edited January 26, 2023 by nabokovfan87
rogue hyphen removal

[Rube_Goldfish]

I don't do preemptive medicating, just 2-4 weeks of observation, regular water changes, and normal feeding (well, starting on Day 2; nothing on the day they first come home). Maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe my LFS, where I've gotten every single fish I've ever kept, is doing more in-store treating and/or quarantining that I don't know about, but that's worked for me. Caveat: I've only been in the hobby for about a year and a half.