Quarantine new fish

[sreding]

I'm trying to get a feel for quarantining when getting new fish.  My searching makes it seem like it's an absolute must - I don't know if that's just the internet feeding on itself or if its a requirement to maintain a healthy community tank?  I do realize that there is always a chance to introduce something to a tank through new stock, but I have no feel for how common that actually is.  Is it likely to happen every time?  Maybe once over my time keeping fish?  Half the time?  I guess even one time that wipes out a tank would be one time too many...  

I have a 75 gal that is planted - I'd love to run salt to help, but the plants will suffer.  

I currently don't plan to be adding stock often and don't have a good place for a dedicated quarantine tank (meaning in a common place where it's easy to keep an eye on).  I do have an extra sponge filter I run in my tank in the event that I need to treat fish - so I can move that to the temp tank if needed.    I've read the few current threads here and there were some good ideas there for 'as needed' hospital tank (tubs etc).     

Do you quarantine new fish every single time?  
Only when you get fish shipped?  
Only when they come from a LFS that maybe doesn't have the best looking tanks?  

Thank you.   

[Will Billy]

To be fare, so you can formulate your own informed opinion. It is quite possible, and undoubtedly there are many people who do not quarantine. Your success or failure from not quarantining involves no skill at all, it is pure luck at that point. Ive gotten many fish from my favorite LFS with no problems, and only once did i get a small ich outbreak. But thats just my experience, and that makes it difficult to formulate a statistical probability. My LFS may deal with a more reputable whole seller than your LFS. Maybe your LFS has better quarantine procedures than mine. With so many unknown variables i stick to what i can calculate. I add up the price tag of all my fish and plants together and compare it to the price tag of a cheap plastic tub an extra filter with an airstone and a small heater. My quarantine / hospital tank cost me about $30 maybe $35, is totally reusable, and multi purposed. When not in use as a quarantine tank, ive cured driftwood in it, and have it stored away in a closet ready for an emergency hospital tank. For a one time, up front cost of $35 that is definitely cheaper than all my fish put together before counting up my live plants. Here is my quarantine tank. 

Edited January 28, 2021 by Will Billy

[FrozenFins]

I do recemend QTing all fish. I have a setup a QT system but sometimes I won't QT (like this last time I got danios for my QT tank but I forgot that I put my QT Heater to use in my betta tank, so I decided to skip the QT processs for the danios) I wouldn't say its a 50/50 chance of a fish you brought home having a disease but much lower, especially if its coming from a reputable source (Like some LFS) I would say if you only have one fish tank and you rarely get new fish, I would say you could probably get away with it and not have any problems without QTing. With that being said in a perfect world we would all have a QT setup. So no its not a MUST. All though if you do plan on keeping fish long term you will defentley run into fish coming home with diseases. I once brought home a bristlenose pleco with ich and had to treat the whole tank, my german blue ram died because of it. I would say that if you ask any fish keeper that has kept fish for more then 5 years they have a simillar story. 

Here is a video Girl Talks Fish did on a cheap QT system, incase you decide to go with it

 

[morphy1701]

Ideally, yes, always quaratine. Some of it depends on your local fish store. If you are buying from a locally owned, reputable store who you know takes good care of their fish, you are probably OK. Big box store.... definitely quarantine. Just now worth risk of wiping out your existing fish, or having to go through all the hassle of curing ick when your fish get it and killing all your snails. Cause if you buy from a box store, your gonna bring home ick. It's just too common and they have so many new fish constantly being rotated through the tanks.

 

[GoldenGardner]

Great video and explanation! Should I get an extra filter that I keep in my current tank for when I do need to quarantine fish?

[sreding]

@Will Billy and @James Black thank you for the detailed replies.  I do have a tub, heater and air pump for use as a short term hospital tank.  There is a spare sponge filter (in addition to my canister filter) running in my main tank so I have some cycled media for that hospital 'tank'.   

I completely agree with the cost aspect - a QT tank is cheap insurance (I also have the common meds just in case they are needed).  I was getting stuck on the thought of having a dedicated QT tank with established media and keeping it up/running in the long term (lets be real - I'd soon have fish in there that would then have to moved ;) ) OR planning 30 days ahead to cycle a new tank to use for QT before purchasing fish (eliminates those impulse buys though!).  

Thanks again!  

[Will Billy]

21 minutes ago, GoldenGardner said:

Great video and explanation! Should I get an extra filter that I keep in my current tank for when I do need to quarantine fish?

Thats the fastest and easiest way to quickly cycle your quarantine / hospital tank if you need to set it up in a hurry, If you dont keep it running all the time. 

[GoldenGardner]

I ordered the med trio and an extra Co-op Sponge filter and I'll throw that in my tank when I get it. We'd like to get more fish once the tank cycles so we'll be all set when we can. 

 

[Brandy]

I don't always quarantine. 

Situations when I don't:

• I am going to put new fish into an empty tank 
• I am going to put several hardy species together in a small (under 20g) tank within about a month
• I am moving my own fish between tanks

Times when I wish I had:

• The first thing I bought was wild caught tetras from a big box store to add to an inherited betta tank. I lost everything. 
• I put many fish into a larger tank...and ended spending a lot more than I thought I needed to to treat them in that larger tank--but did I? I could have treated 3x in a 10g, or 1x in a 30g, same cost.
• I brought home a school of tetras with ich, and it took FOREVER to treat the display tank, over and over and over. THIS is the number one reason to do a separate QT with no gravel, so that you can get out in front of infections like this one that spend part of their lifescycle off the fish.

I don't always "quarantine" but I DO always TREAT incoming fish, especially for parasites. This is critical for me. The avialbility of effective safe medication makes me actually less inclined to quarantine most of the time. I would rather prophylactically treat everyone every so often.

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Brandy

[tekjunkie28]

I have always wondered how long fish would live if we treat them when we get them. Are fish a lot sicker then they appear to use like a person with lyme disease?  I am starting a quarantine process when I get new fish next time unless they are going in my sons 5gal setup. It is basically a QT anyways... small, no live plants, and currently no fish.  As for my larger tank that I am planning for the living room, I will quarantine.  A single fish is cheap but QT is cheaper and just saves time, money and headache.

 

[FrozenFins]

You can just put a sponge filter in your 75gal and take it out and put in your QT tank to have it cycled. During the cycling process you are growing beneficial bacteria that converts amonia - nitrites - nitrates. The bacteria will mostly grow on your filter, therefore if you put a filter in a pre-established tank with a constant source of amonia (fish) you can keep that QT cycled with that filter.

[sreding]

Thanks everyone - it's clear that the benefits outweigh the slight additional hassle.  I made a space in my office to put the tank when it needs to be set up so I can keep a better eye on any new livestock that I add.  

[Sabrina]

Is it safe to move the sponge filter back to the main tank when you are done quarantining?

[Will Billy]

4 hours ago, Sabrina said:

 

Is it safe to move the sponge filter back to the main tank when you are done quarantining?

 

If i just quarantine, and nothing else, then yes. If i treated with medication than i usually clean the filter before i do. That may just be me being paranoid tho. Maybe someone else has some thoughts on this.