Quarantine when starting a new tank?

[ReefDreamin']

Hello All,

I'm still in the process of doing research before I set up my 25g Nano...I want to be well prepared, and reading everyones posts on RDO has taught me so much that I would otherwise never have learned. Thanks for that!

Anyway, I've been reading up on quarantine tanks, and they seem to be a very good way to prevent introducing nasties to an established tank. My question is this...do I need to quarantine corals and fish before adding them to a newly cycled tank? To give you an idea of what I'm thinking....I'd like to add a cleaning crew when the tank has cycled, then after a month or so a Rose BTA and a pair of clownfish at the same time, then after another month or so a Tubastrea, Clove Polyp and Blue Mushroom. Does this seem reasonable? Would it be ok to go without a QT since the tank is new or is it necessary to have one?

 

[Anonymous]

Item number one - WELCOME!
Now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way... :lol:

Conventional wisdom says that any host anemone, even a realatively hardy quadricolor needs an established tank, 6 months or so. My experience? Well I put a wild green bubble tip, and a captive rose in a large tank after 3 months and they did great. I've done this several times with good success.
In any case, I would wait a few months at least just to be safe.
Always - ALWAYS quarantine fish. In a new, but established tank with no fish, you can use the actual display for quarantine purposes since no other fish are present. This is especially advisable for very delicate species that need an established, stress free environment to acclimate in. A hippo tang, or regal angel would be a good example.
In your case I would either add the pair of clowns after the tanks has settled down, a good while before the anemone. Or, wait until the tank is ready for the anemone, and add the pair of clowns after the anemone has acclimated and is doing well - the clowns still being the first fish.
After this, all new fish should be acclimated/quarantined.
As far as quarantining corals, strictly speaking - you should. There might be some nasty critter hitchhiking on the rock it's attached to. The danger with NOT quarantining corals is not the same as with fish in general though, and with the species you're taking about, I wouldn't worry about it.

Cheers
Jim

 

[ReefDreamin']

Thanks for the great info Jim.

Can you give me any advice on how to get my tank established enough to be ready for an anemone? Do I just leave it alone with the LR, LS and cleaning crew for a few months until the tank is stable? Is there anything else I can add that will help it along? How will I know it's ok to add the anemone?

For right now my only plans for fish are the clowns, and from what I've read they are pretty sturdy little guys. Since I'm still brand new at this I don't want to go in for anything too delicate, like the Tang you mentioned. When you say quarantine the first fish in the new, established display tank, you mean without any other corals present, right? Is it always best to add the fish first, then corals?

Whew...that was a lot of questions, sorry! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Fish pathogens do not affect corals, a vise versa. You can safely add fish to a tank with corals without any worries of disease transmission. So you may have some shrooms or polyps or whatever when you add your clowns, that's fine.
Just let the tank run and do it's thing. Stay on top of the water paramenters, and just be patient. It will match the vision you have in your head in time.
One thing though, your tank is small to keep an E. quad long term. Either it will grow large and take the tank over, or keep splitting. Or both. Either scenario can be a problem for a tank so small.

Jim

 

[Kevin1000]

If you want your tank free of parasites never stick a fish directly into the show tank - quarantine all fish - even the first first fish - absolutely no exception.

Additionally, don't purchase corals from vendors who keep fish in with their corals. Parasites can hitchhike on corals.

 

[Anonymous]

The ultimate safe way to go for sure, can't argue with that. Furthermore, you would not be able to use hyposalinity or medication in the display. :wink:


Jim

 

[ReefDreamin']

Thanks for the great advice guys...I'll definitely make plans to set up a QT.

I don't know what to do about the BTA ...I just love them, and they are half the reason I want a tank in the first place. I guess I'll have to reconsider the size of my tank. Or perhaps make an agreement with my LFS to trade in the clones for store credit? Do you know how fast they grow in captivity, and how big they get? I'll definitely have to rethink getting one.

Thanks again!

 

[cdeakle]

If you want your tank free of parasites never stick a fish directly into the show tank - quarantine all fish - even the first first fish - absolutely no exception.

I disagree. In such a small tank it would not be hard to catch a fish if need be. If there is only 1 fish in the tank and if he has ich there is no one else to infect. No need to quarentine first fish except to help get you in the practice of quarentining. Even if you have corals how hard would it be to catch a fish in a small nano to quarentine?

Any fish you add after the first one you would definately want to quarentine first, no eception for that!

 

[Kevin1000]

There are a number of valid reason why it makes little sense to stick even your first fish directly into the show tank.

A show tank with alot of rock makes it extremely difficult and sometimes next to impossible to catch fish.

Fish typically hide when first introduced to a tank making it very difficult to diagnose a problem. If he has something like brook it is critical to diagnose & treat asap.

If the fish has ich - your stuck keeping the show tank fallow for at least 5 weeks.

Almost all wild fish have some internal parasites and QT is the best place to treat.

I just don't believe that there is sufficient upside in sticking any fish directly into the show tank.

 

[Johnsteph10]

Keven1000 and JimM have it right! We take the responsibility to buy and care for animals (fish and corals). When we buy a dog or cat and bring it home, do we not take it to the vet to make sure its healthy? Get it shots? Inspected, etc.?

With fish and coral, QTing amounts to the same thing. There are absolutely no negative points that I can think of about regularly QTing a new purchase whatsoever. Easier on the animal, easier on the human (if it requires treatment).

Certainly, it takes patience to wait a couple of weeks before adding that beautiful wrasse or acro frag to tank. Esp. when you have the spot picked out for it right next to the...well, nevermind!

Good luck and happy reefing!

John

 

[cdeakle]

A show tank with alot of rock makes it extremely difficult and sometimes next to impossible to catch fish.

In a 25 gallon nano? :wink: for the record, I have never had a problem cathing the following in a 55 gallon tank with 75 pounds of live rock and corals: yellow tang, mandarin, sally light foot, shrimp, clowns, trigger, etc..

Fish typically hide when first introduced to a tank making it very difficult to diagnose a problem. If he has something like brook it is critical to diagnose & treat asap.

OK, point well taken. One thing i never thought about....

If the fish has ich - your stuck keeping the show tank fallow for at least 5 weeks.

If you only have 1 fish and if you need to remove him from the show tank to quarentine its a safe bet that you will have him in quarentine or hypo for at least 5 weeks if not more along the line of 8 weeks.

There are absolutely no negative points that I can think of about regularly QTing a new purchase whatsoever. Easier on the animal, easier on the human

Quarentining a fish is not less stressful than putting him directly into the show tank. One acclimation is definately alot less stressful than two!

I can think of one negative point, of course only pertaining to a first new fish, not the quarenting process as a whole. It is NOT easier on the pet or human to go through setting up a quarentine tank just to break it down after a few weeks and to have to acclimate a fish a second time. One could save some trouble and money and time by not setting up a qt tank for the first newly added fish especially when its in a 25 gallon nano.

 

[Anonymous]

The reasons to quarantine far outweigh the reasons not to. Doubt my word on it? Start visiting the wetwebmedia Daily FAQs, and see for yourself.

 

[cdeakle]

Doubt my word on it?

I would never doubt you Ms Maiden

I am by no means stating not to quarentine as a general practice, quarenting can save alot of fish life and keeping our friends happy and healthy is always number one. I just however have other opinions on when it comes to one fish that is the very first and only fish in a newly setup 25 gallon nano....

 

[Anonymous]

Always, Always, ALWAYS QT your fish. I am in the process of running my 200 gallon display through hyposalinity to treat it for ich. I bought a cute little blue hippo tang and didn't qt it long enough. Now all of my coral and live rock are in a 100 gallon rubbermaid tank, and my beautiful 200 gallon display is nothing but substrate, fish, and some pvc pipes for hiding in. If only I had properly QT my hippo. I have a friend that bought a clown for his first fish, and it had ich. Well...it went away on the clown, or so he thought. when he added other fish later on that he had put in QT, the ich appeared on them becasue it had been living in the tank the whole time, just kept in check.

 

[Anonymous]

Not just fish, ALL specimens and live rock that are destined for the display.

 

[Anonymous]

I think 420 is making a good point that you guys are either missing or misunderstanding.

With *some* fish that are incredibly delicate it helps to put them in the ideal environment right off the bat in order for them to acclimate as quickly as possible, assuming they are the first fish in the tank. One example is the Regal angel JimM mentioned. Another great example I can think of is the Ventralis anthias. I'm sure there are many other examples out there. Both of these fish will not appreciate being moved from one tank to another, no matter how great the water quality is. Ventralis in particular don't do well with any kind of handling at all.

In addition, some fish will probably be less likely to eat foods an aquarist offers them in a quarantine tank. They will probably fare much better in a show tank designed around their needs, with a well functioning refugium and mature live rock. It will not help these fish one bit to not be eating for the 6-8 weeks they are quarantined; in fact, it probably increases the chances that they will succumb to a disease. A mandarin comes to mind as a good example here. In these unique cases it is worth the time and effort, IMO, to put them in the main tank as long as they are the first fish, and you are willing to take the necessary steps to treat it (or keep the tank fallow) if it does become ill.

Having said all that, I think it should only be done in rare cases, and that every fish afterwards should of course be quarantined accordingly.

Matt

 

[Anonymous]

If you want your tank free of parasites never stick a fish directly into the show tank - quarantine all fish - even the first first fish - absolutely no exception.

I disagree. In such a small tank it would not be hard to catch a fish if need be. If there is only 1 fish in the tank and if he has ich there is no one else to infect. No need to quarentine first fish except to help get you in the practice of quarentining. Even if you have corals how hard would it be to catch a fish in a small nano to quarentine?

Any fish you add after the first one you would definately want to quarentine first, no eception for that!

if the 1st fish has ich- then the whole tank will most likely always have ich

every single fish should always be quarrantined, and TREATED prophylactically for the main nasties, for 4 weeks before introducing them into your system

(from the very 1st fish)

 

[Anonymous]

vitz,
I'm sure you've read some of TerryB's articles. Ich will NOT always be present in a system just because one fish has had it. It's an obligate parasite, and will die off if the system is kept free of fish.

 

[Anonymous]

vitz,
I'm sure you've read some of TerryB's articles. Ich will NOT always be present in a system just because one fish has had it. It's an obligate parasite, and will die off if the system is kept free of fish.

you possibly misunderstood my post :wink:

if the first fish introduced into a tank has ich, then ich will always be in the tank

of course if you later on remove the following 6 fish and let the tank lie fallow, you will be rid of the ich in that particular tank

but that wasn't the scenario proposed

if the first fish is introduced while carrying, it doesn't matter how you quarrantine the subsequent fish additions-the quarrantine is absolutly futile, because after the quarrantine, you still have ich in the tank those fish are now going into, because YOU DIDN'T QUARRANTINE THAT FIRST FISH, WHICH WAS IN THE TANK CONTINUALLY UNTIL THE NEXT ADDITION :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

of course-there IS a chance the ich will die off anyway, and not continue subclinically

but that's a pretty big risk to take, and it usually turns out in ich's favor :wink: