jn Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 How many of you use quarantine tanks and what do you do during that period? Do you do administer treatments in the name of prevention or just watch them? What about scaleless fish? Do they get different QT procedures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 I have a spare tank 54 litres which I keep cycled. Any new fish I purchase from anyone or anywhere I put into this and keep them there for four weeks by which time anything they are carrying should show. I don't add any meds at all. If I am intending to purchase from two seperate places I make sure I set up a second spare tank well in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 How long will bacteria in a filter live if there are no longer fish in the tank? (this is good to know too from the perspective of having to remove fish from your main tank to treat in a smaller tank) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookie Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 i would and have a quarintine tank with a few snails in there . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Jn as soon as the fish are removed the filter bacteria will start dying from lack of food. Assuming the quarantined fish had no diseases, clean out the Q filter then put it in a main tank to re-colonise until needed. The bacteria will not survive in a now empty tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paekakboyz Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I had a tank setup (29L) as a Q tank until I saw a cunning plan from another member - if space is an issue you keep the tank empty till you get new arrivals - siphon some water from the main tank (might as well do a water change at the same time ) to fill up the Q tank and away you go - you can always poach a bit of filter media from an existing filter.. I find this is a quick process and its one tank less to maintain when not in use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I have never had a Q tank set up permanently, just got water and filter out of main tank as needed. That is why I always have a small internal filter hanging in my main tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Ok Thanks guys. I didn't think the bacteria would live without some inhabitants to support it! I had been poking around on the net and had seen references to treatments to basically sanitise all new fish before adding themt o tanks.. like salting, followed by stuff like dimlin and other anti-parasitic meds etc. regadelss of any symptoms showing. I guess though that the water in a qt tanks should be warmish at least? to make sure that any parasites or diseases are not sitting dormant. Are there diseases etc that a fish could carry without displaying symptoms though? I recently read some old guppy die off threads in the livebearers area. Would prophylactic treatment help in cases like that? I've also read fish often carry some degree of parasites but that problems don't appear until they get stressed (mind you I suppose buying them and brigning them home = stress!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 There are lots of diseases that won't necessarily show symptoms. Dosing the Q tank with all sorts of stuff "just in case" isn't the answer though. You have to hope the fish from the shop will not have any of these since they will have been treated in their Q tanks as well. Q is more for white spot and other stress related disease due to their move and new surroundings. I am never a fan of indiscriminate dosing for no reason. Fish will build up an immunity to some meds. In fact this is already happening - same as with humans. If you are Q tropicals then the Q tank needs to be heated. My daughter once lost all her guppies after buying a perfectly healthy guppy from a reputable shop. He happened to be a carrier for a disease her (homebred for several generations) guppies had not been exposed to before and the whole lot were wiped out overnight. No amount of Q could have saved them. The culprit was unaffected as he was immune to it from earlier exposures. Think what happened to the locals once the missionaries arrived with their bugs and diseases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 ok. That's all very logical. Merci! I'm happy now I just need to buy a cheap corner filter now and a little spare tank The amount of fishy stuff in the house is definitely spreading! Every time I say "Now I don't have to buy ANYTHING else".. I think of something else to buy! I need a fry raising tank anyway! (well hopefully that is!!) Thanks for your help as usual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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