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Quarentine Tanks?
- Thread starter Patriot76
- Start date
I voted for never but in my next Tank Build I'm going to QT everything ... including corals.
I want everything that goes in my tank accounted for.
I want everything that goes in my tank accounted for.
I QT everything regardless of where it came from. I've read too many horror stories from people who didn't. This hobby IMO is too expensive not to take precaution as simple as a QT setup. It saves plenty of headaches. In all fairness though you can QT something and still get a nasty but the odds are greatly diminished.
Harry
Harry
I do not have appropriate lighting over my QT so I don't keep corals in there...with corals I do a double dip of Flatworm Exit and lugols.
With fish I QT.
Unlike the freshwater hobby - I haven't seen/read too many people who have had success saving a SW critter that is succumbing to disease...plus the headache of trying to extricate said critter from the display...
With fish I QT.
Unlike the freshwater hobby - I haven't seen/read too many people who have had success saving a SW critter that is succumbing to disease...plus the headache of trying to extricate said critter from the display...
A semi cheap solution ($99 ish) for corals and small fish is the use of something like a 6g JBJ Nano tank. It's small and doesn't take up much room. Unless you are trying to QT a large colony you can usually get a half dozen smaller corals in one as you won't have sand and rock in it. They have good lighting built in for QT purposes, etc and make a good QT tank for corals.
A 10 or 20G Long make for good QT tanks for fish with a power filter.
I think it depends on the disease the fish has. I know I routinely save fish with Ick and things like pop-eye.
While I could be totally wrong, from experience it seems to me a lot of people use the wrong meds when treating fish. They use gram positive meds instead of gram negative meds which is usually what SW fish need. Just a thought.
Carlo
A 10 or 20G Long make for good QT tanks for fish with a power filter.
I think it depends on the disease the fish has. I know I routinely save fish with Ick and things like pop-eye.
While I could be totally wrong, from experience it seems to me a lot of people use the wrong meds when treating fish. They use gram positive meds instead of gram negative meds which is usually what SW fish need. Just a thought.
Carlo
I QT all fish and dip corals.
I have QT'd corals in the past.
If I were working with SPS, I would QT considering all those really nasty things like red bugs. But I've been good with the leathers zoas and LPS so far.
I had a 30 qt that is now a frag tank since I had considered all tanks closed to new fish. But with 2 recent fish losses, I'll have to set another one up soon.
I have used a 7 gallon minibow like Carlo suggested for some corals in the past.
I have QT'd corals in the past.
If I were working with SPS, I would QT considering all those really nasty things like red bugs. But I've been good with the leathers zoas and LPS so far.
I had a 30 qt that is now a frag tank since I had considered all tanks closed to new fish. But with 2 recent fish losses, I'll have to set another one up soon.
I have used a 7 gallon minibow like Carlo suggested for some corals in the past.
since were on subject. whats the best way to treat a clam before putting in display tank?
I dont QT but if I was working with a larger tank I will start one.
chaoscat said:
Fish diseases are caused by 1 of 2 general types of bacteria, gram-negative or gram-positive. Gram-negative bacteria cause most of the diseases in SW fish, and gram-positive a few. Gram-negative bacteria show up as rods under a microscope, where gram-positive bacteria have a nucleus and are round or spherical in shape. Some medicines are very general, like API's old school capsules that are still sold. Some just say "treats gram-negative" or, "treats gram-positive" bacteria. Check what kind of bacteria your fish has and the medicine will work for the fish. Ff youre really serious, get a microscope and gently whisk off a scale sample of the fish. Stain the slide with methylene blue or gentian violet so that its easier to see.
Many bacteria are naturally resistant to specific drugs, so using the proper type of antibiotic is of the utmost importance. For example, gram-positive bacteria are often unaffected by tetracycline and streptomycin, while gram-negative bacteria may be unaffected by ampicillin, penicillin, erythromycin and sulfa drugs.
Some bacteria may also be unaffected by the usual dose, but are susceptible to a higher dose. Here is another good example. Mardel Laboratories makes Mayacin and Mayacin 2. Mayacin is erythromycin based and is a gram-positive bacteria treatment. Mayacin 2 is mincycline hydrochlor based and is a gram-negative bacteria treatment, as well as sufficiently absorbed through the skin to treat internal infections. Since most bacteria that cause disease in marine fish are gram-negative, and can quickly become systemic, Mayacin 2 would be the most effective choice.
Since many antibiotics kill gram-negative bacteria and the biological nitrifying bacteria of an aquarium are also gram-negative, it's a good idea not to treat the main aquarium. Whether it is a fish-only or a reef tank, a mild dose of antibiotics can greatly weaken the biological growth, a strong dose may kill it all together, while invertebrates and marine algae may be killed off or affected as well. If you are compelled to use these or any other medications to treat the main aquarium, beware!
Carlo
chaoscat said:
Here's a link to a good article describing the treatment of Bacterial Diseases in Saltwater Aquarium Fish
