With all the talk of diseases and such out there affecting quite a few fish keepers, what do you think about getting a new specimen and letting it settle in the QT tank for a week or so till it's eating good and then treating it w/meds as a preventative measure?

I prefer to not treat with meds preventatively. Tossing a fish stressed from being shipped halfway across the globe into a tank with meds in it, isn't the best move if you ask me.

That still dosent mean you cant quaratine it.
It is a good idea to quarantine and see if your fish eats well and if it does get a disease it is easier to treat but dont put meds in with it if they are not needed.

Always quarantine for at least two months. If the fish seems to have an illness or problem, which you will surely notice if you quarantine long enough, use Paraguard before moving to something harsher. You can use it for FW dips or just put it in the tank. It has no copper, so it won't absorb into your sand in case you use the tank for an angel one day.

Notice the 2nd quote in my sig

I'll always QT!!

Haha good sorry you just kind of scared me with the mention of a week

This post has been edited by FlameHawk: Jul 9 2008, 06:18 PM

I only quaratine for 2 weeks unless they get a disease, which hasnt yet happend.

Any particular reason why you do yours for 2 months except for 'Better safe than sorry'?

After loosing 1/2 my fish including some of the most beautiful fairy wrasses out there (not to mention being out ~$400 in fish) to an ich outbreak is there a better reason?

Sorry I just meant in the QT until it's observed eating well and doing good and then do a preventative dose of meds. I figured it'd have better chance of going through the whole process if it settled in and was doing good first.

I've been leaving all my fish in QT for at least 4 weeks.

But surely it doesnt take 2 months for a fish that has to early stages of ich for it to appear and be noticeable.

I have put a fish in my main tank before after quarantining for a month and seen ich. All fish that I have quarantined under two months have died after moving.

Remember, there are probably over a few thousand different diseases that can infect a fish.

Plus, there still may be a few ich parasites on the fish, even if you can't see them (in my opinion, there always will be some).

This post has been edited by Musho3210: Jul 13 2008, 06:24 AM

Sorry but just curious ,but i cycled my tank for 6 months before my first fish and after adding several tangs a month later a ich broke out i dont have a qt tank and none of my fish died but for 7 years ich hasnt come back is that normal and my first fish is still alive happy in his anomne.

Consider yourself lucky