Having recently converted an African cichlid tank of 190 lt to a softish water community tank I want to add some more fish - should I keep new fish in a separate tank for a while? Or am I being over cautious? I am new to this hobby, (son who has left home had the cichlids) . I would like some of the little shrimps - do they need to be kept in a quarantine tank too?
Quarantine - Yes Or No?
- Thread starter Horcum
- Start date
I feel this is a good idea. If the new fish have a disease or parasite you can treat them in isolation and not medicate or infect the main display tank. I recommend 10 weeks in the QT before introduction into the main tank.
rpgmomma8404
Fish Fanatic
Better to be safe then sorry if you are able to do this. My fish got ich not long after I got new fish. I only had two tanks at the time with fish in them. So I know I was taking a risk. I'm thinking about getting a back up tank for situations like this.
It seem like a long time until you factor in the life cycle of ich which is around 8 weeks and has been known to go a bit longer so 10 weeks covers the entire treatment cycle and allows the parasite to be totally eradicated.
It can but information is scarce on if it always does or not. That's one of those "it's been reported" but I've read a few studies that show it doesn't in all cases.
The entire idea of quarantine is better safe than sorry. I would rather wait 10 weeks than infect my tank and run the risk of killing off half my livestock. It's a number that comes from caution to be sure but also some bad experiences.
The entire idea of quarantine is better safe than sorry. I would rather wait 10 weeks than infect my tank and run the risk of killing off half my livestock. It's a number that comes from caution to be sure but also some bad experiences.
Well I'm all for caution! I think I may need a bigger QT tank though - is it possible to start a new tank off with water taken from my existing tank during regular water changes and some of the filter medium to make the QT as near to my main tank as possible?tcamos said:It can but information is scarce on if it always does or not. That's one of those "it's been reported" but I've read a few studies that show it doesn't in all cases.
The entire idea of quarantine is better safe than sorry. I would rather wait 10 weeks than infect my tank and run the risk of killing off half my livestock. It's a number that comes from caution to be sure but also some bad experiences.
You can use water and filter material from the main tank to quick cycle the QT for sure. And I've always had the water the same in both tanks so that there is no need for acclimation when the QT is done.
Personally I quarantine for two weeks and this has been fine - I'm not saying tcamos is wrong here, just this is what I do. To be honest I think the question of quarantine often depends on what facilities you have and how much you have to lose.
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
If am am understanding your situation correctly, there is no need for a Q Tank.
Here is what I think you are saying. You have a tank that was established and working fine for higher pH, harder water African cichlids and you decided to convert it to a softer water tank for different fish. If you have removed 100% of the old fish, you do not need to quarantine the need fish that will all go in at the same time. Your main tank is Q tank when it is being stocked initially. What would you be doing setting up a separate Q tank? You would buy the fish and put them all in and watch them. If they were sick, you would treat the whole Q tank. This is not different that what would happen using a clean main tank.
Q is designed to protect existing fish and new fish from the potential to trade pathogens. It make sense when getting a new fish not to put it directly into a tank already established and contained healthy fish. If the new fish is sick, it can potentially wipe out the established tank. If the new fish is stressed or weakened, things in the main tank it would normally resist it may not be able to. Putting it into Q gives it a chance to build strength as well as be observed for any problems itself.
But with a new empty tank, the new fish can not harm the non-existent old fish. A brand new cycled tank acts as its own Q for the first addition of fish.
Here is what I think you are saying. You have a tank that was established and working fine for higher pH, harder water African cichlids and you decided to convert it to a softer water tank for different fish. If you have removed 100% of the old fish, you do not need to quarantine the need fish that will all go in at the same time. Your main tank is Q tank when it is being stocked initially. What would you be doing setting up a separate Q tank? You would buy the fish and put them all in and watch them. If they were sick, you would treat the whole Q tank. This is not different that what would happen using a clean main tank.
Q is designed to protect existing fish and new fish from the potential to trade pathogens. It make sense when getting a new fish not to put it directly into a tank already established and contained healthy fish. If the new fish is sick, it can potentially wipe out the established tank. If the new fish is stressed or weakened, things in the main tank it would normally resist it may not be able to. Putting it into Q gives it a chance to build strength as well as be observed for any problems itself.
But with a new empty tank, the new fish can not harm the non-existent old fish. A brand new cycled tank acts as its own Q for the first addition of fish.
Perhaps I didn't make my self too clear in my OP, the tank now has , 6 guppies, 1 dwarf Gourami, 1 neon, I penguin tetra, 2 African banded barbs - I know I need to add more, there were more - I had issues with water hardness and had to change the substrate - so the QT would be for additional fish.TwoTankAmin said:
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
Then definitely use a q tank. My rule is 4 weeks minimum for tank raised fish and 2 months for wild caught. These times refer to to a continuous period with no symptoms and no treatments being administered. If all looks fine for 3 weeks and then a fish gets problems and you treat it, the time resets to 0 once the fish is cured. Some people I know will Q wild fish for 3 months or more.
How do you know if fish are wild caught? I have visited 4 different fish stores - only one mentioned that the African banded barbs were not bred in captivity, is it something I should ask? One store asked quite detailed questions about my tank but were still happy to sell me any amount of fish, another didn't ask any questions, the third was quite helpful and the forth gave me quite conflicting advice from the third one - I made it quite clear to all I was a novice and needed guidance - asked for easy fish and easy plants,
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