Best Local Stores or Online Stores that Quarantine or Copper Treat Fish

H

Hardy Reefs

Member
Market
Messages
44
Reaction score
19
Location
Columbus, GA
For someone who is unable to maintain a QT tank, where are some places you all trust to get good healthy fish who won't come straight into your system disease ridden.

I do understand that there is never going to be a 100% chance for clean fish buying from retailers, but I want to get take as many precautions as I can.

Please list your favorite places and websites below! Thanks!
 
Dr Reef, Fishotel are the two I can remember off the top of my head. I don’t have any experience with Fishotel but all my fish in my newest setup tank have come from Dr Reef. All the fish have been healthy and eating with no problems whatsoever. I had 1 DOA on a sea hare and they didn’t ship one fish because it wasn’t eating. They are shipping replacements for both livestock.
 
Thank you so much for that response. This kind of site is exactly what I am looking for. Seems like they do a good QT process and at a very fair price. Not much more expensive than a LFS who does no quality control at all either!

Any of the fish stores around you guys do anything like this?
 
I have found Dr. Reef to be great, particularly if you are looking for a rare fish and want someone else to take on the financial risk of the fish not making it through QT. If I were stocking a tank from scratch, though, that would be expensive. I still have my QT gear in the basement, but once you start QT-ing successfully, you use your QT gear less and less, because fish stop dying!
 
biggibby18 said:
Could you explain what the issues were that you came across with Dr Reef? Just so I can make sure I avoid the same if possible..
Click to expand...
Multiple bad shipments with high mortality and then not sending replacements unless I placed new orders.
 
biggibby18 said:
For someone who is unable to maintain a QT tank, where are some places you all trust to get good healthy fish who won't come straight into your system disease ridden.

I do understand that there is never going to be a 100% chance for clean fish buying from retailers, but I want to get take as many precautions as I can.

Please list your favorite places and websites below! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Pure Reef in Alpharetta keeps most of their fish in copper and low salinity. (knock on wood) I've never gotten a fish with any visible signs of disease from them.
 
gordon said:
Multiple bad shipments with high mortality and then not sending replacements unless I placed new orders.
Click to expand...
Now that would make me upset also. I definitely would have to mention this before placing an order with them because that just doesn't seem right. Do you remember where they ship from by chance?
 
dodgersfan said:
Pure Reef in Alpharetta keeps most of their fish in copper and low salinity. (knock on wood) I've never gotten a fish with any visible signs of disease from them.
Click to expand...
That is super helpful. I know disease could happen to any fish at any store, but places that go just an extra mile like that is exactly what I am looking for!
 
biggibby18 said:
That is super helpful. I know disease could happen to any fish at any store, but places that go just an extra mile like that is exactly what I am looking for!
Click to expand...
Many stores run low levels of copper in their fish only tanks to keep diseases at bay, they are not levels that eradicate problems.
 
Steve Burton said:
Many stores run low levels of copper in their fish only tanks to keep diseases at bay, they are not levels that eradicate problems.
Click to expand...
Definitely. Petco is the only store here that sells Saltwater fish, so just running low copper levels is a step above what I can get locally LMAO!!
 
Steve Burton said:
Many stores run low levels of copper in their fish only tanks to keep diseases at bay, they are not levels that eradicate problems.
Click to expand...

This is actually a problem in my eyes. I picked up a small blue tang from pure reef and within 2 days it was COVERED in ich. Luckily it was in a QT tank so I could treat it.

If a store actively runs low levels of copper this is NOT a good thing. Its not helping, its hiding problems.

If you cant QT your fish, honestly just dont worry about it. You are better off buying local and seeing the fish with your own eyes. If its healthy and eating well in the store you will rarely have a problem.

All that said, I have gotten most of my fish in the past decade from Nemo's because they have the best prices and survival rates of the stores near me.
 
enderg60 said:
This is actually a problem in my eyes. I picked up a small blue tang from pure reef and within 2 days it was COVERED in ich. Luckily it was in a QT tank so I could treat it.

If a store actively runs low levels of copper this is NOT a good thing. Its not helping, its hiding problems.

If you cant QT your fish, honestly just dont worry about it. You are better off buying local and seeing the fish with your own eyes. If its healthy and eating well in the store you will rarely have a problem.

All that said, I have gotten most of my fish in the past decade from Nemo's because they have the best prices and survival rates of the stores near me.
Click to expand...
"its hiding problems"
My point exactly, it keeps problems at bay only. I don't expect stores to do a full medicated quarantine, it would be time and cost prohibitive for them, I take full responsibility for that myself.
 
Last edited:
All good thoughts.. Someone from the community needs too step up, quit their day job, and just run a full on QT operation for ARC!!! 🤣
 
A 10 gallon qt tank is pretty easy and inexpensive to maintain. I've had one running for 3 years now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

biocubebrandon
What is your quarantine/observation setup?
Replies
0
Views
257
biocubebrandon
biocubebrandon
ichthyoid
  • Locked
  • Sticky
Advice for a new Reefer -
Replies
5
Views
831
chemaholic
chemaholic
X
Tank Parameters of Some Masters from Mike Paletta on R2R
Replies
8
Views
548
enderg60
E
L
Marine Ich
Replies
2
Views
143
rdnelson
R
K
Fish store fish quarantine
2
Replies
34
Views
775
jennm
J
Back
Top