QT and Brand new tanks

[ZapataInc]

So it seems like we have had a great influx of new members into the club that are starting new tanks. My question is that with a brand new setup do you NEED to QT the first inhabitants of the tank? My thinking is that you would want to QT new fish if you already have fish in a tank. With a brand new tank could this act as a "QT" for the first set of fish?

Also another question is how do you run your QT? Do you automatically start treating or adding additives to the food or do you just run it "normal" with regular feedings and observe and not add anything to the food?

 

[bhodges82]

Best practice is to always qt.

 

[Steve Burton]

I run all fish thru Prazipro and copper in quarantine.

 

[ZapataInc]

Best practice is to always qt.

Yes i understand that...(being devils advocate) but what is the point of doing a QT for a brand new tank if the point of a QT is to segregate new fish to make sure that they dont potentially transmit disease to other fish in the display? If it is a new tank there is nothing to segregate the fish from.

 

[Steve Burton]

Best to do in a special quarantine tank in case you need to treat copper. I always treat with copper, and you surely don't want to put copper in your display tank or you'll never be able to have corals or inverts

 

[ZapataInc]

I run all fish thru Prazipro and copper in quarantine.

Do you do this as just preventative measure? Im just wondering because to me its like giving someone some antibiotics just because they potentially be sick but not necessarily sick.

 

[Sbear123]

So it seems like we have had a great influx of new members into the club that are starting new tanks. My question is that with a brand new setup do you NEED to QT the first inhabitants of the tank? My thinking is that you would want to QT new fish if you already have fish in a tank. With a brand new tank could this act as a "QT" for the first set of fish?

Also another question is how do you run your QT? Do you automatically start treating or adding additives to the food or do you just run it "normal" with regular feedings and observe and not add anything to the food?

I get my fish from Pure Reef because they do hypo salinity and copper treat there fish. So far I have not had to QT the fish I received from them and have had great success.

My husband and I have QTed several fish on own with copper and it has never went well. Now if we have to QT we do hyo salinity instead because we feel it is less stress on the fish.

I would not QT in my main tank. We have separate QT tank because if you do need to use medication I would not want to harm my coral, if it does. I am not sure if any of this helps. Good luck.

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[ZapataInc]

Ok so i might need to clarify when I say "QT" using the display. This is for people who dont actively treat a fish in QT and just observe the fish and not use anything until it is necessary.

 

[bhodges82]

Yes i understand that...(being devils advocate) but what is the point of doing a QT for a brand new tank if the point of a QT is to segregate new fish to make sure that they dont potentially transmit disease to other fish in the display? If it is a new tank there is nothing to segregate the fish from.

The point is to make sure you don't introduce anything in to your display that you don't want in there. If you always qt, you will never have pests or disease to deal with in a large scale.

 

[ZapataInc]

The point is to make sure you don't introduce anything in to your display that you don't want in there. If you always qt, you will never have pests or disease to deal with in a large scale.

OK that is a valid point. (Again being devils advocate and to prolong the conversation) For example, Ive heard that every tank already has the presence of Ick and that it presents itself because the fish is unhealthy. And i know there are plenty more pests or disease out there, that is just one example that I am using. How does using a QT for the very first fish of a brand new tank help?

Also im not on the side of not having a QT.

 

[Steve Burton]

Do you do this as just preventative measure? Im just wondering because to me its like giving someone some antibiotics just because they potentially be sick but not necessarily sick.

Observation does nothing to ensure that ich or velvet or Brooke are not present, treatment is the only sure way to prevent them. Copper is my preferred treatment for this. Also it is such a simple matter to treat with Prazipro for flukes, tapeworms, flatworms, and turbellarians which can also go unobserved for long periods, better to treat and ensure eradication. Not much different than us taking vaccinations such as flu shots.

 

[Doberman13]

How does using a QT for the very first fish of a brand new tank help?

Although I am guilty of not running a QT when I first set my tank up but I can see why you would want to for a large setup. If you do need to medicate, Trying to medicate a large display tank will eat through your wallet much faster than medicating a small qt.

 

[tonytran509]

So as a new member and just starting up my first salt water tank a few months ago, I started my tank up I didnt have a qt set up so i just had all my beginning fish together in the main tank. I have first hand experience and have learned my lesson to qt everything, as I added a Powder blue tang and figured my tank was still soo new I didnt need to qt and it literally wiped out my tank. But now I set up a qt and dose whatever is needed for everything that comes in. I also now qt coral also as I have seen so many things come off these corals and a lot of this stuff didnt fall off until the second or third time I dipped. I would just not want to risk anything, so now I qt fish for 2 months and then coral for a month just to be sure.

 

[NanCrab]

Yes i understand that...(being devils advocate) but what is the point of doing a QT for a brand new tank if the point of a QT is to segregate new fish to make sure that they dont potentially transmit disease to other fish in the display? If it is a new tank there is nothing to segregate the fish from.

What I was told, and this is why my QT is set up before I've even put a rock into my DT, is that you dont want to seed your brand new DT with disease from the start.

 

[Adam]

I use this analogy with @NanCrab just the other day when she asked this very question. (She's a retired nurse.)

There's a brand new hospital. The first patient in the door has Ebola, or more relevant Coravirus, and the staff uses the waiting waiting room for the quarantine. Doesn't make much sense does it?

The other thing that was brought up above is many treatments aren't reef compatible, like copper.

A lot of people don't ever QT. The way I look at it the longer you throw the dice at the table your eventually gonna crapout. How many complete tank crashes have we all read about because of a new fish or coral not QT'd? How many people have given up on the hobby entirely because of it?

 

[bzb]

What I was told, and this is why my QT is set up before I've even put a rock into my DT, is that you dont want to seed your brand new DT with disease from the start.

Exactly this. If you want your DT free of everything, QT and treat the first fish before introducing those parasites into the Display.

It's way easier and cheaper (not to mention remove medications at the end) to treat 10-20 gallons than 125 gallons.

I think there's some newer members like me and a couple other folks who did not QT initially, have experienced significant fish loss, and transitioned to the "QT everything" side.

 

[Adam]

I think there's some newer members like me and a couple other folks who did not QT initially, have experienced significant fish loss, and transitioned to the "QT everything" side.

Its probably the vast majority of us. I bet you can count the number of members here that QT'd 100% of everything right from the start on one hand. I learned the hard way too. Fortunately with no fish loss but ask me about Monti eating nudies, RTA, aiptasia... we all think the fire isn't hot and stick our hand in only to get burned. I think its human nature.

Everything I do from now on will be QT'd 100%

 

[Sbear123]

Exactly this. If you want your DT free of everything, QT and treat the first fish before introducing those parasites into the Display.

It's way easier and cheaper (not to mention remove medications at the end) to treat 10-20 gallons than 125 gallons.

I think there's some newer members like me and a couple other folks who did not QT initially, have experienced significant fish loss, and transitioned to the "QT everything" side.

I like hypo salinity with less copper because it seems to be less stress on the fish. Just my opinion and if course everyone has there own way due to there experiences.

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[bzb]

Its probably the vast majority of us. I bet you can count the number of members here that QT'd 100% of everything right from the start on one hand. I learned the hard way too. Fortunately with no fish loss but ask me about Monti eating nudies, RTA, aiptasia... we all think the fire isn't hot and stick our hand in only to get burned. I think its human nature.

Everything I do from now on will be QT'd 100%

It's a bit sad that very few of us listen to each other until we experience it.

My excuse is 15 years ago when I left this hobby, I never ran QT yet rarely lost fish. Certainly never had a tank crash. Old habits despite the warnings.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot more disease in the supply chain now.

 

[bzb]

I like hypo salinity with less copper because it seems to be less stress on the fish. Just my opinion and if course everyone has there own way due to there experiences.

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When you say "less copper" do you mean dosing at a lower PPM? It's my understanding that lower levels don't do anything to the disease; a therapeutic level must be maintained to disable the organisms.