To QT or not to QT

Oh ok, that makes sense. I was thinking that you were saying a fish you had for a while got sick, not a new purchase.

 

What part of QTing will ensure your fish is Ich free? Only if you prophetically treat for Ich, can you assume your fish is Ich free. You HOPE if the fish has it, there's an outbreak while they are quarantined, but it's not guaranteed to happen.

 

I QT all my fish with cupramine. However some fish are intolerant of copper, I haven't added one to my tank.

 

I think maybe some people assume if they just quarantine (and don't treat), that their fish are Ich free.

If you don't treat for Ich while your fish are in QT, then you fish can bring Ich with them to the DT.

 

Good point Renee. Do you QT, and if so, do you treat for Ich even if there are no signs?

 

We 100% QT everything, but we don't prophlatically treat for Ich. That bit us on the booty recently because when I added 2 fuzzy lions into a 100g with 2 other lions, there was a very mild outbreak of Ich. Once they all calmed down and found their place, the Ich went back to undetectable levels.

 

So is this going to change your mind? Just curious.

I am of the mindset that you should only take medicines when absolutely necessary, otherwise let your body's immune system get strong to fight things off on their on. I would think it would be similar with fish, but I could be way off.

 

No, I wasn't insinuating that. If one chooses to prophylactically treat for ich, then yes, a QT can act to treat ich. But, the QT does allow you do more easily observe a new fish and see what issues he may have as well as allow you to run your salinity lower if you desire to do a prophylactic hypo-saline treatment. If he does break out with a parasite, bacteria etc., you can treat immediately with out fear of stressing the fish from your DT and adjusting him to a new body of water.

 

I wasn't actually referring to your statement.

No. I still don't prophylactically treat my own stock. One reason being, I don't know the tolerance level of treatments for half my fish. Because of that, I've decided to tackle it from the immunity side.

When we start selling fish in our store, they will be prophylactically treated.

 

So, I find it odd that nobody is saying that they never QT. I know there is a bunch of y'all out there.