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Fish quarantine questions

sciencefiction

sciencefiction

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26 Feb 2013
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I need to quarantine 20 forktail rainbows I am about to purchase.

The only place I have is a 80-100l plastic container. I have an external filter I can hook up but it has not run in months, meaning its not cycled. I just washed the old media in boiling water...

I have used media of course from my other tanks that I can transfer but can I just transfer one of the prefilter sponges I use on my externals to the inlet of this external? It's just easier to do and I don't feel like messing and opening up my filters right now...Is that going to be sufficient I wonder? The prefilter sponges are big enough.... Or am I just being lazy...

The unused filter has two baskets. If I am to transfer media, is one basket of old media fine for 20 forktail rainbows(it would fit just a bit more the size of my prefilter sponges if I cut it)? My guess is the fish are going to be juveniles because that's what I got a few years back when I ordered from the same place.

The problem is I haven't owned any tests in years so I won't know if there's sufficient cycled media...

Believe it or not, I've so far quarantined fish only in very established tanks and never worried about ammonia
 
sciencefiction said:
I need to quarantine 20 forktail rainbows I am about to purchase.

The only place I have is a 80-100l plastic container. I have an external filter I can hook up but it has not run in months, meaning its not cycled. I just washed the old media in boiling water...

I have used media of course from my other tanks that I can transfer but can I just transfer one of the prefilter sponges I use on my externals to the inlet of this external? It's just easier to do and I don't feel like messing and opening up my filters right now...Is that going to be sufficient I wonder? The prefilter sponges are big enough.... Or am I just being lazy...

The unused filter has two baskets. If I am to transfer media, is one basket of old media fine for 20 forktail rainbows(it would fit just a bit more the size of my prefilter sponges if I cut it)? My guess is the fish are going to be juveniles because that's what I got a few years back when I ordered from the same place.

The problem is I haven't owned any tests in years so I won't know if there's sufficient cycled media...

Believe it or not, I've so far quarantined fish only in very established tanks and never worried about ammonia
Click to expand...

All sounds good to me but I've always used filter aids when starting up a new tank as it's too monotonous adding ammonia and testing etc
Why pay for ammonia and tests kits when's there's products designed to cut that all out?
You can use filter starters such a
seachems stability
Fluvals cycle
Tetra safestart
And many many more
I've used all three above with no problems


Where are you getting the fish from?
Are you worried about the quality of the fish ?

Just remember stress is a very bad thing
So quarantine in a bare box can be very stressful especially if it's an opaque or clear one where shadows will spook them

Then you're going to stress them again by moving them into your display tank

I'd put them in my main tank where you know the water quality is going to be good so there's least stress as possible and if they are carrying a disease the correct conditions will help them fight it off
it's just as easy to treat the display tank as a quarantine tank with Meds if required



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dean said:
Are you worried about the quality of the fish ?
Click to expand...

No, not worried. I've ordered from that shop numerous times. I never had an issue. They quarantine their fish but I am not sure if they do treat them as a preventative against major stuff like worms that take months to show up.

dean said:
I've always used filter aids when starting up a new tank
Click to expand...

I do have other established filters I can get media from. I was simply wondering if I can use the prefilter sponge of on established filter instead of transferring media from inside the filter. I suppose I am just lazy plus I am not sure how much media I need.

dean said:
I'd put them in my main tank where you know the water quality is going to be good so there's least stress as possible and if they are carrying a disease the correct conditions will help them fight it off
Click to expand...

I am not worried about a stress related environmental disease. I am worried about contagious diseases such at flat, round worms, infectious parasitic diseases, infectious bacterial diseases, etc... The tank they are going to holds 700l and treatment is going to be expensive, plus endangering my other fish who haven't seen new fish in a few years. And I don't want any meds inside that tank. There is always a residue, even if its just altering the biological diversity of a tank. Meds are not selective and when you kill something in large numbers, another thing starts thriving.

The quarantine tank doesn't need to be bare. I can put anything I want, substrate, plants, etc..I am just not sure how much used/established filter media will be sufficient for 20 small fish. This is considering that the media is not going to come from a tank that is well stocked but the media is years old.
 
Sponge should be fine as a "starter" culture, just do daily 25 - 50% water changes for the first few days (cheaper than test kits :) ) - I like to do this anyway with new fish regardless of filter status


sciencefiction said:
forktail rainbows
Click to expand...
Nice fish
- as long as no clown eating occurs ;) :D ... but then rainbows are FAST :lol:
 
I had them before, with the clowns. The last one died this year some time when it flew onto the carpet with the rest of the fish :) I love their behaviour. I found them very entertaining and outgoing. The show the males display to the females is really interesting...And I don't want the clowns to get used to living alone because who knows, they might start eating fish if they forget what tank mates are for :lol: The forktails won't mind the conditions too. In fact they should love my water. But they are not very long lived.
 
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The sponge will be enough as a stater culture

I'd either do daily water changes on the quarantine tank or use a filter starter as listed

Please give them some shelter young rainbows are skittish





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Thanks Dean. The first time I got forktail rainbows, I put them in a quarantine tank for 2 days only. They were very skittish in there and were even afraid to eat. I just couldn't watch them suffer and I risked it and moved them to the main tank. They were out and about within minutes and started eating straight away. So I am a bit afraid I'll do the same this time if they exhibit the same behaviour, where I should really wait and quarantine. I want to deworm them too first.
 
Change of plans....I ordered 10 forktail rainbows and 6 turquoise rainbows, the latter are at least longer lived and larger and I wanted something I haven't had before.
I might change my quarantine plan....meaning fish are going straight into the tank.... I just spoke with the shop and the fish have already been dewormed when in quarantine. They said not to treat them.... I got kusuri wormer just in case. In the worst scenario, I'll treat all fish if it comes to it. Lol, how quickly I changed my mind..I hope I won't live to regret it but I know fish do way better in an established tank with all the bits and pieces...

So now 15 fish at once....I hope they are juveniles and the tank will take it. Wish me luck :)
 
dean said:
What percentage will this increase your livestock by ?


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Click to expand...

I am not sure. I have to see the fish today. If they are juveniles, 10 of the forktail rainbows won't be even half of the bioload of my largest clown loach. The turquoise rainbows will eventually grow big but I am guessing they are also young and small as that's what they normally sell there.
 
I haven't received a dispatch confirmation for the fish order and then it dawned at me that I changed my phone number since the last time I purchased fish and they probably called me. I looked at my old phone just now and I have a missed call from them. Damn! A few of the items I ordered with the fish(some food and clown loach caves) were shown as not available on my order. I am pretty certain they haven't send my order and that means I have to cancel the lot because I won't be able to receive delivery any other day due to work..

I'll be calling them after 9.30 now to double check but pretty certain I won't have the fish today as they send tracking and I haven't received tracking... I am so disappointed.
 
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