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I'd like to get some opions on weather or not it's a good idea to treat newly aquired fish that are in a QT tank with medication as a precationary measure? A few times I've bought fish after 2-3 weeks they developed problems such as internal parasites, that just aren't visible until the diesese is quite far along and spread to the others in the QT. If so, which meds. to use if no symptoms are yet present? Thanks, Barb

120 GAL. Community Freshwater (2 huge mated angles, 2 German rams, Red tail shark, 2 Pearl Grammies, 3 Bushynose Plecos, Swordtails

110 Gal. (3 Koi Angles, 3 black marble viel tail Angles) 20 Neon tetras, 1 red tail shark, 3 clown loaches, Platys

I have never had a QT but if I did I would use both Pimafix, and Melafix. The length of time I would keep them in the QT would be about 30 days.

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Keith

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I think the whole point of quarantine is that its a period of observation. Some fish you buy may be completely healthy, and obviously there is no point in subjecting them to unecessary medication.

However I guess there are a couple of conditions that may not give you symptoms for months. These include worm infestations, hexamita/other protozoa, cauliflower disease and neon tetra disease. Out of these the only ones that have easily treatable solutions are really worms and protozoans, and I guess you could pre-emptively treat for these with a wormer and perhaps an antiprotozoan. A usual one month quarantine should give you time enough to spot the faster infections, like ich, velvet, columnaris, and fungus.

As a long term approach to quarantine and pre-emptive treatments, I would say its probably better to have a large , comfortable and cycled qt, where the occupants need not be rushed into community,have nice long quarantines of around a couple of months, and treat pre-emptively only when you have a real suspicion that the fish may be ill, or came from less than perfect conditions before you acquired them. Constant pre-emptive treatments can lead to infections acquiring resistance to medication, and thats bad news for everyone.

Patience is the key to good quarantine.