How long do you quarintine or dip your new fish before you put them into your DT?

[beam3er]

Just like the title says how long and what medicine do you use to dip or quarintine new fish before you put them into your DT? Just asking so I can get a good idea, be ready and educated before I get new fish since all of mine either died or are dying from ick and being put into a QT tank. I am not planning on getting any new fish anytime soon. Thanks.

 

[Ted]

Read this Dips/Baths :D

 

[yote]

I dont QT or dip my fish before putting them in the DT.But I know my LFS has treated the fish before I get them.
I do however watch any fish I might be interested in for a few days before I bring it home.That I know its its good and healthy,of course that method has the risk that somebody else will by the fish.

 

[beam3er]

thanks everyone

 

[OhNoNemo]

I dont QT or dip my fish before putting them in the DT.But I know my LFS has treated the fish before I get them.
I do however watch any fish I might be interested in for a few days before I bring it home.That I know its its good and healthy,of course that method has the risk that somebody else will by the fish.

This is why i think its a great idea to get very friendly with your LFS.Mine will also hold it for me in a seperate tank.:DI love my LFS.

 

[yote]

Mine LFS will hold em to.
I just dont feel right about marking anything on hold for me since I help em out for store credit.

 

[acemow]

the dips/baths link is good. There are some folks who treat proactively for ich and internal parasites, or those, like me, who watch during 6 weeks of QT for new fish and if they develop something, I'd treat with appropriate meds, according to directions and then after treatment is complete, I'd start the 6 week observation over again. Luckily all my new fish have been healthy for the 6 week QT, then are added to DT after a few days of acclimation to DT water

 

[dcantucson]

I don't Q or dip my fish before putting them in the DT either. It is very rare for me to buy a fish anymore as my tanks are established.

 

[Melosu58]

I just QT mine long enough to make sure no disease or parasite is on it. I dont do FW dips because I believe they are of no value and stress the fish out.

 

[1geo]

Are you sure your fish have Ich or do they have Brooklynella? To tell them apart you have to take a tissue sample and examine it under a microscope. The treatment of choice for Ich is copper but copper will not cure Brook. For Brook you have to use 37% Formalin. Formalin will also cure Ich. So if you are treating for Ich and your fish are not getting better they may have Brook. To treat with Formalin you give your fish Formalin baths. Where you put 1 CC of 37% Formalin (Formaldehyde) in 1 gal of water and dip your fish for a minimum of 45 minutes up to 60 minutes. You do this once every other day after 5 dips your fish are rid of Ich and Brook. I also put Formalin in the QT tank. I put 1 CC to 10 gals of water every day during the period I give the baths. Formaldehyde evaporates out of the water within two hours and is not accumulative. It does deplete the oxygen in the water so you need vigorous aeration with air stones in the bath water. Do not use Formalin on fish that have open wounds, it will kill them. After 10 days of Formalin dips, once every other day they are cured of Brook and Ich. The tank the fish came out of has to be fallow, fishless, for at least 8 weeks. The eggs of Ich are in the bottom of your tank and can lay dormant for up to 8 weeks. When they hatch they have to find a host within hours or they will die. Brook's parasite divides and the new cell becomes a free swimmer looking for a host. The swimmer can persist up to four weeks without finding a host before it dies. So a eight week fishless tank can say it is free of Ich and Brook. IF ONE FISH IN YOUR TANK HAS A PARASITE ALL HAVE THE PARASITE EVEN IF THEY SHOW NO SYMPTOMS AND MUST BE TREATED. Don't go through this in the future, QT all new arrives for at least 4 weeks. One more thing, Formalin has a short shelf life so use fresh product and ONLY use 37% Formalin, 15% will do you no good. Remember, if you are treating your fish and they are still dying, you are not treating them for the right thing.

 

[beam3er]

Thanks for the advice 1geo