Should Petco Fish be Quarantined?

Sir Alex

Sir Alex

Dragon the eel (below)
I have a decent petco near by and I'll probably be getting most of my fish there. They do have a reputation for bad fish care. I have a 30 gallon tank that I can use as a quarantine.

Should I quarantine them before I put them in my tank to avoid any diseases that they might have gotten at petco?

If I am keeping a fish in the quarantine for several days do I need to cycle it first?

Can I use a tub as a quarantine? My grandfather suggested that I turn the 30 gallon tank in to a fresh water one. I think that's a pretty good idea. :D
 
all fish no matter where they come from should be quarantined.

you could use a tub but i like the idea of a tank better.... gives the fish something to look out at ya know? tubs? eh. you still need filtration, heat, and a place for the fish to hide while it's QTing and having a tank setup for that is always a must for me. I have just a little 10g qt and an extra 30 lying around in case i need it... right now there is just a damsel in my QT who pretty much lives there since he's mean but i don't have hte heart to get rid of him LOL.
 
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its a good idea to cycle it just like you would a normal tank, don't add like 500 lbs of rock because depending on what youre QTin/treating the tank with you'll prolly wanna drain it each time... I really wouldn't put sand or rock in there at all... my QT has a few fake plants a little spongebob pineapple house for the fish to hide in-easy to clean and it doesn't suck up chemcials
 
So I need to re cycle the tank every time I'm going to put a fish in there? Is there enough area on the glass and in the HOB for bacteria to grow?
 
there isn't really going to be any bacteria to be growing in the tank? a QT tank is pretty much just salt water and a filter and a heater.... nothing fancy at all.
 
With a QT, because it needs to be treated with copper or hypo, you cant really cycle the tank. Just monitor levels daily and if you see levels rise, do a water change.
 
What will you accomplish by quarantining for a few days? Many fish carry disease but don't show symptoms. You are not treating any potential infections by quarantining for a few days. If the fish had ich or a parasite, it will still have it when you add it to your tank. If you are going to quarantine, it should be done for at least 8 weeks, in conjunction with hypo or copper. Otherwise you are just temporarily holding a sick fish in one tank before moving it into another. Quarantining in and of itself does nothing for the fish if it is diseased.
 
No. But if you are going to ensure an ich free tank you do. Quarantining doesn't eliminate disease unless you treat.
 
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Yep.

Or you could do what most of us do and just put them in. Most fish will only show disease when they are stressed, so we work to keep our tanks stress free by not over stocking, picking compatible fish and making sure our water chemistry is good.

It also helps if you buy fish that are looking well. Bright eyes, swimming well, fat and eating.
 
little_fish said:
Yep.

Or you could do what most of us do and just put them in. Most fish will only show disease when they are stressed, so we work to keep our tanks stress free by not over stocking, picking compatible fish and making sure our water chemistry is good.

It also helps if you buy fish that are looking well. Bright eyes, swimming well, fat and eating.
Click to expand...

I think that's what I'll do...
 
Obviously the best thing you can do is quarantine and treat fish for ich before you add them to your tank. Ich is the #1 fish killer when it comes to disease. Many LFS keep their fish in copper treated water for that reason. That's why LFS fish systems are not hooked up to the same water as their invert and coral systems.
 
Which do you personally think is better, copper treatment or hypo treatment?

Edit: If I use copper in the 30 gallon tank will I ever be able to keep invertebrates in there?
 
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I would use hypo. Copper can potentially contaminate the seams of the tank (although from what I've read, that's unlikely). Copper is more difficult to be accurate with, and it's difficult to have filtration in the tank with copper. Hypo is easier to keep track of, and having filtration won't change the salinity.
 
+1 sarah...

the water in the QT obviously needs to be cycled water. Just take water from the DT and use it for QT when you do a water change. Why even buy fish from a mega store like petco? support your LFS (assuming they arent morons like so many) by purchasing from them.
 
cthegame said:
+1 sarah...

the water in the QT obviously needs to be cycled water. Just take water from the DT and use it for QT when you do a water change. Why even buy fish from a mega store like petco? support your LFS (assuming they arent morons like so many) by purchasing from them.
Click to expand...

It's pretty much the only place to buy fish locally...

What do you mean cycled water?
 

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