How much is the fish store accountable if they sell me a fish and I don't quarantine?

[brandon429]

marketing 101 / partnership acknowledged.

validity / utility in reefing not acknowledged, at least until I get a convincing answer to my question in my opinion.

 

[Atherial]

My LFS quarantines their fish. Their fish aren't any more expensive than anyone else and in some cases they are actually cheaper. I drive an extra hour to go there and it's worth it to me to not have to do a quarantine setup myself.

Their setup is just four tanks in the back, one for each week of quarantine. You can buy fish that are still in the quarantine tanks so some high demand fish never make it the full four weeks. I think that's fine since the customer knows exactly how long they've been treated for.

 

[brandon429]

isnt there a direct risk of cross contamination via aerosol in that type of setup, and especially in a pet store where fifty open topped tanks pump water droplets all over the front window?

does that pet store apply TTM protocols in their qt process

some decent physical separation is required if I'm reading Jay's forum correctly.

 

[Atherial]

isnt there a direct risk of cross contamination via aerosol in that type of setup, and especially in a pet store where fifty open topped tanks pump water droplets all over the front window?

does that pet store apply TTM protocols in their qt process

some decent physical separation is required if I'm reading Jay's forum correctly.

The quarantine tanks are in a separate room and all tanks are medicated. So I'd assume any aerosol contamination would be pretty minimal. You'd have to get aerosols from the week 1 tank all the way over to the main shop tanks and I don't see that happening at a high enough rate to have an effect.

 

[brandon429]

at least they've accounted for it agreed.

 

[brandon429]

if I had a large setup, lets say five grand worth of fish and corals (dead fish can wipe out corals when murphy's law says they'll wait till our 5 day vacation to die, fish disease is a whole-tank killer potentially and often) I would not trust anyone to do my qt.

I would buy from a source like that above, or Dr. Reef, and then proceed to do Jay's and HF's advised steps in my own home.


skipping that last part= asking for a wipeout.

someone who claims to qt is merely a 5% step up from someone who does not claim to, in my opinion.

 

[terraincognita]

The Fish Store has zero accountability.

This is really the answer. Kinda sucks. But 100% just straight blunt truth.

FWIW though, THERE ARE stores that will offer 48 hour policies for the fish you buy (not the rest of your fish) but the one you bought at least.

They will probably also want a water test showing normal parameters, normally those stores run a QT program.

Try to find those ones. If they're willing to gamble 48 hours, most likely they're taking steps to make sure they're not losing more than winning and their fish are healthy.

Even still, unless it's a verified Copper or Formalin QT system they're using. Always QT. And even if they QT.... depending on what you have in your tank...... always QT....

 

[Eric Cohen]

Even I offer a 7 day guarantee for online purchases but the fish has to have been put in a qt from the beginning.
I now offer a free packet of safety stop which is my product and great for dipping fish and get them going in the right direction.

 

[Roatan Reef]

For me...its both!

#1. You should always stare and look very hard at any coral or fish you want to buy and know the signs.

Like...never buy corals that are closed up at your LFS, unless it's an unbelievable deal and you think you can fix it.

My LFS has a massive selection of Freshwater Fish, a good selection of Saltwater Fish and Coral.

They are very honest. For some reason, the Freshwater selection gets ICK every couple of months...they will tell you...hey, our fish have ick right now, we recommend QTing them and will even toss in a bottle of Ick treatment for free.

On Corals, for the most part, have no issues, but some get aiptasia or have GHA strings on them....even if it's a $50 or $75 coral, they move it to the $25 to $19.00 section and tell you what's up with it....then it's entirely on you to decide.


You are a fool in this hobby or the Freshwater hobby if you just blindly buy anything without careful examination.

Both are expensive enough as is.

 

[Eric Cohen]

For me...its both!

#1. You should always stare and look very hard at any coral or fish you want to buy and know the signs.

Like...never buy corals that are closed up at your LFS, unless it's an unbelievable deal and you think you can fix it.

My LFS has a massive selection of Freshwater Fish, a good selection of Saltwater Fish and Coral.

They are very honest. For some reason, the Freshwater selection gets ICK every couple of months...they will tell you...hey, our fish have ick right now, we recommend QTing them and will even toss in a bottle of Ick treatment for free.

On Corals, for the most part, have no issues, but some get aiptasia or have GHA strings on them....even if it's a $50 or $75 coral, they move it to the $25 to $19.00 section and tell you what's up with it....then it's entirely on you to decide.


You are a fool in this hobby or the Freshwater hobby if you just blindly buy anything without careful examination.

Both are expensive enough as is.

I would agree, and add that you should always ask your LFS to feed the fish before you buy. If the fish is not eating aggressively, then it's a hard pass.

 

[drolmaeye]

We (as end-user hobbyists) have little (zero) control over the supply chain and our LFS (or LFSs if we're lucky). But we 100% control what we do with a fish in a plastic bag. Our knowledge, budget, values, and needs determine our subsequent actions (as distributors, store owners, hobbyists). That's perfectly okay. This has been a great thread that will definitely save the life of a few or more fish, corals, invertebrates, etc. One suggestion: have a polite and direct discussion with your LFS or livestock provider. Has this animal been QTd? If yes, how? In any case, how should I handle it when I take it home? We ALL (distributor, store front owner, hobbyist) want the same end result.

 

[Roatan Reef]

We (as end-user hobbyists) have little (zero) control over the supply chain and our LFS (or LFSs if we're lucky). But we 100% control what we do with a fish in a plastic bag. Our knowledge, budget, values, and needs determine our subsequent actions (as distributors, store owners, hobbyists). That's perfectly okay. This has been a great thread that will definitely save the life of a few or more fish, corals, invertebrates, etc. One suggestion: have a polite and direct discussion with your LFS or livestock provider. Has this animal been QTd? If yes, how? In any case, how should I handle it when I take it home? We ALL (distributor, store front owner, hobbyist) want the same end result.

Correct! Although I have no need of a copper band butterfly, many people come In and ask my LFS to see it eat and feed it...it sometimes eats and sometimes doesn't, and at $85.00 it's still there for a reason.

 

[jkobel]

Glad you're not giving up!! May i suggest an observational QT as a possible solution if a traditional QT is going to be an issue? Personally i don't think treatment with all those chemicals is healthy for the fish for one thing and while an observational QT certainly isn't foolproof, it can reduce the chances of an infected fish getting in your tank. If you do wanna do the full QT protocol though, go right ahead!

I felt the same as you about unnecessarily medicating my fish and I decided (after a heartbreaking encounter with ich that took down my entire tank) that I would do an observational QT going forward.

I set up 2 QTs and on my after months of fallow DT started to bring in fish. I perfomred a 30 day observational QT and when everything went well I moved them to my DT. 2 weeks later I had another ich breakout and lost it all again. I will never go thru that again. I will either full QT/medicate all fish or buy QT fish.

for me, its just not worth it and I learned that observation isnt enough.

 

[sergifed91]

It's at the buyers responsibility. The lfs isn't responsible for qting. A local fish store that is no longer open sold a fish to a local reefer. The buyer didn't qt that fullish and it has ich. It was healthy in the store. But after adding it to the dt. It came down with visible signs of ich. Wiped out his whole tank. He blamed the store. But in all reality it's the buyers fault for not quarantine the fish before adding it to the dt.

 

[adittam]

My LFS quarantines their fish. Their fish aren't any more expensive than anyone else and in some cases they are actually cheaper. I drive an extra hour to go there and it's worth it to me to not have to do a quarantine setup myself.

Their setup is just four tanks in the back, one for each week of quarantine. You can buy fish that are still in the quarantine tanks so some high demand fish never make it the full four weeks. I think that's fine since the customer knows exactly how long they've been treated for.

This is my LFS also, and I also drive an hour to get there. Past several other fish stores. Because I LOVE them and their practice.

BUT...they are clearly not a typical example. Open only on 6 hours a day, on weekends only, no retail storefront, selling only livestock and food. This HAS to be a passion project for D and A, not their primary source of income.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum so apologies for the newbie question. I have a 90-gal tank that I've had for 2 years now. Twice in the last two years, my tank has crashed after putting a new fish in from the local fish store. It is a fish only tank -- pretty straight forward. Here's the thing -- I've never quarantined my fish when buying them, although I will be from now on. What are your thoughts on any level of responsibility of the local store that sold me the fish that killed my others? Last year, the infected fish wiped all of my others out with a velvet infection. This year, it was ich. I'm clearly learning a lot about what not to do, but I don't what, if anything, to say to the local store owner. They are really good guys -- love the help I normally get from them, but the reality is that a fish from their store has killed off a lot of my existing fish. Thoughts?

It's up to you to protect your investment.

The LFS receive fish and sell fish. Buyer beware.

 

[wil-yuhm]

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