Quarantine success rates seem low to me. Mentors, help make sense of it.

[dkelley]

I have been reading post. after post here on quarantine procedures and wow will it overload anyone trying to learn something.

First, I am a believer in QT. I have a frag tank setup with no fish that will see my corals for the 76 days minimum before hitting the DT. I already have that going in a 14.8g tank. I have about 12 frags in there now.

For my display tank I have a 140g display with a 35g sump that was put together with sand and dead rock. It is sitting there cycled and ready for its first inhabitants it is empty of all life.

For QT I did buy a 20g tank with a HOB filter and am prepared with some filter foam in the DT to cycle through for a QT tank, no issues there either. But this is where it does get my head spinning.

Before everyone jumps into the "how", I know there is a quarantine process outlined on this site, it's a longer process than the others I've seen and I could imagine many would argue which process is best but that's not what I am asking here. I'm not worried about which process to use or which is best.

So what I'm curious about is for those that QT at home, what is your success rate? I seem to read that people lose half the fish they attempt to QT. This not only seems like it's irresponsible but also expensive. Am I just hearing horror stories? Are people just not testing ammonia enough in the process? What is killing them?

Maybe it's better to buy QT fish? I honestly have six or seven fish stores locally (within an hour) to me and I think three in particular are super nice establishments. One I know for sure runs copper not sure about the other two yet. I would much rather buy from the LFS because shipping fish seems to be horrible especially to Arizona in the coming months but also less stress, more success maybe? But so many fail to QT on their own....do you see the conundrum here?

I'm brand new to saltwater fish and it's be decades since I've had a tank at all so I could definitely use some help.

TLDR What is your QT success rate and which method did you use (not arguing which is best)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[bnord]

Thanks for being open frank and honest. Listening to your attention to details. I am sure you’re going to have great success in a hobby. I for one have had decent success with either the use of the QT tank and unfortunately, in one instance having to turn two tanks into hospital tanks, following a velvet outbreak in the display tank. Early days. Was not adequately using the QT system at that time.
So the question is really are you trying to ensure you have treatments for protozoan parasites or that plus worms and flukes.
your hang on filter with plastic media that has gone through a cycling system, regular water, changes, one of those ammonia badges, decent light, so you can observe the fish several times a day, plenty of PCV piping for them to hide and field, low stress, high quality food, and a high-quality copper test. Hana is what I use
You might want to think about running a pair of hardy clown, fish, or something else that can help you break in your QT system. Step-by-step, inch by inch you’ll be fine.

 

[TheBear78]

@dkelley It's an interesting observation and one which I've noted on several occasions.
I am in no doubt that disease control is an essential part of this hobby. Unfortunately, on many occasions the desire to eradicate every possible disease seems to create an environment that many fish just cannot survive in.
I've lost count of the threads where a QT process was carried out only to leave the reefer baffled as to why their prized fish didn't make it even though it appeared healthy at the beginning.
The very definition of quarantine was to look for and/or isolate and treat confirmed diseases. This seems to have evolved into buying an apparently healthy fish and seeing how much medication they are able tolerate for diseases that they don't necessarily have.
The abuse that skip cycle participants get is absurd when one considers how many documented fatalities there are versus the QT deaths. Typically the former are branded irresponsible and cruel yet the latter are heralded as conscientious but unfortunate.

QT, in one form or another, is critical to minimise the introduction of unwanted diseases into our aquariums.
I'm not sure that it can be accomplished without occasional loss.

 

[vtecintegra]

I would say I'm in the high 90s as far as success. The last two fish I lost, one was unknown. Died at the four day mark. The other was because I left the lid off, and it jumped out. Dumb mistake.

My method, tank transfer every evening for 14 days. Along the way, three doses of Prazi, and H2O2 30 minute baths before transfer if no Prazi in the water. I can feed heavy and don't have to worry about ammonia.

 

[dwest]

My success rate seems to have improved quite a bit with the Hanna high range copper checker. Ive been reefing almost 30 years and have been quarantining for probably the past 15 or so. I was flying blind with the old style copper tests.

 

[dkelley]

The very definition of quarantine was to look for and/or isolate and treat confirmed diseases. This seems to have evolved into buying an apparently healthy fish and seeing how much medication they are able tolerate for diseases that they don't necessarily have.

This brings up an extremely good point and often overlooked maybe. I know some say that non medicated QT is pointless but maybe it isn’t? I do t know enough to answer that but this is a good point right here.

 

[dkelley]

I would say I'm in the high 90s as far as success. The last two fish I lost, one was unknown. Died at the four day mark. The other was because I left the lid off, and it jumped out. Dumb mistake.

My method, tank transfer every evening for 14 days. Along the way, three doses of Prazi, and H2O2 30 minute baths before transfer if no Prazi in the water. I can feed heavy and don't have to worry about ammonia.

90’s isn’t horrible but it’s not awesome either, better than most from what it seems to me.

 

[dkelley]

My success rate seems to have improved quite a bit with the Hanna high range copper checker. Ive been reefing almost 30 years and have been quarantining for probably the past 15 or so. I was flying blind with the old style copper tests.

Do you think your copper levels were way to high previously? I’m honestly interested in seeing a higher success rate in my attempts and maybe future people reading this.

 

[dwest]

Do you think your copper levels were way to high previously? I’m honestly interested in seeing a higher success rate in my attempts and maybe future people reading this.

Yes.

I remember quarantining my current clownfishes 5 or so years ago, before the Hanna tester. I added more copper as the color kit showed it was low. At some point the clowns stopped eating. So basically I did small water changes bringing the copper level down to where the clowns would eat again. Then I finished the quarantine at that level.

That was one of the many tribulations I had with the old copper test kits.

After I got the Hanna, I quarantined 5 wrasses in full copper treatment, no problems whatsoever. It’s definitely a huge help for me.

 

[dkelley]

I definitely have the copper kit on the list and will have it in hand before starting a QT if DIY QT is the way I end up going. I'm still hoping we get more people like you on here giving the "real deal" on at home QT.

Thanks for the participation for sure. Plenty to learn here.