Quarantine

[jeep]

I've read a lot about quarantine for new fish and I totally agree with it. When I first started reading about all the precautions some people were taking, I thought it was very smart, but over-kill. Now I know differently. Most of what I've read about basically says to QT fish in their own tank for at least 6 weeks.

I've also read about newbies to discus simply placing their LFS discus straight into the tank that may contain many different varieties of fish and only learning later that they should have QT'd their fish.

After reading about Mike's ordeal, and after visiting Jack and seeing his almost empty fish room, and hearing the heart-breaking stories from both, it's obvious those disasters happened because of an unforseen airborn pathogen. I have to wonder if the QT period should be in an entirly separate room for ALL new arrivals or, and maybe this is phrased wrong and I don't want to start anything, but should the "airborn" QT mainly apply to imported fish.

Another question: If I were to have a similar "bacterial" problem and I have survivors, are the survivors cured? Are my fish safe to pass along to someone else or could they build up immunity and infect others later on down the road.

I've learned a ton from this forum by reading and re-reading for hours at a time but I still have many of the "basic" (or dumb) questions ticking through my mind...

Brian

P.S. I placed this in the newbie section because of it's importance to new discus owners. Their first disaster could be their last...

Hi Jeep,
IME Qt should be done in another Room! If your Discus Come down with a Diseases it is very lickly that the ones that get better will become carriers untill proper treatment is carried Out! some can be cured with lots of clean water! Others cannot and antibiotics will be needed.
Hth
TakeCare,
Cary Gld!

[jklnbrg]

One picture speaks 10,000 words!!

[lkleung007]

Hi Jeep;

I would also quarantine in another room if at all possible. Keep all equipment separate; such as nets, hose, buckets, etc. I am not a big fan of meds and would rather monitor the new arrivals for a minimum of 6-8 weeks before even thinking about mixing them with your main tank. Many experts also recommend adding a runt from your main tank into the quarantine tank for a few days to make sure that it is indeed safe.

HTH, Lester
(PS: Cary that pic. gives me the creeps :-[)

Quarantine should be done either in a separate room or far away from your main system. In case you own fish come down with an infection at the same time. The new arrival will not be blamed. Reputation of the breeder can be easily damaged with a few key strokes for someone too quick to point a finger.
Jimmy.

[jeep]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. No matter how much you trust the person you're buying from, QTQTQTQTQT!

Cary, I've seen that picture before. Breaks my heart!

How about the other issue. I know if there's a viral problem then the fish can build an immunity and pass it along to others that have not been exposed. How about a bacterial problem. Once the bacteria infected fish has been cured, is it still possible for the fish to be a carrier and infect others later on? Or is the fish safe to introduce to others once it's been cured?

Thanks and I hope anyone that reads this does not take short cuts!

Read this:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index...;threadid=1025

[jim_shedden]

Excellent notes guys. In the past I have not been quaranteening in seperate rooms. I will be from now on.

Jim

[engineguy129]

Sad pic Cary :-[,
I hope that never happens to me though I know some mistake will be made.


Rob

[Coetz]

That pic makes me so sick uke:

Coetz**

OMG thats picture is ruff