Quarantine protocols

[Losago1980]

Hello,

I am just curious to know what everyone's quarantine protocol looks like. I know there is a recommended protocol here on the site, but since I am new to the site I haven't found it yet. If anyone can post a link to it, it will be greatly appreciated as well. But please do share your best practices, just want to learn more. Thanks in advance.

Luiz

[Willie]

I keep new discus separated in their own tank for at least six weeks. I don't do prophylactic treatments because I purchase from Simply Discus sponsors, all of whom already do it. That's pretty much it. :D

Willie

[Losago1980]

I keep new discus separated in their own tank for at least six weeks. I don't do prophylactic treatments because I purchase from Simply Discus sponsors, all of whom already do it. That's pretty much it. :D

Willie

so you just keep them separate, nothing else? no prophylactic at all? That would make me a little nervous to be honest...lol. But I am glad it's been working for you! :) Thanks for the quick response.

Luiz

[Oxboy]

Look above at Al's sticky.

[seanyuki]

For those interested..I had done several Discus Disease and Health Presentations over the years... The following are from a few pages of that presentation. HTH, al

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?135809-Al-s-Quarantine-Procedure

[peewee1]

Yes, quarantine is the sensible way to go. With that said I don't quarantine. Two reasons for that. I have had only one tank. The first 5 fish I bought was from Kenny. Maybe a year later 2 had died to I bought 2 more from Kenny. Kenny does briefly quarantine but the source is the same. No problems came from this but mostly because I was lucky. I then bought a tank for breeding, moved two fish to the tank, and bought 1 more fish from Kenny. Added that fish to the main tank and after three months no problems. Again lucky I suppose. Also I do move fish back and forth from the breeding tank to the main tank when I swap males. No problems once again. But that is me. I would not suggest that anyone do what I do. Necessity dictates my processes with regard to quarantine.

[Losago1980]

For those interested..I had done several Discus Disease and Health Presentations over the years... The following are from a few pages of that presentation. HTH, al

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?135809-Al-s-Quarantine-Procedure

Hi Francis,

Thanks for posting this! exactly what I am looking for. Do you mind if I private message you to pick your brain and ask some questions? I don't want to bother the group with what it may be repetitive stuff. Thanks :)

[Willie]

so you just keep them separate, nothing else? no prophylactic at all? That would make me a little nervous to be honest...lol...

I should have added some more reasoning to my response.

The best quarantine is the reputation of your supplier. I know the importers/breeders I purchase from, all of whom are Simply Discus sponsors. I know who makes prophylactic treatments and I know their discus sources, so I have a reasonable expectation of what is coming into my fish room. Sometimes mistakes happen, so I also quarantine. But I know that if there is disease, these individuals will make things right to preserve their reputation and credibility as a trusted supplier.

I am not a fan of medicating discus because they all induce stress. None of these compounds were developed for discus and none of them have been tested in discus for toxicity. In general, the pharmaceutical knowledge comes from "well, it worked on tilapia, salmon or some other fish raised in commerce".

My approach to treating sick discus is to "first, do no harm". Treating fish that have been subjected to the rigors of travel, weakened by irregular feeding, then dropped into a completely new aquatic environment with harsh chemicals is just not a reasonable thing to do. So I quarantine...

[seanyuki]

I am open to answer yr questions and others could chime in too....I am just a hobbyist.



Hi Francis,

Thanks for posting this! exactly what I am looking for. Do you mind if I private message you to pick your brain and ask some questions? I don't want to bother the group with what it may be repetitive stuff. Thanks :)

[igotgats]

I should have added some more reasoning to my response.

The best quarantine is the reputation of your supplier. I know the importers/breeders I purchase from, all of whom are Simply Discus sponsors. I know who makes prophylactic treatments and I know their discus sources, so I have a reasonable expectation of what is coming into my fish room. Sometimes mistakes happen, so I also quarantine. But I know that if there is disease, these individuals will make things right to preserve their reputation and credibility as a trusted supplier.

I am not a fan of medicating discus because they all induce stress. None of these compounds were developed for discus and none of them have been tested in discus for toxicity. In general, the pharmaceutical knowledge comes from "well, it worked on tilapia, salmon or some other fish raised in commerce".

My approach to treating sick discus is to "first, do no harm". Treating fish that have been subjected to the rigors of travel, weakened by irregular feeding, then dropped into a completely new aquatic environment with harsh chemicals is just not a reasonable thing to do. So I quarantine...

Same here. I haven't kept Discus before (setting up my first tank). But, from fish in the past that I've kept, I agree...and here's why.

In my opinion, the whole point of QT is for monitoring. 6-8 weeks...whatever you do. If more, that's obviously fine too. But, like I said - it's to monitor to see if anything happens to your fish. If you see symptoms or signs, then medicate. But, why medicate if there's nothing wrong? Like others have said - medicating induces stress.

[BrendanJ23]

Have to say I’m in Willie’s boat. Purely an observational quarantine for me for 4 weeks, buying from quality suppliers.

[Iminit]

Qt for any new fish. For discus 4 week than add a hero fish out of your original stock to qt tank and observe for another 2 weeks. I’m new here and have not bought from any sponsors. I bought from my lps first. 6 from lps. I bought these as they came in so they spent a very short time in store. These all worked out nice they started in a 45 and were moved into a 125. Next I bought 6 from Hans. These went into the 45 with some Cory’s that never left. Cory’s were hero fish. Hans discus were fine and after 4 weeks I added one of his to the 125. All good and the rest went in. No problems. Next I bought 2 from uncle sams and went the same way. Again all good. I may have been lucky but by qt any bad fish would have been seen before introduced.
Qt’ing fish is the right thing to do. May not be the new fish are sick but if added to an existing tank after just being shipped the stress these fish are going through can be to much to survive. The stress bring on disease and than death. The disease can than spread through the rest of your tank. But if you qt the fish calm down and adjust to your water and get stronger. If your water changing your water in both tanks theyre going to be very close. So going from one tank to the next is painless. Do this with all fish and you’ll have very few problems. I’ve never used any meds and do not own any :).

[dspeers]

I wonder if Al has changed his thoughts over the last 6 years or still feels prophylactic treatment with Levamisole and Prazi should be done, and if so, whether there should be any exceptions such as same supplier.

[seanyuki]

Al Sabetta quarantine version dated back in 2002 is more complicated than the one listed in 01-10-2014

His 2002 version as flws

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?21044-Quarantine-*questions




I wonder if Al has changed his thoughts over the last 6 years or still feels prophylactic treatment with Levamisole and Prazi should be done, and if so, whether there should be any exceptions such as same supplier.