For the experts!!

[novice breeder]

Help from the experts!!!!!!
Can you all explain your methods of quarantine imported fishes as well as what to do when you have received them to acclimatize them? How soon do you feed them and any other relevant information ? Pics would be helpful. Thanks. Kemraj.

[pcsb23]

My qt procedure is based on knowing the source of the fish, there would be variations if the source was doubtful.

Clean water and cycled filters to start, use ammonia if necessary to cycle the tank. Create as much separation as possible between qt and main tanks, sometimes this is not as much as I'd like. Separate equipment and towels. The first few days I just observe the fish, if necessary I would react to any significant change in them. I usually run the qt tank at 86f 30C. Then after 2 days start to feed usually FBW lightly and increase that to the required amount. After the first week I will observe closely their behaviour and droppings, if these are anything other than normal I assess at that point. By this time they are being subjected to my routine, as in walking past the tank, dropping *** bits of food in, water changes etc. If no adverse signs or signs of worms etc I treat with flubenol 15. Treat day 1 after w/c, leave for 2 days and treat again after another w/c. Its rare I see any results from this but it nails flukes and many types of worms. Then its basically clean water and observation. I have tried using FMG and PP shortly after arrival, but feel that can cause a huge amount of stress. Now if the fish came from a suspect source (but why buy from it anyway???) then the first thing I would do is an FMG or PP treatment!

After 6 weeks I introduce a sacrificial lamb into the tank and observe. They will be given a minimum of 2 weeks before I even consider any next step. All this time I am working on their diet feeding as high a protein and balanced diet as I can. If I can get red worms I use them, white worms also, but mainly stick with FBW, beefheart and quality flake/granules. The reason for this is healthy well fed fish take every day pathogens in their stride. I believe that the exposure to the sacrificial lamb is adequate and can see no reason to risk the main stock by moving one of the newcomers early.

Other than flubenol I do no other prophylactic treatment as I believe clean water and good diet means less stressed fish, means healthy fish.

If during any stage of the QT I need to treat for a reason the QT period restarts.

[Apistomaster]

I follow a similar method as Paul except as soon as my discus begin feeding I soak Tetra Color Bits in either Prazipro or Gel-Tek FW for deworming.
I feed the medicated food once a day for a month and then once a day for one week a couple times a year.
Other than the discus I breed and raise I mostly get into the quarantine procedure with newly aquired wild caught discus and fancy plecos.