Here is my controversial take on quarantining fish.
Simply put, I don't. and I have never had a single serious outbreak of disease in the last 25 years in an of m tanks. Yes, I know some of you will be sick of hearing it but it's true and I tell no lies.
Now I would never suggest people should follow my example. I have been accused of putting my fish at risk, threatening my whole tank, being very lucky and being mad ... well, the last one is only partially true and I have a letter from my shrink to prove I am clinically sane.:eyepop:;Wacky
So how do I believe I have managed to keep nasty white spot and other ailments from wiping out my fish?
Well let me state that I have experienced bad outbreaks of WS in the past but that was over 25 years ago and when I was not practicing what I am now. I started out in marines 36 years ago and keeping marines then was so much different than today as you probably know. No interweb, limited TV (good thing right?) poor information yes that's still around as well. Y0u could still watch Miss World on TV (UK) and go to watch football (soccer to you) for a few quid/dollars at most but I digress.
There is no one thing I do that I can point to, however, to suggest there is one main reason why my tanks stay disease-free. All I believe work together in unison to the benefit of the whole tank. I am certain as much I can be that I have introduced WS into my tanks on more than one occasion. EG I have seen a couple of spots on a Royal gramma I introduced a few months ago. The RG flicked against the rocks at the irritation being caused by these few spots. I hasten to add the fish showed no sign of the spots in the LFS before I purchase it. Within 48 hours the fish was clean and no other fish showed signs of the spots at any time.
Back to the matter at hand and how I seem to successfully keep my tanks (I have had 10 or 11 in the last 36 years) free of any major outbreak of disease.
So this is what I do.
1/Study any potential purchase for quite some time (note to self this does not always work as above) discard any not looking 100%
2/Ensure any potential purchase is feeding OK.
3/Keep good water quality.
4/ Consider the environment you are creating in your tank ( this is quite a long subject in itself)
5/ Buy fish compatible with existing stock.
6/ Buy fish in pairs groups etc as they would be found on the reef whenever possible.
7/ I don't buy large fish ... small fish large tank I believe is the way to go.
8/ Feed at least 3 often 4 times a day.
9/ I make some of my own foods and feed a very varied diet.
10/ I add fish oil to my foods.
11/ I run Oxydators (don't you just hate it when people give you exactly 10 reasons and not 9 or 11?)
12/ I try to create water flow as much as is reasonably possible and as found on the reef.
I may have missed one or two things out from the above but being an old salty you can forgive me for that. :sherlock:
I am not suggesting you follow me, god forbid as it may not work for you (not sure why it wouldn't do and maybe you have to be slightly mad like me which I am sure helps .... harrr yes
13/ Unlucky for some. Be ever so much slightly (or more) MAD. :roto2gaydude::mad:
Simply put, I don't. and I have never had a single serious outbreak of disease in the last 25 years in an of m tanks. Yes, I know some of you will be sick of hearing it but it's true and I tell no lies.
Now I would never suggest people should follow my example. I have been accused of putting my fish at risk, threatening my whole tank, being very lucky and being mad ... well, the last one is only partially true and I have a letter from my shrink to prove I am clinically sane.:eyepop:;Wacky
So how do I believe I have managed to keep nasty white spot and other ailments from wiping out my fish?
Well let me state that I have experienced bad outbreaks of WS in the past but that was over 25 years ago and when I was not practicing what I am now. I started out in marines 36 years ago and keeping marines then was so much different than today as you probably know. No interweb, limited TV (good thing right?) poor information yes that's still around as well. Y0u could still watch Miss World on TV (UK) and go to watch football (soccer to you) for a few quid/dollars at most but I digress.
There is no one thing I do that I can point to, however, to suggest there is one main reason why my tanks stay disease-free. All I believe work together in unison to the benefit of the whole tank. I am certain as much I can be that I have introduced WS into my tanks on more than one occasion. EG I have seen a couple of spots on a Royal gramma I introduced a few months ago. The RG flicked against the rocks at the irritation being caused by these few spots. I hasten to add the fish showed no sign of the spots in the LFS before I purchase it. Within 48 hours the fish was clean and no other fish showed signs of the spots at any time.
Back to the matter at hand and how I seem to successfully keep my tanks (I have had 10 or 11 in the last 36 years) free of any major outbreak of disease.
So this is what I do.
1/Study any potential purchase for quite some time (note to self this does not always work as above) discard any not looking 100%
2/Ensure any potential purchase is feeding OK.
3/Keep good water quality.
4/ Consider the environment you are creating in your tank ( this is quite a long subject in itself)
5/ Buy fish compatible with existing stock.
6/ Buy fish in pairs groups etc as they would be found on the reef whenever possible.
7/ I don't buy large fish ... small fish large tank I believe is the way to go.
8/ Feed at least 3 often 4 times a day.
9/ I make some of my own foods and feed a very varied diet.
10/ I add fish oil to my foods.
11/ I run Oxydators (don't you just hate it when people give you exactly 10 reasons and not 9 or 11?)
12/ I try to create water flow as much as is reasonably possible and as found on the reef.
I may have missed one or two things out from the above but being an old salty you can forgive me for that. :sherlock:
I am not suggesting you follow me, god forbid as it may not work for you (not sure why it wouldn't do and maybe you have to be slightly mad like me which I am sure helps .... harrr yes
13/ Unlucky for some. Be ever so much slightly (or more) MAD. :roto2gaydude::mad: