Does everyone REALLY go the length to prevent ich with multiple tanks and a dedicated QT for everything?

[kinetic]

Tank transfer, copper, all the things for fish. But also corals? Do you keep a tank fallow and running for 75+ days whenever you get a new coral, for example? A new anemone? And then transfer to your tank with all the fish?

My last successful tank, I only stocked it with super hardy fish. I would see a tiny ich spec on my purple dottyback once in awhile, for example, but that fish was fine for 5+ years. My next tank I'm planning anthias, genicanthus, as well as a few of my previous fish. I'm going to go through a tank transfer method with them, but stocking the new tank is going to be hard. I'll need to get things in waves of 75 days and have a fully separate running system.

Does everyone really do that?

 

[Olefreebe]

Short answer. No.

 

[Doctorgori]

No, for tank transfer but after 3 or so total ich wipeouts I will always quarantine or buy quarantined fish…I do have a small UV and 40 breeder

 

[MnFish1]

Tank transfer, copper, all the things for fish. But also corals? Do you keep a tank fallow and running for 75+ days whenever you get a new coral, for example? A new anemone? And then transfer to your tank with all the fish?

My last successful tank, I only stocked it with super hardy fish. I would see a tiny ich spec on my purple dottyback once in awhile, for example, but that fish was fine for 5+ years. My next tank I'm planning anthias, genicanthus, as well as a few of my previous fish. I'm going to go through a tank transfer method with them, but stocking the new tank is going to be hard. I'll need to get things in waves of 75 days and have a fully separate running system.

Does everyone really do that?

Definitely, if there were fish in the frag tank. I do not necessarily that the dips used are all that effective except for non bacterial illness

 

[saltcats]

I hadn't before with inverts/corals, but I recently (most likely) introduced disease on a coral frag which killed a fish so I'm planning to be qt'ing everything going forward... You can keep a rolling qt for corals and inverts though so new items can be added during the quarantine without resetting the counter. As long as each thing by itself is in there for long enough.

 

[MnFish1]

Most tanks have ich. It’s very difficult to successfully keep it out long term.

I'm curious where did you get that information - from @AquaBiomics? Or another source.

 

[ti_lavender]

I QT anything wet. I have a coral QT for corals and inverts. Separate QT setup for new fish.

 

[FernFish]

I don’t have a quarantine tank. I kind of just throw them in, I usually tend to pick the lively ones.

 

[EricR]

Not sure what the percentages are but I'd guess that long-term hobbyists with large investments are more likely to follow strict QT protocols for anything/everything wet.

Personally, I go with HTTM (Hybrid Tank Transfer Method) for fish, 50+ days QT (non-medicated, obviously) for inverts, but just dip and chance it with corals.
...but I only keep soft corals and have a pretty small financial investment,,, although I would feel bad if I wiped out all my fish due to my laziness.

 

[SudzFD]

Tank transfer, copper, all the things for fish. But also corals? Do you keep a tank fallow and running for 75+ days whenever you get a new coral, for example? A new anemone? And then transfer to your tank with all the fish?

My last successful tank, I only stocked it with super hardy fish. I would see a tiny ich spec on my purple dottyback once in awhile, for example, but that fish was fine for 5+ years. My next tank I'm planning anthias, genicanthus, as well as a few of my previous fish. I'm going to go through a tank transfer method with them, but stocking the new tank is going to be hard. I'll need to get things in waves of 75 days and have a fully separate running system.

Does everyone really do that?

Nope. There are many ways to mitigate disease. But only time I ever went fallow was a brook outbreak I had. After that it’s dips and additions.

 

[MnFish1]

Not sure what the percentages are but I'd guess that long-term hobbyists with large investments are more likely to follow strict QT protocols for anything/everything wet.

Personally, I go with HTTM (Hybrid Tank Transfer Method) for fish, 50+ days QT (non-medicated, obviously) for inverts, but just dip and chance it with corals.
...but I only keep soft corals and have a pretty small financial investment,,, although I would feel bad if I wiped out all my fish due to my laziness.

there are several posts/polls. I believe that about 50-60 percent of people QT. Some of those use observation, others use various protocol. Many of the protocols I've seen are not effective and thus probably the people actually using a complete qt protocol is 50% or less. (based on data from this site)

 

[gbroadbridge]

Most tanks have ich. It’s very difficult to successfully keep it out long term.

There is no Ich in my tanks - everything has been quarantined.

Having said that, it is extremely rare for me to add anything new - I think the last new coral was over 18 months ago.

 

[ReefHunter006]

I go to extreme qt lengths and most other reefers in my social circle think it’s a bit much. A small minority I would say go the full mile.

With a baby on the way, I don’t expect to be able to keep it up.

 

[Spare time]

Most tanks have ich. It’s very difficult to successfully keep it out long term.

Where's the evidence that most tanks have ich?

 

[Spare time]

It’s just obvious. People who have anal QT regimens and prevent cross contamination with a separate coral and invert tank and 6 feet apart to prevent aerosol transmission etc for a minimum of 6 weeks are in the minority.

Most reefers are more lax. You don’t need a scientific study to know this.

Fish can develop immunity to ich. I wouldn’t be surprised if many people who think they are ich free are just asymptomatic. No shame at all. I like to be realistic.

I still strongly disagree that most tanks have ich. This is coming from working at two LFS. "Just obvious" isn't really an answer.

 

[Troylee]

Nope.. buy and throw in display..

 

[Spare time]

I qt everything but nothing for 75 days. The evidence for that being needed is in practice, none.

 

[Spare time]

Do you have evidence that they don’t?

You know ich can be asymptomatic, right? Ich rarely if ever kills.

I think people confuse ich with velvet. Ich is like the common cold and many fish can develop an immunity to it.

You made the claim so you need to support it, not me.

 

[MnFish1]

It’s just obvious. People who have anal QT regimens and prevent cross contamination with a separate coral and invert tank and 6 feet apart to prevent aerosol transmission etc for a minimum of 6 weeks are in the minority.

Most reefers are more lax. You don’t need a scientific study to know this.

Fish can develop immunity to ich. I wouldn’t be surprised if many people who think they are ich free are just asymptomatic. No shame at all. I like to be realistic.

My comment related to where the data came from that there was ich in all or most tanks. In reality, there is significant date out there that suggests that it will eventually die off in a year. Most people that do well with ich SEEM to have a low stocking density, and more coral, etc - that could potentially eat ich.

 

[MnFish1]

I qt everything but nothing for 75 days. The evidence for that being needed is in practice, none.

There is evidence - HOWEVER, the evidence doesn't translate well to reef tanks (the research was done (I think) on Mullett - and in cold water. Even in those experiments, only 1 strain out of several was still alive at 72 days - so to be 'careful' - people chose 76 days (my understanding)