Hello! I'm a new reefer here. The tank I have is a 300 gallon reef tank, but right now has nothing in it. I am planning to visit my LFS in the coming days and pick up my first fish. I have done a lot of research on QT, tons of back and forth on this topic and so many different opinions. But, I have decided that I should go with the QT route. My end goal with this tank is lots of tangs and I have read they are ich magnets, especially the acantharus tangs and an achilles tang is my dream fish. Not to mention the horror stories of velvet wiping out a tank over night.
Plans for my QT tank and the questions that arise:
1. For my first fish purchase, there are a few different species I am very interested in. A group of anthias is something I REALLY want. I would most likely be getting a group of four to five lyretails as those are the most common near me. Other than that, a diamond goby, pair of ocellaris clowns, and a species of flasher wrasse come to mind as something else that I want. Would I be safe to quarantine these fish in a 29g (the anthias, flasher wrasse, and diamond goby), or would upgrading to a 40b suite me better? Or should I stick to just maybe the pair of clowns, or just the group of anthias, etc? I already have the 29, but petco is having the half off sale on tanks so upgrading isn't the end of the world. But that also includes more work with water changes.
2. Any tips for the actual process? I have read so many different methods, like TTM, observation, and the standard copper treatment. I would much prefer to just keep the fish in my QT tank for 14-21 days, making sure they are eating and healthy, and only treat as needed with medication. But am I safe to assume that basically ANY fish I purchase probably has ich, just that its immune system is keeping it at bay? If my goal is an ich free tank, then is treating with copper basically a necessity?
3. Of course, online is an option especially pre-QT'd fish. But saltwater fish seem to ship a lot worse compared to freshwater fish, mostly thinking it's because they are wild caught. Yeah, I know they are shipped from the catch site, to wholesale, to LFS, etc. But there are obviously losses in that whole period. At my LFS, atleast I know the fish only has a 20 minute ride home. But, I am still wondering. With the species listed above, does ordering online make any sense? I would get to skip QT (if I go with a reputable source that QTs), but who knows what condition the fish arrive in. Yeah, I know they all have DOA guarantees. But opening a box and seeing dead fish is never fun.
Thanks for any input.
Plans for my QT tank and the questions that arise:
1. For my first fish purchase, there are a few different species I am very interested in. A group of anthias is something I REALLY want. I would most likely be getting a group of four to five lyretails as those are the most common near me. Other than that, a diamond goby, pair of ocellaris clowns, and a species of flasher wrasse come to mind as something else that I want. Would I be safe to quarantine these fish in a 29g (the anthias, flasher wrasse, and diamond goby), or would upgrading to a 40b suite me better? Or should I stick to just maybe the pair of clowns, or just the group of anthias, etc? I already have the 29, but petco is having the half off sale on tanks so upgrading isn't the end of the world. But that also includes more work with water changes.
2. Any tips for the actual process? I have read so many different methods, like TTM, observation, and the standard copper treatment. I would much prefer to just keep the fish in my QT tank for 14-21 days, making sure they are eating and healthy, and only treat as needed with medication. But am I safe to assume that basically ANY fish I purchase probably has ich, just that its immune system is keeping it at bay? If my goal is an ich free tank, then is treating with copper basically a necessity?
3. Of course, online is an option especially pre-QT'd fish. But saltwater fish seem to ship a lot worse compared to freshwater fish, mostly thinking it's because they are wild caught. Yeah, I know they are shipped from the catch site, to wholesale, to LFS, etc. But there are obviously losses in that whole period. At my LFS, atleast I know the fish only has a 20 minute ride home. But, I am still wondering. With the species listed above, does ordering online make any sense? I would get to skip QT (if I go with a reputable source that QTs), but who knows what condition the fish arrive in. Yeah, I know they all have DOA guarantees. But opening a box and seeing dead fish is never fun.
Thanks for any input.