Quarantine/Medicate fish before tank upgrade?

benapilot

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
489
Reaction score
583
Location
Wasilla, Alaska
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m in the process of upgrading my mixed reef 75 to a 150 gallon. The 150 will be going where my current tank is, so I’m strategizing how to make it happen. In that process, I’ll be moving all my fish, corals and live rock from the 75 to storage tanks and tubs/totes. It could take a few days or a week to get the transition complete.

I’ve been in the hobby for about 10 years and have never quarantined fish (DUMP and PRAY method!) and had varying success. Fortunately I’ve not had one new fish infect a whole tank. With this new build I’m hoping to do things right. I’m hoping to get some more expensive fish this time from the expertly quarantined shops (purple tang, powder blue tang, pyramid angel, blue throat trigger). I’ll also be transferring some of my current fish to the new tank (flame angel, coral beauty, flame hawk, neon dottyback, damsels). All are healthy and thriving.

Are there parasites that could be in my system now that my fish currently tolerate, but could affect a new more sensitive fish? Would it be prudent to go through a quarantine process with my current stock to make sure nothing “hidden” transfers to the new tank? If so, what would that process look like?

Thanks!
 

ReefBeta

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
1,318
Reaction score
1,427
Location
Seattle, US
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ich could definitively be hidden in your tank currently. I think fluke and some internal parasite can also be there. If you quarantine and medicate all of your existing fish, there are good chance to clean the remaining parasites off your fish. But that alone won't get rid of ich. To make sure no ich in new tank you will need to place your existing rocks, corals, and other inverts in a fishless tank for 76 days (aka fallow). If you want to do that, and QT all your corals and inverts for 76 days before going into your new tank, then now it will be the best time to start. But if you're not planning to do that, the value of doing like 30 days medicated quarantine of your existing fish is much lower. Maybe couple medicate dips to clean out stuff like fluke would be enough.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 63 36.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 34.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 24 14.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 15.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top