Quarantine of Anthias using UV instead of Copper

[cmkeen0113]

I always quarantine new fish with an initial freshwater/methylene blue dip and then 30 days of Copper Power/Prazipro per Humblefish guidelines. I want to get some Anthias for my DT, but understand they can be pretty sensitive to copper quarantine. I have a clean 20 G tank ready for QT and was wondering if an alternative for Anthias would be to put a UV sterilizer in the tank with no copper and keep them there for 30 days. I would appreciate positive comments, especially from Jay Hemdal.

 

[HuduVudu]

Of all the quarantine ideas I really like this one. I think imma gonna keep it.

IME when the fish come in it is their digestive tracts that get really messed up. I don't know how many fish that I have gotten where the fish is doing ok but as soon as I get them eating the next day they are gone. After watching my current fish go through this and survive, and my last fish not I am becoming a stronger believer in @Paul B s idea on gut bacteria. I really think the medication does their digestive tract in and that is what causes the most grief.

This idea seems like it gives some relief without all of the medication. An oversized UV on a small tank should also be more effective. I don't quarantine so I don't have experience but this seems a really solid option to all of the invasive treatments people put forward.

If you do do this please post results here.

 

[Spare time]

Jay has previously said that he does not like UV for trying to erradicating a disease. Humblefish has some guides on anthias too

 

[cmkeen0113]

Of all the quarantine ideas I really like this one. I think imma gonna keep it.

IME when the fish come in it is their digestive tracts that get really messed up. I don't know how many fish that I have gotten where the fish is doing ok but as soon as I get them eating the next day they are gone. After watching my current fish go through this and survive, and my last fish not I am becoming a stronger believer in @Paul B s idea on gut bacteria. I really think the medication does their digestive tract in and that is what causes the most grief.

This idea seems like it gives some relief without all of the medication. An oversized UV on a small tank should also be more effective. I don't quarantine so I don't have experience but this seems a really solid option to all of the invasive treatments people put forward.

If you do do this please post results here.

Thanks for the feedback. I have a very reputable LFS in my area and we had a long discussion about UV sterilizers. He has sold all brands of them and he didn't recommend Pentair or Aqua UV, due to problems with bulbs, transformer and leakage. He highly recommended the Aquatop brand. I have a Red Sea 425 XL DT and he recommended the SP 13 hang on model. I think I am going to buy it and first use it in my 20 gallon QT for the Anthias. As you said it will be oversized for 20 gallons, but then I can move it to my DT when done with it in the QT (after sterilizing it of course).

 

[Tamberav]

Good chance that UV is never going to get every parasite before it reattaches to the fish. If anything it might hide disease so you think the fish are free of parasites but it is just the load is small and no visible symptoms.

They are nice on the DT for water clarity, Dino, and for stuff that slips through.

And what about brook, flukes, and urenoma? Not everything goes freely into the water column and UV breaks down meds so treating for those would be difficult with a UV running.

Just use hybrid TTM if you want to treat them without copper. It likely has more promise then 30 days of UV.

 

[cmkeen0113]

UV isn’t going to cure disease. It is never going to get every parasite before it reattaches to the fish. If anything it might hide disease so you think the fish are free of parasites but it is just the load is small and no visible symptoms.

They are nice on the DT for water clarity, Dino, and for stuff that slips through.

You would be better off investing in a large UV for the DT if that is the case.

And what about brook, flukes, and urenoma? Not everything goes freely into the water column.

Just use hybrid TTM if you want to treat them without copper.

Thanks for the feedback. I don't have multiple tanks to use for TTM, so that isn't an option for me. I plan on first dipping them in Safety Stop to address things like flukes, brook and uronema. But you are correct that a UV sterilizer will never completely free the tank of parasites. QT is such a difficult thing for sensitive fish.

 

[Tamberav]

Thanks for the feedback. I don't have multiple tanks to use for TTM, so that isn't an option for me. I plan on first dipping them in Safety Stop to address things like flukes, brook and uronema. But you are correct that a UV sterilizer will never completely free the tank of parasites. QT is such a difficult thing for sensitive fish.

I just use plastic totes for TTM. I don’t bother with glass as it’s heavy and I am clumsy.

QT is a pain in the butt for all methods true.. I plan to buy many pre QT fish for the next upgrade.

 

[hds4216]

You could try tank transfer or hyposalinity. I would trust both of these methods more.