quarantine question

herekittykittykitty · Post by **herekittykittykitty** » 13 Jan 2006, 01:03

How long do you quarantine new Corys? Quarantine tank setup;filter,temp?if you use medications what kind? and what not to do.

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 13 Jan 2006, 08:58

I quarantine all new arrivals at least a month, as if no illness appears in that time, the fish are most likely safe.

I use 40 gallon breeders with bog wood for the purpose with a sponge filter. Temperature and water quality is the same as the tank they'll be in.

I keep melefix and pimafix on hand, but I haven't had to use them, as I get my fish from reputable sources. If the fish are wild caught, I use foods that have garlic in them to purge the fish of internal parasites.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Oz · Post by Oz » 13 Jan 2006, 09:19

Dave, do you keep anything in your quarantine tanks when you are not quarantining anything to keep the tank cycled?

Andy

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 13 Jan 2006, 09:45

It's my opinion that unless the fish shows particular illness signs in the quarantine tank, you should not use medications - just like humans, use medications only when it's actually going to do something, not "just in case".

--
Mats

Kana3 · Post by **Kana3** » 13 Jan 2006, 13:29

What foods are available (brands etc) that have garlic in them?

pictus_man_77 · Post by **pictus_man_77** » 13 Jan 2006, 17:04

put in a bit yourself

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 13 Jan 2006, 21:15

Oz wrote:Dave, do you keep anything in your quarantine tanks when you are not quarantining anything to keep the tank cycled?

Andy

Andy,

Nope, I put in a pinch (just a pinch, no more) of dark brown sugar to feed the nitrafying bacteria weekly when I'm doing my maintanence. Its an old trick that folks used to use to cycle a tank before all the commecial bacteria cycling additives came along.

Table sugar doesn't have the carbonate values of dark brown, as it's been bleached out of table sugar. So, to work, it MUST be dark brown sugar.

By the way, it only works in freshwater, not marine. My marine quarantine tanks have live rock and live sand, which keeps them cycled.

Dave

pictus_man_77 · Post by **pictus_man_77** » 13 Jan 2006, 21:20

That is absolutely genius!!

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 13 Jan 2006, 21:21

Kana3 wrote:What foods are available (brands etc) that have garlic in them?

There are several, but if you have or can get a garlic press, emulsify the fish food in a bit of the juice. If they eat it you have just enough. If they don't, it's too much. It must be fresh garlic, not the dry stuff in the spices isle.

You'd get the hang of it pretty quick. If you don't want to do it manually, I believe Omega Sea, Danichi and I think New Life Spectrum have products with garlic in them.

Dave