Introducing Fish to Established Tank-do not have QT tank

Memmakim

Memmakim

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Hello! I have an established tank, with one Ram and three Guppies. Awhile back I introduced several new fish to the tank, and was immediately met with Ich-several passed due to it. I realize now that the new fish brought in the illness. Since then I have not introduced new fish. At this time I do not have the supplies, space or finances to set up a QT tank to place new fish in before introducing them to my established tank. Is there a step by step process where I can introduce new fish to my established tank? Certain medicines/chems I can put in when placing the new fish in? Thanks in advance!
 

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I dose rid ich plus if I suspect any external issues with new fish. It treats/cures most external issues. Cory from Aquarium Co-Op has a three part treament protocol. I don't agree with it but some do.
 

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I am sorry to hear of your losses. I am glad you’re aware of, and trying to work, QTs or the hopeful equivalent into your situation.

One option might to be to buy a Tupperware tote box/storage box and temporarily set it ip as a QT. QTs don’t need to be fancy. Put together some type of light (even ambient light will do), a heater, filter of some sort that moves water/agitates the surface some, and the usual aquarium stuff. I might suggest you put some of your established tank’s filter media in your QT temporary filter. There are multitudes of appropriate plastic containers you can choose from. The main drawback to these when I used them is that it’s hard to see the details of your fish. Nowadays, since I do have the room, I maintain two smaller aquarium QTs (5g and 10g) 24/7 with a few fish in each just to keep the biology going.:)

You could, if possible, ask a nearby friend who has the space or tanks to do the QT and then quickly bring them to your tank after QT time.

I wish there was a perfect “one size fits all” med that when given to new fish would make them safe, but there are none. As you realized, QTing is about the most safe, but not guaranteed, method of introducing new fish. If I couldn’t QT, I would not add new fish to my established display tanks full of healthy fish wo Ich or any other apparent illness. To me, it’s not worth it. Then again…you could get lucky. I just know my kinda luck would likely give me all kinds of trouble. :mad:
 
Buying from a reputable person who breeds their own fish instead of getting them from a store can't hurt.
 
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I am sorry to hear of your losses. I am glad you’re aware of, and trying to work, QTs or the hopeful equivalent into your situation.

One option might to be to buy a Tupperware tote box/storage box and temporarily set it ip as a QT. QTs don’t need to be fancy. Put together some type of light (even ambient light will do), a heater, filter of some sort that moves water/agitates the surface some, and the usual aquarium stuff. I might suggest you put some of your established tank’s filter media in your QT temporary filter. There are multitudes of appropriate plastic containers you can choose from. The main drawback to these when I used them is that it’s hard to see the details of your fish. Nowadays, since I do have the room, I maintain two smaller aquarium QTs (5g and 10g) 24/7 with a few fish in each just to keep the biology going.:)

You could, if possible, ask a nearby friend who has the space or tanks to do the QT and then quickly bring them to your tank after QT time.

I wish there was a perfect “one size fits all” med that when given to new fish would make them safe, but there are none. As you realized, QTing is about the most safe, but not guaranteed, method of introducing new fish. If I couldn’t QT, I would not add new fish to my established display tanks full of healthy fish wo Ich or any other apparent illness. To me, it’s not worth it. Then again…you could get lucky. I just know my kinda luck would likely give me all kinds of trouble. :mad:
Click to expand...
Does the QT tank need to fully cycle, or is it as simple as placing water in a tank/bucket (obviously dechlorinated etc), setting up filter/agitator, and heater? Should I place some of my tanks established water in as well? I have also been reading a lot of mixed amounts of time to QT...10 days? 2 weeks? 4 weeks?
 
Unfortunately Introducing new fish into an established aquarium w/o a quarantine is probably the way most hobbyist do things.

If you go that route invest in a bottle of (Prazipro) & (Microbe-Lift -Herbtana). The Praziquantel will eliminate flukes and an aray of other worms.

After the Prazipro dosing period, dose Microbe-Lift Herbtana. It's not a med, but is an anti - parasitic. I'm not big on herbal remedies, but this stuff has worked for me.

Neither product will disrupt the aquarium environment.

Another tip is don't acclimate your new fish into a cold tank. Nothing less than 78 degrees.
 

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Ideally the QT should be cycled. Adding filter media from your established filter is great to do this. You could also add daily doses of FritzZyme7 or Stability along with Prime. Be sure your QT water is free of chlorine and chloramine. Pay attention to ammonia and nitrite levels in the QT daily….just in case.

It would also be advisable to test and note your tank and tap water parameters like:
pH, GH, KH, NH3/NH4 (free ammonia / ammonium), NO2 (nitrite), and NO3 (nitrate). The more you know about your water, the better things will go for ya.

QT periods…..
1 wk…..better than nothing
2 wks ….good
3 wks ….very good
4 wks ….best
5-12 wks (some people here do it)..ultimate
And (this is important) any issues that show up in QT what-so-ever should cause the QT duration to start over after the issue passed or was successfully treated.

The one and only regular preventative med I dose for the first week in QT is Seachem’s Paraguard. If I see signs of internal issues, I will go ahead and do Prazi or Metronidazole. It is SO much easier to treat/dose meds to a QT than a larger display tank….and it’s cheaper as well.
 
Call me lucky but Ive never quarantined any fish in the past and never ended up with any issues. Not saying it can’t happen but another good idea is try to observe the fish your getting and have the employee catch the ones you want that are healthier looking. Good luck!
 
I’ve set up quarantine tanks very quickly by using a pre filter sponge from an established tank as a sponge filter. I also add plants, including floating plants, and sometimes a small piece of wood and leaf litter taken from one of my other tanks. Personally I don’t think a bare, sterile tank is good for new fish as they will be more stressed in that sort of environment and therefore more susceptible to disease than if they were put straight away into the main tank. I have to admit that on occasions I haven’t done quarantine, but only when I know that the fish have been well quarantined in the shop before being offered for sale (there are a couple of suppliers that I trust in this respect). I have only once had to treat fish that were in quarantine.
 
It feels like an admission of guilt, but I don't quarantine my fish either. I don't like keeping an empty tank for months, trying to maintain a cycle in that empty tank, or re-cycling that tank before I wish to buy more fish. As TClare said, I don't think the typical QT tank is all that good for our fishes anyway.

Instead, I focus on making my aquariums as healthy an environment for my fishes as possible, so their own immune systems can take care of things. Then, I carefully observe the fishes before I buy, or I buy them from a trusted source.

It may be luck, but I've had very few issues with fish diseases in the past 35 years or so doing things this way.
 
Wow…..it appears that perhaps the fish keeping world may be tending to veer away from the seriousness/absolute need for QTs. I hope not.
Plz still consider using them. Mine are run 24/7, but they have dark shallow substrate, background scenes taped to rear and sides, are in quieter places, get occasional silk plants added, and have lower light levels. My QTed fish seem just fine, adjust well as newer fish without having a community tank of activity about, and it’s sort a like keeping two additional aquaria.

I am of the thinking that having more control over the facets of this hobby is better than trusting to luck that adding new fish to a healthy established tank will be ok.

And remember that if you go with no QT and use Prazi or other prevent meds, you’ll be treating the whole big tank including the majority of perfectly healthy fish.
Meds into a QT is a breeze, cheaper, and easier to properly dose.

Let us know how things go and which path (to QT or not to QT) you elect to take.
 
Years ago (over twenty now), I followed the Darwin method. Water in the tank, filter (I was running a UG and a canister), substrate, plastic plants, dechlorinate, and throw in the fish. If anything didn't survive, it was fate :D

Surprisingly, I had very few issues and lost very few fish for many years.

I've done a lot more research this go around, but I still don't quarantine. All of my freshwater tanks are heavily planted. I put botanicals in all my tanks (pods, captta leaves, etc.) and pay much more attention to water parameters. I'm not sure I even had a testing kit 20 years ago.

For freshwater fish, I buy only from reputable online retailers I trust. I also try to buy tank-bred fish. Over the past year, I've purchased around 80 or so fish and a bunch of shrimp and inverts for the five freshwater tanks I'm currently running. I haven't had any disease issues and have only lost 3 or 4 fish during the past year. I did lose a bunch of shrimp at one point, but that was my fault for dosing something I shouldn't have.

If I had more room for fish tanks (I don't) and wasn't so lazy (I am), I'd likely quarantine.

For my saltwater tanks, I only buy fish from QT vendors with good QT protocols and reputations. There are a lot more of these than for Freshwater fish, probably because saltwater fish are, on average, much more expensive.

QTing your fish is still best if you have the room and patience. Treating a whole DT is doable with some of the advances they've made in medication, but still not ideal in my opinion.
 
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