How To Move Qt Fish To Display Tank?

hello!

with the caution of cross contamination how do you move qt fish from the QT to display tank? at the end of the QT is it safe to just net and move into display tank?

do I need to acclimate the fish is temps are the same?

 

If it's same water, same parameters and same temperature then just net it.

 

I would actually acclimate them, don’t take any risks with fish. So, what I would do is this.

There is no need to float the bag, because the temperatures match up. Get a small container of quarantine water, and then add in the fish. Then add in a few scoops of the display tank water. Let him hang out in the water for 5 min, then add a few more scoops, then wait another 5 min. Then a few more scoops. Then wait 5 more minutes. Then net him, and add him into the display tank. Then you should be good!

 

thank you!

 

Sometimes new fish have trouble adjusting to bacteria that your main fish have already acclimized to in the main tank, even after extensive 3 month QT periods. It's a far stretch, but if you're asking to be thorough...

You could introduce bacteria into QT by adding 3 gallons or so of water trim the main tank, some filter media and decor into QT. Wait a week, turn add a candidate or two from the main tank into QT. If it goes well, all the fish in QT can be acclimated to the main tank.

 

There is no reason to drip acclimate from QT to main tank unless you have vastly different water parameters between the two (like RODI vs tap water or using chemicals to change parameters in main tank). As long as the temps are within 2-4°F, you can net and drop into the main tank with no issues.

Sometimes new fish have trouble adjusting to bacteria that your main fish have already acclimized to in the main tank, even after extensive 3 month QT periods. It's a far stretch, but if you're asking to be thorough...

You could introduce bacteria into QT by adding 3 gallons or so of water trim the main tank, some filter media and decor into QT. Wait a week, turn add a candidate or two from the main tank into QT. If it goes well, all the fish in QT can be acclimated to the main tank.

I have never heard this before. Please link a study on this.

 

Just plop and drop. Stop being so extra (new terminology I learned).

 

I have never heard this before. Please link a study on this.

A study? I am definitely not a scientist, just a regular aquarium hobbyist and I honestly don't know where to find what you are asking about, but I can try to explain it. The fish already there for a time in the main display tank have most likely been subjected to different pathogenic bacteria that they may have built an immunity to. The idea is to introduce bacteria from the display tank to the QT tank to make sure the new fish don't become ill once they are transferred to main tank and cause a mass outbreak in it. It would go both ways, the sacrificial fish from the main tank would have to be observed to make sure it does not become ill in QT. Throw a fish who has never built immunity against certain viruses or pathogens and it might suddenly succumb to them when it's thown into an established system whose current fish have already built immunity. I did say this was extreme haha.

There's this link, not a study, it's a QT procedure article from Angels Plus.
explaining this procedure.

 

Just plop and drop. Stop being so extra (new terminology I learned).

From QT to main tank or tank to tank I don't bother to acclimate because my tank params are close enough. But for new fish, I prefer to get them in a bath of Meth blue for one hour to get any bacteria from the source (not my own system) off their scales/skin before even adding to QT. I would be P&Ding into the Meth Blue bath I suppose because I still believe in getting those fish out of the shipping bag ASAP. I acclimate fish in a bucket separate from the tank. I add a bit of water to the bucket every 10 mins or so until there is at least 50/50 bucket water to tank water, then transfer fish with a net to the tank. If I'm really concerned, I'll 'rinse' dip the fish in another container of tank water prior to adding them to the actual tank.

 

Just plop and drop. Stop being so extra (new terminology I learned).

Took the words right outta my mouth. I agree...plop and drop. No need to acclimate if temp and parameters are the same. Good luck!

 

Some ppl P&D new fish from shipping bags to main tank, so I just wanted to make the separation and mention the importance of QT and preventing cross-contamination in relation to this term. Lol, nobody seems to care anyway though!

 

A study? I am definitely not a scientist, just a regular aquarium hobbyist and I honestly don't know where to find what you are asking about, but I can try to explain it. The fish already there for a time in the main display tank have most likely been subjected to different pathogenic bacteria that they may have built an immunity to. The idea is to introduce bacteria from the display tank to the QT tank to make sure the new fish don't become ill once they are transferred to main tank and cause a mass outbreak in it. It would go both ways, the sacrificial fish from the main tank would have to be observed to make sure it does not become ill in QT. Throw a fish who has never built immunity against certain viruses or pathogens and it might suddenly succumb to them when it's thown into an established system whose current fish have already built immunity. I did say this was extreme haha.

There's this link, not a study, it's a QT procedure article from Angels Plus.
explaining this procedure.

There's a lot of misinformation and opinions thrown around as fact in this hobby.

If you have harmful bacteria in your main tank, you have an issue that needs to be addressed. Your fish might be fine but once they get stressed, they become susceptible to the bacteria and could kill them. If it's good bacteria, it doesn't matter.

Now getting fish from your LFS and putting them into QT is a different story and different procedures. Depending on the fish, I drip acclimate into a container and then p'n'd with no outside tank water into the QT other than what's on the fish in the net. If you want to use a dip, Ruby Reef HydroPlex is highly recommended.

 

I have never heard this before.

you have harmful bacteria in your main tank, you have an issue

My thoughts too. New fish falling ill in a display tank after quarantine makes me think of old tank syndrom where the fish in there got used to it over time but it's gone afoul. Going to go with plop and drop when temp and param match. If all tanks have regular changes bc from the same water the hardness ect should be comparable too.

 

"Fish may reside in a clinically healthy carrier status harboring an isolate remaining from a previous outbreak of columnaris disease and in
this way act as an infection source for other fish [22,23]."

 

There are next to no sterile fish tanks. Almost every tank contains some bad bacteria unless the pH is below 5.5 and water is virtually antiseptic like soft water rivers in the Amazon.

 

Some ppl P&D new fish from shipping bags to main tank, so I just wanted to make the separation and mention the importance of QT and preventing cross-contamination in relation to this term. Lol, nobody seems to care anyway though!

I don’t! All fish go into aQT tank but I don’t leave as long as many. A wise friend taught me that about the only thing that is going to show up in a couple of weeks is ich. Everything else can take up to 5 weeks. So I watch a week for ich and then proceed unless something else looks funky.