Retroactive Quarantine?

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I've recently setup a new 55 gallon tank. I let it run for a while,
then stocked it with a bunch of plants and three tetras from my LFS.

Yesterday, I read on the skepticalaquarist.com a strong argument for
quaratine for new fish, and for salt and parasite treatments, and for
treating plants as well. It sounds like a really good idea.

My question is, if I were to quantine my fish now, in a small tank that
I could treat and change lots of water on, would my main tank be
sterile in a month, having been free of fish (but not snails)? If
things would live on in the main tank anyway, what would be a good
course of action?

Thank you muchly.

[NetMax]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> I've recently setup a new 55 gallon tank. I let it run for a while,
> then stocked it with a bunch of plants and three tetras from my LFS.
>
> Yesterday, I read on the skepticalaquarist.com a strong argument for
> quaratine for new fish, and for salt and parasite treatments, and for
> treating plants as well. It sounds like a really good idea.
>
> My question is, if I were to quantine my fish now, in a small tank that
> I could treat and change lots of water on, would my main tank be
> sterile in a month, having been free of fish (but not snails)? If
> things would live on in the main tank anyway, what would be a good
> course of action?
>
> Thank you muchly.


Your strategy assumes that any pathogens were waterborne parasites which
would die without a host, or bacteria which would dilute and vanish. I
don't know if that's a valid assumption. The value of a small quarantine
tank is that it allows you to more closely inspect the condition and
progress of the fish (their consumption of food, emptying their bowels,
coloration and behaviour). Personally, I think that you should not
bother, and your entire tank is now a defacto quarantine tank. The
requirement to quarantine also extends to plants, but this requirement
decreases with the time the plants have not been exposed to fish (but in
a pet shop, wet nets, fingers and splashes tend to travel broadly, so I
don't know what that isolation is really worth ;~).
jmo, ymmv
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Dick]

On 24 Feb 2005 11:02:05 -0800, wrote:

>I've recently setup a new 55 gallon tank. I let it run for a while,
>then stocked it with a bunch of plants and three tetras from my LFS.
>
>Yesterday, I read on the skepticalaquarist.com a strong argument for
>quaratine for new fish, and for salt and parasite treatments, and for
>treating plants as well. It sounds like a really good idea.
>
>My question is, if I were to quantine my fish now, in a small tank that
>I could treat and change lots of water on, would my main tank be
>sterile in a month, having been free of fish (but not snails)? If
>things would live on in the main tank anyway, what would be a good
>course of action?
>
>Thank you muchly.

How long is "recently?" Quarantine is a way to keep new fish/plants
from passing along bad things to known good plants/fish. It also
allows you to observe and treat suspected ills. You don't seem to be
suspicious of existing setup. If it ain't broke why fix it? Moving
plants and fish is stressful. You might create a problem where it
does not exist. Leave well enough alone is my suggestion.

dick