Re: Quarantine Qs

[Randy Carey <carey@spacestar.net>]

I've got some input on quarantining...

I quarantine all of my fish, so I have several tanks reserved for 
quarantine.  Everyone is a bare tank with a box filter.  They don't have 
plants or sponge filters.  Why?  Because if a disease does break out, I 
want to be able to sterilize the tank (usually with bleach).  This could be 
hard on a sponge filter, but I can easily discard all the material in a 
corner-box filter and sterilize it.

OK, I have had the occasional species that was so sensitive that I risked a 
graveled tank (with a few plants) and converted it into a quarantine 
tank.  The fish needed the cover and somewhat familiar substrate.

Now on the rare occasion that a disease does break out in one of my display 
tanks, and it is rather nasty or contagious, I will sterilize that 
tank.  What about the plants?  A biology-aquarist friend of mine 
recommended that I submerse them in a solution of Potassium permanganate 
(just a few minutes for sensitive plants, but even overnight for java 
moss).  I bought my bottle from a local chemical store -- but I had to fill 
out special paperwork for that chemical.  I guess this method works on 
killing diseases (and hydra cysts) -- at least the plants survive (but they 
aren't used until after a long, long rinsing).

Anyway, my recommendation is to use sterilizable tanks for quarantine 
tanks.  When a planted tank needs sterilizing -- well I've written what I do.

--Randy



At 03:28 AM 12/5/2001, you wrote:
> One of my planted tanks has been without fish for about three weeks now. I 
> was wondering whether any parasites or illnesses can survive a long period 
> without a host, and if so, which ones?
> As you may remember, I had a problem with ciliates, I treated the fish in 
> a quarantine tank (so far successfully - but I won't be completely sure 
> until Christmas), but I had to rebuild the original tank afterwards. I 
> replaced the substrate but had to re-use the plants. I'm pretty sure that 
> ciliates need to find a host PDQ if they're to survive. Would it be OK to 
> restart using their original tank?
> Somebody please answer this as I need the space, and if the answer is "no 
> - you can't use it yet" I'll have to get another tank:-(
>
> C:-)lin
>
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