Re: quarantine

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@fgn.net>]

My quarantining system is very simple. I pick only the healthiest looking fish.
This means that I very rarely buy fish sight unseen. Many times I will see
species that I want, but I walk away without buying them them because the don't
look well. Those that are shipped in directly to me are almost always from
hobbyist/collectors who have held the fish of a while.

All new fish - wild caught or tank raised - are treated the same. They are kept
in 10 - 20 gallon quarantine tanks with bare bottoms, a sponge filter, easily
sterilized caves (PVC tubes for example), & a large clump of Java Moss. My Java
Moss grows so fast that I consider it disposable, if necessary. I don't feed
the fish for 1-2 days after being introduced to the quarantine tanks (the fish
rarely eat anyway) & then feed them what my other fish get (flake & pellet
foods, frozen brine shrimp, & live BBS). The water conditions in the quarantine
tanks are as close to the fish's natural habitat's as possible at first, but
over the weeks I will change them over to my naturally soft tap water - unless
they are true blackwater fish. I tend to make frequent (2-3x/week) small
partial water changes at first. Once they seem acclimated I start making
larger, less frequent water changes until they have no problem handling my
regular water changing schedules. This varies from 10%-50%, from 2-3x/week to
once every 2 weeks, depending on numbers of fish, breeding activity, etc. I
check on them every time I feed them for problems (heavy breathing, thin body,
etc.).

I never medicate unless I find a problem. If I have a problem that I don't
recognize I call up my friend & pet's veterinarian, Dr. Ken Reeves (of Discus
fame). He has run into most Neotropical fish diseases, especially those in
Discus & other software fish. If he can't cure them, no one can. He can also
provide me with prescription drugs that are more effective than many found in
stores. To be honest, I rarely have to bother Ken. If the fish behave normally,
fatten up, and there are no losses within the first 6 weeks I will then put
them in their own breeding tank. If they are going into a tank that already has
fish in it, I wait 8 to 10 weeks. If I have had problems they wait for 6 to 8
weeks after being cured before they go into my breeding operation.

To put it simply, my quarantine method is clean, suitable water, good food,
peace & quiet, and a lot of patience. I rarely lose fish and they live & breed
to a ripe old age in my tanks. You see, if my apistos don't live to be well
over 2 years old in my tanks I consider that I've done something wrong.

Mike Wise

David Sanitize wrote:

> Back to the point of quarantine perhaps some of the
> folks specializing in wild Apistos could elaborate on
> their quarantine protocols and what medications they
> are using for the education of the rest of us. I think
> this may be what Sarah was hinting at. I also think it
> would be a great chance to share knowledge and
> experiences on handling wild fish.
>
> David Sanchez
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