Actual vs. Half-baked Quarantine

[Humblefish]

 

So it seems like nowadays everyone and their brother is selling "quarantined" fish.  Which begs the question: How can I tell the real deal from vendors who are just using "quarantined fish" as a catchphrase?? Right off the bat AVOID a "half-baked" vendor who tells you any of the following:

1. I just observe the fish for diseases. This only works for hobbyists who have plenty of time on their hands to watch a few fish in QT. Prophylactic treatment is a necessary evil for any online business or LFS that quarantines large batches of fish all at one time. There's no practical way of observing dozens of fish for multiple diseases.
2. Fish are constantly coming and going from QT. Fish need to be quarantined in batches to avoid cross-contamination. One group of fish goes into QT, treatments are applied, and then the group is moved into non-medicated observation before being put up for sale. Or sometimes certain fish need more extensive treatment (e.g. antibiotics) in a secondary QT system. Point is no new fish should be added whilst the group is undergoing medications/treatments. New fish only enter QT after the former group of fish get moved out; NO OVERLAPPING FISH IN QT!
3. No observation period, or I sell fish right out of my QT tanks. No QT protocol/treatments are foolproof. Mistakes can and do happen. This is why an observation period in non-medicated water (for at least 2 weeks) is necessary post QT. To ensure treatments were successful and nothing slipped through the cracks. Extra points if the vendor uses black mollies in observation to aid with disease detection: Black Molly Quarantine
4. QT and observation systems are in close proximity. These really need to be in different rooms to avoid cross-contamination. With dedicated equipment, nets, food, etc. for each system. Also, if you see corals/inverts in the observation or retail system (or within 10 feet) the fish are being sold out of be alarmed: Coral/Invert Quarantine Time Frames. UNLESS the vendor has previously quarantined these corals/inverts specifically to provide a more natural environment for the fish to be in.
5. The use of disease management tools in observation. The whole point of observation is to ensure that the fish are, in fact, disease-free. Running a UV sterilizer (for example) will suppress symptoms of disease from showing up. That's not what you want! Similarly, no QT vendor should be shipping fish in copper or any other medication EXCEPT Methylene Blue which can aid in transporting a fish.
6. My fish are 100% disease-free. OK this is being nit-picky, because even I say it (see above). However, technically speaking there is no way to render a fish completely disease-free. For example, there are no cures for viruses (such as Lymphocystis) in fish. The best you can do is help boost a fish's natural immune system (via vitamins) to help send the virus back into remission. Practically speaking, a parasite-free, worm-free fish with no lingering bacterial infections is the most realistic expectation.

Things to look for from a real deal quarantine fish vendor:

• They should be willing to post or explain their QT protocol to you in detail. Which medications are used, how long the fish are treated for, how long the fish are observed post QT, etc. etc. When buying quarantined fish, knowing all the details of how they were quarantined is very important!
• The medications we typically use are very specific. Copper for Ich/Velvet; Metronidazole or Formalin for Brook/Uronema; Praziquantel or Fenbendazole for deworming. And here is a list of antibiotics commonly used to treat bacterial infections: Antibiotics. ASK what medications the vendor uses and see if they line up with the aforementioned. 
• Speaking of medications, their therapeutic ranges & durations are also very specific: Medication Dosing Guide. These are the numbers you're wanting to hear:
  1. Copper - 0.20 ppm if using Copper Sulfate / 0.5 ppm if using Cupramine / 2.5 ppm if using Copper Power or Coppersafe (4 week treatment, but 2 weeks is acceptable if the fish is transferred out of QT)
  2. Metronidazole - 25 mg/gal every 48 hours at least 2-3 times.
  3. Formalin - 150-200 ppm bath for 45-60 minutes.
  4. Praziquantel - 2.5 mg/L (9.5 mg/gal) twice, 6 days apart.
  5. Fenbendazole - 12 hour bath treatment at 25 mg/L (95 mg/gallon) twice, 6 days apart.
  6. Praziquantel (or Fenbendazole) + Metronidazole is usually soaked in food when internal worms/parasites are suspected.
• Ask to see their QT system and observation/retail room. Or ask to see videos of these setups if dealing with an online vendor. Ask to see pictures or videos of the fish they are quarantining for you. A real deal quarantine fish vendor has nothing to hide and will be proud to show off their work! 
• The lead time to quarantine a fish (including post observation) is typically between 4-6 weeks. Of course this may vary based on the vendor, but be careful if you're told your fish will be ready in just 2-3 weeks. Unless the fish was already at the facility before you requested it, a 2-3 week QT likely means either the vendor is cutting corners on treatment or is utilizing an abbreviated observation period. The fish may still be good to go, however I recommend observing the fish yourself before placing it in your DT. (Preferably alongside black mollies.) Better safe than sorry. Also, don't be alarmed if the vendor takes longer than expected to quarantine your fish. Sometimes things go wrong in QT, and more time is needed to treat and/or observe the fish. Again, better safe than sorry from the vendor's perspective. 
• It takes a certain personality type to successfully quarantine fish on a commercial level. You know the type: Attention to detail, well organized, someone who has their act together. People that are lackadaisical or lack organizational skills are more prone to make mistakes, and that usually leads to disaster when quarantining fish. 
• It is preferable for your quarantined fish to arrive to you in reef salinity; that being 35ppt or 1.026 SG. This way all you need to do is float & release (for temperature acclimation) without having to do any sort of drip acclimation: How To Acclimate. If you happen to keep your SG below 1.026, no problem as fish can very easily go down in salinity without having to drip acclimate. It's going up in salinity most fish have a problem with and require drip acclimation for.
• Price point: Quarantining fish is a very labor-intensive and expensive process. I've never worked so hard in my life back when I was doing it, by trying to maintain hundreds of fish in dozens of tank, shipping out, etc.  So expect to pay a premium for quarantined fish: 50-100% above regular retail price is the minimum you can probably expect to pay. This may seem like a lot, but nobody is going to want to keep doing this unless they are making money. Be wary of buying "cheap" quarantined fish from a half-baked vendor, because I guarantee you will get exactly what you paid for. 

Why you should support real deal quarantine fish vendors: This hobby is in trouble. What just happened in Hawaii.... Where anti-aquarium trade activists, with the support of big environmental non-profits, have succeeded in shutting down collection there is only the beginning. Our hobby is under a microscope, and every time someone posts about "My tank just got wiped out by Velvet" it only adds fuel to the fire. There's a saying: Either police yourself or the government will be more than happy to do it for you. Something tells me within the next 5 years or so the aquarium industry is going to find out what it's like to have The Man in your life. 

 

But what if we could head it off now? And what if real deal quarantine fish vendors could help make a positive impact in our hobby? Instead of reading about fish constantly dying, those watching us start seeing that we are making efforts within the industry & hobby to improve our aquarium husbandry. Saltwater aquarium fish start living 5, 10, 15 years in captivity inside healthy aquariums! So please support real deal quarantine fish vendors and also put pressure on WHOLESALERS to sell to them. Back when I was doing it, I had a very difficult time convincing most wholesalers to sell to me because I didn't have a brick-and-mortar commercial location. Like many small businesses I had to start out inside my home in order to reduce overhead, and I never got the opportunity to "take it to the next level". There are many other QT vendors struggling with the same limitations right now, trying to make a difference, but they aren't getting the support they need from the aquarium industry! 

 

Here is a list of real deal quarantine fish vendors I support and endorse through my forum: https://humble.fish/community/index.php?forums/#vendor-forums.30

[ajmckay]

Nice cookie face lol.

 

Believe it or not this is really my first time hearing about vendors who legit quarantine  and treat their fish!  While I'm perfectly capable of quarantining myself, I would definitely pay a 50-100% premium for a professionally treated and quarantined fish.  

 

In my opinion this is bridging the gap between wild caught specimens and tank-raised fish.  I think a lot of us dismiss the effects of fish diseases.  We fall into the trap of "if it's in the wild then it's natural to have some of those things".  What we don't necessarily account for though is the extreme stresses that these animals go through during the removal from their natural environment and subsequent acclimation into captivity. This can dramatically impact the animal's resistance to infection/infestation.

 

A few years ago I was at a frag swap and was particularly influenced by a talk by Austin Lefevre.  I was super happy to find that it had been picked up by BRS TV. I've included the link below - if you don't mind me adding it here. Definitely not trying to take away from your topic, but add more support for people to learn about.  Basically he talks about how our approach to this hobby is usually to buy a fish, put it in our tank, and hope for the best.  He really calls out, just like you do @Humblefish, why that's not a sustainable approach.   Best case you end up with a fish that is in relatively good health and acclimates okay to your system.  Worst case you end up with an infested fish that knocks out your entire population and you're starting over at that point.  

 

Ditching the Dump & Hope Approach: Sourcing, Quarantine & Acclimation by Austin Lefevre | MACNA 2016

 

I've used a QT several times, and I've had good luck with it - but the process is definitely not for the unorganized person.  Thinking through each action as it relates to the QT takes a lot of experience and ability to quickly assess a fishes condition.  So if I had the opportunity to purchase a legit pre-quarantined fish then I would absolutely do so.  The cost of buying all of these medications alone and the materials needed for quarantine largely offsets the additional costs for buying several fish pre-quarantined anyways.

 

If the industry as a whole moves to this type of approach to keeping fish I have no doubt that we would see a dramatic increase in the lifespans of our inhabitants.  So much so that I think the hobby as a whole would need to re-acclimate over time.  Currently we change setups all the time and the trend is to keep smaller tanks with more fish. This could be because we're not anticipating all our fish to reach their mature size.  Said another way we're planning for expected fish losses!  Maybe consciously, or maybe subconsciously. For example: I don't think anyone would agree to putting a 4" clownfish in an 8g biocube - but it's common to add two 1" clownfish to said biocube! As we keep our fish longer the stability within our systems should increase - to the benefit the inhabitants. 

 

 

Seriously thanks for writing up this topic.  I'll check the link to see if I have access to any legit pre-quarantine dealers.  While I like to support my LFS, I think this is really what needs to happen - and soon.  Your analogy of "the Man" interfering is certainly possible.  And on top of that the regulations could be written such that there's an outright ban on keeping certain species, not just a ban on collection. 

 

If this hobby is viewed as a strong preservation effort then that would change things considerably. 

[mcarroll]

On 2/4/2021 at 4:36 PM, ajmckay said:

Ditching the Dump & Hope Approach: Sourcing, Quarantine & Acclimation by Austin Lefevre | MACNA 2016

Best line in the presentation (which overall was pretty decent!):

 

"The goal for most hobbyists should be to avoid medicating fish."

 

...followed not long after by this one:

 

"Pick up a book, don't rely on anecdotal accounts from hobbyists on forums."