Do you want LFSs to offer quarantined fish?

[ChrisV]

Recently, much more attention has been paid to quarantining fish before adding them to our systems. Overall I think this is a good thing, but many reefers don't have the space or bandwidth to QT on their own.

The trend seems to be that LFSs in our area receive fish from the wholesaler on Thursday or Friday, post about them on social media before the weekend, and often sell many of the fish within days of their arrival.

Personally, I would be happy to pay a little bit more for fish that have undergone medicated QT and could be added to my tank directly.

One protocol that @Humblefish suggests involves two weeks of theraputic copper levels and antiparasitic treatment followed by two weeks of observation in a separate tank. (Details here: https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/explaining-the-14-days-in-copper-method.7603/)

So, Boston Reefers, how important is this to you?

 

[jfoahs04]

I'd certainly seek this out provided I knew what their process was and that they weren't cutting corners. I used to always QT, but I've only got room for my tiny 13.5 nano in our condo. A QT in the office/guest bedroom is a nonstarter at the moment. So I had to forego the QT. I was careful with sourcing my livestock, but I'm pretty certain I have ich in the system anyway. I haven't had a death, but my orchid dottyback did have some sugar-like specs on the fins a month or so ago and occasionally both it and my tailspot blenny will flash. Without a QT/HT, I'm in "ich management." It would have been nice to buy everything from a LFS that had a QT process.

 

[ChrisV]

I'd certainly seek this out provided I knew what their process was and that they weren't cutting corners. I used to always QT, but I've only got room for my tiny 13.5 nano in our condo. A QT in the office/guest bedroom is a nonstarter at the moment. So I had to forego the QT. I was careful with sourcing my livestock, but I'm pretty certain I have ich in the system anyway. I haven't had a death, but my orchid dottyback did have some sugar-like specs on the fins a month or so ago and occasionally both it and my tailspot blenny will flash. Without a QT/HT, I'm in "ich management." It would have been nice to buy everything from a LFS that had a QT process.

I feel your pain. For a while I had a small qt tank set up on my kitchen counter. The qt ended slightly sooner than I would have like, but domestic tranquility was maintained!

 

[this is me]

Personally, I wouldn't offer it.
A fully QT fish can still get whatever is in the next person tank. And there's no way to tell. There's just going to be a lot of finger pointing when the customer brought home a fully QT fish and in a couple days see some disease and blame the LFS that he didn't do a good job and now his tank has the disease.
I'd leave it to the buyer. The best QT is the one you do it yourself.

 

[ChrisV]

Personally, I wouldn't offer it.
A fully QT fish can still get whatever is in the next person tank. And there's no way to tell. There's just going to be a lot of finger pointing when the customer brought home a fully QT tank an in a couple days see some disease and blame the LFS that he didn't do a good job and now his tank has the disease.
I'd leave it to the buyer. The best QT is the one you do it yourself.

I can see that concern. I guess there would need to be pretty clear messaging about what exactly was done and how no qt process is 100% perfect.

Personally I just don't have the space to properly qt at home. I'd be glad to pay for it.

 

[this is me]

But you have to understand that QT stuff doesn’t mean immunity to whatever your tank has. I think that’s the biggest misunderstanding on the buyer of QT stuff.
To me, I rather have a “Conditioned” fish than a QT fish. Conditioned meaning the fish has been in a working system for a period of time. And I have no issue with just putting a tang in my system straight from the ocean. But that is me though. I know what my system is capable or not capable of.

 

[Terry Martin]

I buy from tsm aquatics. They do a two-week quarantine. It's not all one could do and, as Nick says, no guarantee but it's not going to be a doa fish like i've got from live aquaria (not diver's den which is fine). Also they ship in the largest volume of water I've encountered in the trade. I've got 3 angels, 9 lyretail anthias, 3 rabbitfish from them and a few others and nothing has died in first year or so. A lyretail jumped out a while ago, my bad. They'll also source fish for you. SOmetimes it takes a while, during height of pandemic I ordered the rabbitfish and it took 4 months! But I was in no hurry.
I'd buy from a lfs that did reliable qt, sourced fish, and added something in the plus 30% range to price.

 

[pugz508]

I always thought it would be an interesting concept if we had a few members here involved in quaratining for the group. Have all their expenses covered plus additional monetary compensation for the time.

 

[ChrisV]

But you have to understand that QT stuff doesn’t mean immunity to whatever your tank has. I think that’s the biggest misunderstanding on the buyer of QT stuff.
To me, I rather have a “Conditioned” fish than a QT fish. Conditioned meaning the fish has been in a working system for a period of time.
I have no issue with just putting a tang in my system straight from the ocean.

I do understand that even a sterile fish (not that there is such a thing) can and would pick up things in a customer tank.

I also am less concerned about healthy fish direct from collectors (shout out to KP aquatics).

It's when the fish filters through the wholesaler and gets shipped from Los Angeles to ma and then is unbagged for 12-36 hours at the LFS before coming to my tank-- that's where I take issue. It's a lot of shipping stress.

 

[dz6t]

The two weeks period of holding for observation after fish arrived from wholesalers will reduce the death rate dramatically in customers’ tanks but at a big cost from LFS.

 

[dz6t]

I do understand that even a sterile fish (not that there is such a thing) can and would pick up things in a customer tank.

I also am less concerned about healthy fish direct from collectors (shout out to KP aquatics).

It's when the fish filters through the wholesaler and gets shipped from Los Angeles to ma and then is unbagged for 12-36 hours at the LFS before coming to my tank-- that's where I take issue. It's a lot of shipping stress.

I am pretty sure that all LFS acclimate their fish immediately upon arrival. The lost from shipping is already big enough.

 

[ChrisV]

I am pretty sure that all LFS acclimate their fish immediately upon arrival. The lost from shipping is already big enough.

oh, I meant that 12-36 hours that the fish spends in the LFS's system before it's sold.

I am 100% aware that they get them out of the bags ASAP. More of a comment on the practice of posting receiving fish from a wholesaler on Thursday or Friday morning, posting about them on Facebook by 2pm Friday afternoon, and selling them Friday evening/Saturday/most gone by Sunday.

 

[Drichards]

I will only buy quarantined fish. I had a rough start in this Hobby and lost everything. I don't mind spending the extra money to ensure my tank mates will be safe. Well worth it! I have 4 on the way from Tsm. I've been very happy with there stock quality

 

[Zirky]

As I’m getting ready to start stocking my new tank I’ve been doing some home work on this subject. I don’t have the space or inclination to do tank transfer and would like a gem tang but simply can’t justify the cost of a pre quarantined.but have seen them on sale at a couple lfs. So I’m leaning towards a small aio and 14 day observation. However in the case of princess anthias buying from tsm or other quarantined suppliers makes more Sence to me since they have a better chance of getting them eating and healthy than I do. But I’m a newb with alot to learn. Also the shop in foxborough holds fish for a week before selling them. That’s something.

 

[ChrisV]

As I’m getting ready to start stocking my new tank I’ve been doing some home work on this subject. I don’t have the space or inclination to do tank transfer and would like a gem tang but simply can’t justify the cost of a pre quarantined.but have seen them on sale at a couple lfs. So I’m leaning towards a small aio and 14 day observation. However in the case of princess anthias buying from tsm or other quarantined suppliers makes more Sence to me since they have a better chance of getting them eating and healthy than I do. But I’m a newb with alot to learn. Also the shop in foxborough holds fish for a week before selling them. That’s something.

I think it's All Things Aquatic that does the 7 days, and if I'm not mistaken they even treat with general cure during that time. It is better than nothing, but according to the info on the humblefish qt guides it really doesn't solve the problem.

TSM has some really nice fish and I find their prices mostly reasonable given that they sell fish that you can dump into your tank without thinking twice.

I bet that if the local LFSs started a "quarantined section" they would find that those fish sell better, even at a higher price. Obviously this isn't a one size fits all situation: you don't want to put a moray eel in copper or you can fry its internal organs (supposedly!).

 

[ChrisV]

I will only buy quarantined fish. I had a rough start in this Hobby and lost everything. I don't mind spending the extra money to ensure my tank mates will be safe. Well worth it! I have 4 on the way from Tsm. I've been very happy with there stock quality

I've been extremely lucky with fish, but I know that we're all just one wrong addition away from a tank wide outbreak that could really screw things up horribly.

I like what I see at TSM. I have not yet ordered from them, but it's an inevitability at this point.

 

[frank180reef]

My guess is the cost to the lfs iwould be a 40_50 percent price increase

While it might b worth it, if not sure most consumers would pay this

Just my 2 cents

 

[ChrisV]

My guess is the cost to the lfs iwould be a 40_50 percent price increase

While it might b worth it, if not sure most consumers would pay this

Just my 2 cents

Due to 40-50% mortalities, or just the cost of setting up and operating the qt systems?

I have to admit that I haven't seed a wholesale list in years, so I'm a bit uninformed about that aspect.

It seems like this wouldn't be a crazy shift for a place like all things aquatic, where they already do 7 days medicated.

As it is, I'm constantly hearing from members about buying from TSM, so I'm left wondering if people would be willing to pay the premium for local qt'd fish.

 

[Blue Light Aquatics]

I agree with Nick that a clean fish will just pick up any existing controlled parasites in a given system. On the other hand, I feel that the QT process is still important to keep out the more deadly nasties that are not going to really be controllable like brook, velvet, uronema. In the confines of an aquarium even with strong UV these can wipe out a population quickly

 

[Terry Martin]

I agree with Nick that a clean fish will just pick up any existing controlled parasites in a given system. On the other hand, I feel that the QT process is still important to keep out the more deadly nasties that are not going to really be controllable like brook, velvet, uronema. In the confines of an aquarium even with strong UV these can wipe out a population quickly

Do you source and then quarantine fish? That is, could I order a fish you don't have and you'd get it and quarantine it?