Currently I still consider the adaptation of the new fish to me and my water, feeding, and maintenance equally as important as the isolation period for protecting existing tanks from disease. My QT tanks are watched much more critically than the existing displays. But considering the current state of the trade, the protection of existing fish and tanks is likely to be much more important in reality for most hobbyists, especially less-experienced ones. Selection of fish to purchase is a major hurdle for the novice fishkeeper. If you have not yet faced all the available range of ills that can befall a tank, how do you learn what not to buy? On this you have to train your eye. Instead of shopping for something to add to your collection, browse through the store simply observing the fish - think of it as an educational field trip, rather than a shopping spree. Do the Tiger Barbs or Clown Loaches or any other fish show what looks like grains of salt or sand on their fins or bodies?

Typical "White spot" appearance on fins

Are the fish in a particular tank breathing much more rapidly than the ones in the adjacent tank? Are some individuals in a given tank "flashing" - rubbing their sides or gills against rocks, ornaments, or the substrate in the tank? Are some (or all) the fish hanging in place but look like they are swimming (shimmying )? Do the fish look like the pictures you've seen? Or are their bellies sunken? Are their fins ragged and uneven? Are their colors bright or washed out? Are all the fish of one kind behaving about the same, or are some individuals resting on the bottom, or hiding behind tubes or rocks, or hanging in the corners or at the surface? Do any of the fish look like they have "zits" - developing pimples? Do all the fish have normal looking feces, or do some or all show white stringy feces? Even worse, do some show red hair-like projections from their anus? You do not have to instantly diagnose all these conditions; you only have to learn to notice that things are not normal. It won't take many trips before you will recognize many of the commonest problems, and will have trained yourself to recognize problems you do not want to take home with you, whether you QT or not.

The equipment you will need for QT varies with what sort of fish and how many you tend to buy at once. I like schools of fish and have several tanks of such most of the time, which are basically species tanks. As these tanks are set for the particular school, there is no need of large QT space; the whole school of fish will go directly into the new but pre-cycled tank.

Any cleaning crew fish or inverts will be held elsewhere in QT until the basic stock in the new tank (which represents the majority of the bioload) is declared healthy and safe.

If you keep primarily small livebearers, a small tank (5-10 gallons ) setup will do for a new trio. If you want to get mature breeding pairs of large Cichlids, it is likely to be a situation much like the school setup discussed above. For fish in between in scale, intermediate tanks are in order.

Right now I have a group of tanks available for QT use. They stay operational as they are used for fry grow-out, or plant grow-out, as breeding tanks for suitably sized fish, or as snail breeding tanks. When I need a QT, I move the current inhabitants to their home tank or the LFS, do a partial water change, and am ready to add the new livestock. During the era I talked about at the beginning of the article I was not so spoiled. Then there was a ten-gallon tank on the floor of a closet, with heater, cover, thin gravel, a couple of plastic plants, and a broken clay pot, plus a bucket and manual siphon for QT use. The filter (then a simple air driven sponge, concealed behind a sword plant) stayed operational in a display tank. When I purchased new fish the tank came out of the closet, water was added (generally at least 50% from existing tanks) and the filter put in place. This makes an instant QT tank.

If the LFS water is from the same system as your home, the water is likely to be similar in pH and hardness. If it is not, you should ask what their water parameters are. Not that you will necessarily adapt yours to match, but you need to know so you have an idea how long and picky adaptation will be. Knowing how sensitive the fish are to changes helps also. Some are not picky at all; others are quite sensitive to changes. If the waters are similar, cut off the top of the plastic bag and roll it down (like rolling up your shirtsleeve) to form a flotation collar . With the QT tank light off (which reduces fear and stress), float the bag 10-15 minutes to equalize temperatures. Then add ~1/4 volume of the bag with water from the tank itself into the bag. Wait another 5-15 minutes and if the fish show no adverse reactions, remove ~1/3 the water from the bag (you can siphon it out with a length of airline tubing ) and replace with tank water. Repeat once or twice more, then net the fish out to the QT tank and discard the water. Top up the tank as needed. Leave the tank light off until the next day.

If the LFS water is quite different from yours (higher/lower pH or hardness), you can either use the cut-open bag in a container or floating, or more easily, use a catch bucket (as the LFS uses). Instead of using a cup or such to transfer water, set a container lower than the tank and either a length of airline with a knot or the same length of airline with a plastic air valve to drip water slowly in with the new fish. You can control the rate by adjusting the knot or the valve. You are using this to make the change happen more slowly. You will remove excess water periodically, again as with the faster technique. During the process, you can speed up the drop-wise addition a couple of times, an hour or so apart, as the same rate provides smaller and smaller percentage changes over time. This can take twice or more the time of the earlier technique. During these adaptations, a sprig or so of a plant in the container may make the new fish feel more secure. The greater the differences in your water and the LFS water, the slower the adaptation should be. Similarly, the more delicate the new fish, the slower the adaptation should be.

While the fish is in isolation or QT, monitor the food preferences of the new pets, and be careful not to over feed. Monitor the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate just in case. The siphon and bucket used for routine partials on the QT should not be used for the display tanks until QT is complete. If your now highly trained eyes become suspicious ask the LFS and/or the boards about your observations - preferably both, plus a bit of research on whatever conditions you suspect.

How long is QT? I used to say it was three weeks. Then I checked back through my old records and found that I was lying. I had never moved a fish in less than four weeks, and commonly longer, even when there was no disease. By the way, if disease does appear and is treated, the clock stops and re-sets to zero after treatment is completed and the tank cleared of additives. When you are approaching move time, the last few partials of the QT tank should be done with water from the display tank to which the fish will move - this will ensure adaptation to the water in which they will be living. The day of the move, do another 50% or more change in the QT tank with display water, feed the display fish and turn their light off after they have completed their meal. Then net and transfer the new fish to the display, leaving the tank lights off until the following day. If the display tank houses territorial fish, some rearrangement of rockwork, etc. will prompt redrawing territory boundary lines and assist the new introductions in fitting into the community

Keep the QT tank operational and empty for a bit just in case - a small pinch of fish food (about the amount you would use for a few fish in the tank) every other day or a few drops of detergent-free ammonia will keep the filter bacteria alive. When you are comfortable that the new fish is well settled in the display, you may break the tank down and store it (keeping the filter operational in a display) or use the tank for other purposes.

Yes, all the above is a lot of trouble, extra equipment, et cetera, but to me it is cheap insurance. I do not play Russian roulette with my tanks. I also have not had an infectious disease outbreak in my tanks since I moved to this house some 21 years ago, or for that matter, quite some years before. Since I expect my fish to live for years to decades, a few weeks is small investment overall. Think about it.

This article first appeared on another site. It has been edited for use on this site.

Robert T. Ricketts, a.k.a. RTR

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