I've had ich come in on a batch of inverts. I quarantine everything now.

My Full time 9-5 day job is as a quarantine aquarist at a large public aquarium. We absolutely do not use bio bricks in our qt tanks because they can harbor all sorts of pathogens even after months of treatment. We use plastic macaroni style bio beads in a media bed. No stone or ceramic. 30-90 days minimum depending on species and symptoms ( or lack of). We start with formalin 14 days and then run copper 30 days for saltwater fish. Various Different antibiotics are used for bacterial infections, and other medications are used if there are different ectoparasites such as flukes or parasitic copepods. There is TONS of intricacy to this subject and you can never really know everything about quarantining fish. It’s an evolving field of research. For the home warm saltwater aquarist a preventative 10 days of formalin and then 10-30 days of copper is more than adequate if there are no symptoms of illness. Better yet , pay someone who knows what they’re doing to quarantine your new fish.

Love the video Jake! Very important topic. Thank you for sharing your methods with everyone 👌

Hey Jake, I just wanted to take the time to say thank you. I am barely going into my one year mark on saltwater aquariums and I have not been finding success with any other videos out there. Your channel has really given me the tools & ambition to have high quality tanks! Thanks!

Great video! Very informative on the fundamentals of quarantining. I'm looking forward to setting up my first one after reefing over 20 years.

I love the ventralis anthias!!! And thanks for sharing you're knowledge.

Jake once again dropping knowledge, hope to see you at Reefapalooza this coming month in NY.

Couldn't agree more. People overlook this aspect of saltwater aquariums. Quarantine everything. I think that unless you medicate them, you're just rolling the dice. Ick isn't something you can always see. There's fish that carry them but are hardy enough to not become plagued by them. When you put them into your main display, they're going to colonize the aquarium or add to the pre-existing colony.

It's been a while since i watch a full 20min of video, bravo, bien résumé !

Great points Jake! Prazi ftw! Like you said catching parasites early is key. A secondary bacterial infection can be so difficult to deal with.

Was waiting for a quarantine video from you

Tiger Angel looks awesome great information Jake

A 76 day fallow for frags/inverts is daunting me right now but I'm hoping to try it with my first inverts in the next few months! The work that goes into QT makes me understand why so many people just dump fish/corals in 😂

Great information, thanks for the video

and then the qt tank becomes another display and you get a new qt tank and the cycle continues lol

Thank you for the information!

Love the ventralis anthias. I’ve had my male for over a year and have a few females. Well worth the extra effort keeping them.

It good with eye Candy. But this is more important then eye Candy. SO PLEAS make more of this learning videos Tanks Jack. From Denmark

Very informative video. Question I have is, what about the parasites you don’t see. For example, ich in the gills that don’t show up in the QT? Now, they’re in the DT and you have to pull them and QT again.

Great video thanks, anything to help lymphocystis?

My method is tank transfer method for 12 days (4 transfers). This is how I do it: 1. Prepare quarantine tank (can even be a bucket of appropriate size) with saltwater and airstone & airline tube with pump a day or two before. Use PVC for hiding spots. 2. Acquire specimen and acclimate to QT water. Do a 5-minute freshwater dip (some fishes may react drastically, don't worry, only fish that start slowing their breathing are typically in danger thus put into QT immediately). 3. Note the time the fish goes into the QT (e.g. 11pm) 4. Just before 72 hours on day 3 (e.g. 10.45pm day 3) move fish to a similar sized clean QT size with clean PVC and new airstone and airline tube. You can net it or use hand or use a collander. 5. Repeat every 3 days just before 72 hours (e.g. 10.30pm day 6, 10.15pm day 9 and 10.00pm day 12). Be sure to clean QT and PVC used with vinegar and dry until needed 3 days later. 6. Extra: On tail end of transfer 2 and 4 (day 5 and day 11) I use Prazipro for flukes/deworming. It's safe when dosed correctly even for sensitive wrasses. Aeration is mighty important during Prazi treatment. Use two airstones if needed. 7. Extra: Water changes not required since fish move to a new QT every 3 days but I have a large enough container that holds enough saltwater for 12 days, everyday I change 50% water. I feed daily though not required. You can feed at the tail end of each transfer day. Be sure to clean any water changing apparatus between uses thoroughly or use two of each and dry between uses. 7. Fourth transfer on day 12; in the display tank they go if all is well (no ich, eating well, breathing normal). I know 12 days seems "too quick" but it has worked for me. You can observe the fish for two weeks after the fourth transfer to a QT but I don't do that. The plus side to this method is minimal chemical use. The downside is that you need a fair amount of salt and it's more "laborous" since you're moving the fish every 3 days and also cleaning/drying the equipment. Also, this only works for ich. I choose to do it at night since it fits my daily work schedule. If you get a new fish be sure to move to the QT at a time you are comfortable with. For coral/invert quarantine, I have a cycled QT that I leave them in for 6 weeks since the last added specimen. Just a simple cycled QT with basic lights will do. I do a 50% water change after 3 weeks. I feed weekly. Reason for 6 weeks is to experiment with different foods, flow and feeding behaviour. Also, to check for the dreaded Aiptasia. Most importantly any ich that cysts on coral/rocks (though unlikely) will die off after 6 weeks. It's not 100% guaranteed ich free but it's as good as it can get.

nice video about quarantining fish, How do you sterilise the equipment and bio media for a QT after your finished and don't have the space to have a QT system running the whole year around?

hey thank you for your video.

Currently going through tank transfer with my first yellow tang, he's due to go into a QT for 2 week observation before acclimating to the DT. Great vid thanks Jake!

Another great video. I really respect your advice. I wasn't quite clear in the video, do you automatically treat your fish, or do you just put them in the Qt tank to observe and only treat if you see something? As far as Ick will having them in the tank for 21 days mean that any potential ick parasite will die off? Thanks again.

Great advice as always Jake. I dont think I heard you mention the tank transfer method??? I use it religiously, along with a double Prazipro dose (1 before TTM and 1 after) with any new addition and am yet to lose a fish to it or indeed have a fish show any sign of infection, including some delicate fish ie multiple fairy wrasses. I qt for a minimum 6 weeks inc cuc, corals and well, anything wet. 😂👍👌🙏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤💚🐠

humblefish has shown reports on coral sand is fine to use. really good read it shows how to QT wrasse and how he has sand in all of his tanks that he QT.

GREAT VID

well done ,thank you

What foods do you usually supply your anthias on top of the two little fishies to keep up with their dietary needs?

I'm new to the hobby. What about quarantining live rock? Is it necessary? I wouldn't think since it's part of the cycling process but I am still learning. Thanks in advance.

Love ur vids! Where is the peninsula

Can you reuse the bio media when cleaning your qt tank for the next batch of fish?

Awesome video QT all day. The only thing you did not mention was internal parasites. How would you go about Treating internally . Hypo Salinity is my go to i have a Convict tang, queen angel and naso tang in hypo now. I lost one too many expensive fish to not QT great video.

No love for wrasses?? Lol, You are correct they do need special attention but once establish nearly bullet proof, especially the elegant leopards.

Where did you get that thermometer? I have been looking for one like that for ages!

Do you have to have a small powerhead or can you use a bubbler and power filter?

Can i just put any bio media in bottom of tank plastics ceramics is there a difference or i have to use the bricks

Great video. I'm currently QTing with the same products. I use cupramine for 30 days, follow by prazipro for a week before fish go into DT.

The last part is what I was expecting. You said that QT fish tank need not that much of light, but what about the anemones, do the QT tank of anemone needs the complete blue spectrum as present in display?

im a little confused, do you treat the fish anyway or only if u see some sort of problem. also how do you quarantine corals and inverts? also does dipping corals work instead of qt?

What a coincidence! Today I just put 4 carpenter wrasses in QT! And as it is with so many things in this hobby, it seems like there's a hundred different opinions on best practices. I was planning to dose copper as a prophylactic measure but now I'm having second thoughts. I don't want to unnecessarily stress the fish but I also I don't want to put the fish at risk by waiting until obvious signs of disease appear before medicating (I'm not confident that I would recognize symptoms early enough before it's too late). I really respect the opinion of veteran reef keepers like Jake (and even more so when they admit to the limits of their experience/knowledge) but does anyone with wrasse QT experience have a recommendation?

I like to use a light, 1 to check fish and 2 to keep them on schedule

Ok so if my local lfs has salinity of 1.20 how long should the drip acclimation be if mine is at 1.26

How do you quarantine coral differently to make sure no ichs on it since you cant use copper with coral or invertebrates

What food do you use for Ventralis anthias ?

Do you treat your qt as a preventative measure or only when symptoms are present?

Would uv sterilizer be good for quarantine tank ?

Do you have to use copper or can you just do hyper salinity and observe the fish for 30 days or more and if no trouble the fish should be ok?

You're probably asked this a hundred times.do you still put the copper treatment in the tank even if it's not visible ich on the fish?

Where is that merch at? I need a RB shirt!

Hey Jake, great video! I myself am a big proponent of quarantine and prophylactic treatment of all fish with prazy and copper. I understand that a lot of fish can carry the disease without any external symptoms so would really like to hear your thoughts on this and why you choose only to treat for visible signs of disease. Thanks!

So how do you do? Water change on a non-cycled QT tank do I have to have two QT tank for easy transfer?

Does this work for freshwater fish too? (Minus the salt, obviously lol)

What about coral in quarten tank that has been compere? For corals?

I know chloroquine phosphate will be absorbed by rocks and sponge type media meaning the therapeutic level could be compromised and as it’s not currently testable currently at hobby level I guess it’s important. As for copper, is it similar that the media will deteriorate? Luckily copper is testable using hobby grade test kits :)

I live in a 1200sqf condo and my dt is 50 gallons. I haven’t ever done a qt or quarantine process as I don’t have any room in my condo for a second setup. Is there any recommendation on how to quarantine with limited space?

Using the Marine Pure is inspired, as it should not remove copper or anything else but do much better biofiltration then a small piece of live rock, which will have to be thrown out anyway.

I’m new to the hobby but am about to pull the trigger with fish only setup. I have a few questions..... -I realize you’re using a smaller tank for the quarantine. Any rule on the number of fish you can put in at once? For example, how many could you quarantine in a 10 gallon tank at once that would ultimately go in a 55 gallon?

How long do you have to cycle your QT

Jake are you running carbon in that hang on filter? If so, doesn't it filter out the copper and other medications? Thanks,

I've heard mixed things on sand in the tank. Is it okay to put a small dish or cup of sand for things like watchman gobys

After quarantining new fish for 4 weeks... they go into the main tank... then what is needed for the second round of fish? Say I'm planning to stock a reef tank that will be stocked in 3 or 4 steps... clownfish pair, then royal gramma, then possibly another fish, last a coral beauty angelfish... what is needed to do to the QT tank between fish? If doing this, and ok with discarding the sand and/or rock.... can you have a small bit of sand or rock in the QT for biological filtration...? I know parasites can live in the sand, or their eggs can... will the medication kill those , or do you absolutely need bare bottom for QT? I will also be setting up a fishless frag QT tank... as we are going to be stocking 2 or 3 new tanks in the next year....2 small, 1 medium sized tank... Lots to learn to do things closer to right this time around... thanks for the video...

Can i put my QT on the floor? I dont have a stand, im already having a hard time convincing my parents to put another small tank apart from the Display. And the laundry room is the only place that it will be possible to put is that ok?

When you said ventralis was on your list you weren't lying lol

well, don't use the ceramic bio blocks as they can bind medication. concerning wrasses that like to burrow in sand, just put a pyrex bowl filled with silica sand as that sand does not bind meds.

Does water in quarantine tank need to be completely cycled with microorganisms or bacteria? If so, how long to treat tank or introduce bacteria before introducing fish?

What kind of anthias do you have there?

RIP Jake #legend

Also, do you not use a protein skimmer on your quarantine tank?

Great video Jake I'm always learning something new.I see the part about keeping the SG low @ 1.016-18 to start and understand you on that. And most fish coming from our LFS or online have a reduced SG around 1.020 so they will transition with less stress. At what point do you start acclimating them to a SG of 1.026 or what ever your main reef that they are going in?

Why are you not a fan of frozen food. Nice video. I like starting with tank transferring for 5 days than follow qt tank.

Which test strip r u using for this Quarntine setup....???

Very helpful. But what does "kanaplex, neoplex" contain? There is a lot of snake oil in this hobby....

has chloroquine phosphate gone out of favor in the hobby? At one point there was the hype of that being a "miracle drug" because it dealt with ich, velvet, brook, etc. and there was no apparent negative effects to it if you just treat a QT in general.

How to threat or observer ick on a frag or a invert?

Anyone here after buying there first purple tang only to have it give ick to all your old fish? Yeah I been feeling like shit for 2 days

How do you sterilize the Hanna salinity checker?

Why are you not a fan of frozen foods? I've had great success with LRS.

Can you mix copper and prazipro ?

PraziPro sounds like a rapper name

So I don’t add any dr. Tim’s one and only bacteria I also have sponge filter

Why are you against frozen food?

When using hyposalinity, should we be monitoring ph and/or alk? Do we need to increase it if it dips? I've heard that since there is less buffering capacity in the low salinity water, ph can start to fall since the water is pretty diluted.

So why don't you like frozen food? nice to see some educational videos! :)

So you don’t treat any fish unless they show signs of a disease or parasite. Just observation for 21 to 30 days?

What about a saltwater fish that disappear in the tank

so you're telling me if I want to start a nano reef tank I need to start 2 nano tanks because i need a quarantine ???

Would you quarantine the first fish into a brand new tank?

Don't parasites just go into biomedia it's kind of doing the same as live rock is it not?

I know this is an "older" video but using the bio-media brick... cant pests just insert themselves onto the brick? Doesnt the brick suck up medications if you use medications?

All that water by the electrical panel got me worried

Can I quarantine fish and coral together?

Uhmmm, questionable filtration media in a quaranteen tank

We don't believe in the quarantine what are you talkin about