Advice on introducing new fish. Quarantine or no?

[Mmathis]

Thanks, @EricV I was thinking about the recipe, and forgot about the “how-to.”

 

[Denise T]

I seem to add a fish or two every year and usually about that size. I use a 35 Gallon preformed above ground "pond". I picked a few of them up at a big box store for under $20 each. (Also great for cleaning filter material and repotting plants).

Here's what I do:

1. Fill container with pond water
2. Install a small pump with fountain attachment. Embed that in a plant container filled with lava rock
3. Rinse filter brush or something like that in the new "pond" to seed the filter with bacteria
4. Run until clear
5. Add fish
6. Add melafix which is a tea-tree thing supposedly good for general fungus, scrapes, whatever. No other drugs
7. Cover
8. Wait 2-3 weeks feeding new fish lightly.

Thank you for the specifics. They are most helpful.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

OK, I'm gonna be the 'outlier' here. I've added new fish twice in the past two years/Springs. My experience are as follows (keep in mind, both times I've ordered from the same, reputable source)

First time (two years ago) I set up a 'quarantine tank' (100 gal stock tank, filled with pond water) 7 new fish. So stressed they NEVER ate, one squashed himself into the area that a UV filter light was supposed to be in & never came out. I waited 5 days, couldn't stand seeing the stressed behavior of the new fish any longer & ... released them into the pond.

A couple weeks later we had an outbreak of some sort of parasite & by generalized treatment of the pond, managed to save all but three fish. Losses were in 'OLD' fish - none of the 'newbies' showed any symptoms of illness.

Next time (one year later) we added fish from the same vendor, NO quarantine period. Just acclimate & into the pond they went. This time, no loss of ANY fish, either new or original (other than one new little one that got stuck in a skimmer basket & two that were taken by predators over the past year)

So, I'm going with --- depending on the reputation of the company you're dealing with & the source of your fish --- quarantining doesn't guarantee "success". Not quarantining doesn't guarantee "failure". (Shrug)

 

[Tula]

I've pretty much decided I won't have any new fish again. I'll do my best to keep my 4 adult koi healthy and if / when I lose one, I won't replace it.

 

[j.w]

I've got enough, actually too many so I won't be getting anymore.

 

[Lisak1]

The standard reply would be "without question, quarantine!" But our old friend Meyer Jordan (older members will remember him) once shared his philosophy about quarantine after his many years of ponding experience. It went something like this:

Quarantine will indeed reveal if the new fish has an illness or parasite after you bring it home. HOWEVER, introducing the fish to the pond can still be risky as A. there may be conditions in the pond that your current fish have adapted to that will affect the new fish negatively or B. The new fish may introduce something to the pond that IT is adapted to that will still affect your current fish. So while it is the accepted standard, it's definitely not a guarantee. His philosophy ran more toward choosing to buy fish from reputable dealers only - they will do the quarantine in their facility where they are set up to do it and know what to look for.

I know for myself, having a quarantine set up that could accommodate more than one or two small fish would be nearly impossible. I have a small yard that is about 50% pond as it is and really don't want to get involved in indoor fish keeping. So I would be hard pressed to quarantine a larger fish or a quantity of fish if I were to add them. We added a whole troop of new shubunkins last year after we had lost a bunch of fish and just had to take our chances. They all did fine. Probably just dumb luck but it was all I had in my favor last year!

 

[GBBUDD]

I had parasites in my planted aquarium and even added a fish that within a week showed all sorts of issues fin rot fungus redness in the fins you name it. well it never realy went anywhere the tank was so healthy you could shine a flashlight at night and watch all the parasites and phytoplankton swim around. Well i have been a bit cocky i guess, as i have not quarantined for the new fish. The koi I only bought from the best. well that has proven to be disastrous. Last fall i purchased a large fine specimen and i acclimated the fish and dumped him in. Well the next thing i know i saw was flashing first one then another and an other. tHIS DISAPPEARED ON IT'S OWN SO I FELT GOOD AS TO THE EVENTS. WELL i just purchased a dragon koi a long fined gorgeous fish, Almost immediately he was observed to one after then other fish noticed to just sit around the pond barely moving and when he swam his whole body shook. Well that observation was noticed to one of my original fish . I made sure to feed him and low and behold he started doing the same. well i took him out of the pond and put him in the upper pond for a couple weeks and he is doing fine. But iT has tranfered to one after an other fish they sat around swimming little and even getting lifted scales. Long story short the wife told me she had not seen my most expensive fish for a couple days . i had hoped he was hanging in the tunnels . when i got home i put on the snorkel and found him dead stuffed in between the rocks. So tomorrow i will be setting up a hospital and a quarantine tank " one and the same" I will not add a fish again from anyone for any reason without the quarantine tank and there i will subject the fish to probably proform c it seems to be the kill all medication.

 

[IPA]

Sorry to hear about your fish @GBBUDD . @Lisak1 , his knowledge and passion when it came to fish and water health was, and still is here, a treasure trove.

 

[Denise T]

OK, I'm gonna be the 'outlier' here. I've added new fish twice in the past two years/Springs. My experience are as follows (keep in mind, both times I've ordered from the same, reputable source)

First time (two years ago) I set up a 'quarantine tank' (100 gal stock tank, filled with pond water) 7 new fish. So stressed they NEVER ate, one squashed himself into the area that a UV filter light was supposed to be in & never came out. I waited 5 days, couldn't stand seeing the stressed behavior of the new fish any longer & ... released them into the pond.

A couple weeks later we had an outbreak of some sort of parasite & by generalized treatment of the pond, managed to save all but three fish. Losses were in 'OLD' fish - none of the 'newbies' showed any symptoms of illness.

Next time (one year later) we added fish from the same vendor, NO quarantine period. Just acclimate & into the pond they went. This time, no loss of ANY fish, either new or original (other than one new little one that got stuck in a skimmer basket & two that were taken by predators over the past year)

So, I'm going with --- depending on the reputation of the company you're dealing with & the source of your fish --- quarantining doesn't guarantee "success". Not quarantining doesn't guarantee "failure". (Shrug)

Love the perspective!

 

[Lisak1]

@GBBUDD - that's a bummer! Hope you get it all under control.