Dwarf chain loach catastrophe, and a valuable lesson about quarantine tanks learned
Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:56 am
A bit of a backstory: my cousin who I live with is not an aquarist and is not especially overjoyed about me being on the level of fishkeeping I am (slightly more in depth explanation can be found at, https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/foru ... st-8377219).
So when I told them the importance of quarantine tanks, they firmly put their foot down because they were very opposed to 4 tanks, even going so far as to refuse allowing the purchase of a $13 180 liter for quarantine. They were, however, OK with me using a Rubbermaid cattle trough as a makeshift quarantine tank, even though they constantly stressed that it had to be put out of sight when not in use.
So we just had to find one for a reasonable price.
Fast forward to now, and those new dwarf chain loaches I bought were in very poor shape. One was very emaciated in a Spironucleus-like fashion, and it was planned to to return this and get a healthier specimen. Those plans quickly escalated to returning all of them when I went to catch the emaciated loach and found at least 1 more had the first signs of the infamous white spotted disease, complete with lying in one spot, clamping their fins, and flashing.
I immediately showed my cousin this, and they were absolutely horrified - albeit not very surprised, as they were the one to originally (and rightly) suggest I return the emaciated one in the first place. They did, however, have to look rather closely to see the actual white spots.
And that's where I made my move. I pointed out to them that looking this closely at fish to make sure they were okay simply wouldn't be possible in an opaque cattle trough like it would be in a clear, glass tank, and it finally must have taught them the importance of quarantine tanks.
The dwarf chain loaches were promptly returned, and if I can find a good-priced quarantine tank available before Boxing Day, I'll actually be able to quarantine any healthy-looking dwarf chain loaches that are available then!
So when I told them the importance of quarantine tanks, they firmly put their foot down because they were very opposed to 4 tanks, even going so far as to refuse allowing the purchase of a $13 180 liter for quarantine. They were, however, OK with me using a Rubbermaid cattle trough as a makeshift quarantine tank, even though they constantly stressed that it had to be put out of sight when not in use.
So we just had to find one for a reasonable price.
Fast forward to now, and those new dwarf chain loaches I bought were in very poor shape. One was very emaciated in a Spironucleus-like fashion, and it was planned to to return this and get a healthier specimen. Those plans quickly escalated to returning all of them when I went to catch the emaciated loach and found at least 1 more had the first signs of the infamous white spotted disease, complete with lying in one spot, clamping their fins, and flashing.
I immediately showed my cousin this, and they were absolutely horrified - albeit not very surprised, as they were the one to originally (and rightly) suggest I return the emaciated one in the first place. They did, however, have to look rather closely to see the actual white spots.
And that's where I made my move. I pointed out to them that looking this closely at fish to make sure they were okay simply wouldn't be possible in an opaque cattle trough like it would be in a clear, glass tank, and it finally must have taught them the importance of quarantine tanks.
The dwarf chain loaches were promptly returned, and if I can find a good-priced quarantine tank available before Boxing Day, I'll actually be able to quarantine any healthy-looking dwarf chain loaches that are available then!