risk from sources

[wolf13]

irregardless of the use of a qt tank (which is something i am already looking into), whats the real risk of getting diseased fish? By that, I mean it seems likely that the ultimate risk is from low quality, high volume stores like petco, petsmart and walmart. The other ultimate risk seems likely to be the casual petstore that has fish as an afterthought and handles them no better then a chain store. In both cases, I would think the expectation would be for something nasty rather then the expectation of a clean fish.

On the other hand, how likely are you to get ich or a parasite or somethign else nasty from a major supplier like Dr F&S or from reputable breeder or seller who already does qt and does take precautions before offering fish for sale?

[brads]

I personally have never had a problem with getting something nasty from any of my lfs. Low quality fish that croaked yes but never any diseases. I always take my time when I get new fish. I look at the fish of course but also at the store as a whole. How clean are "the tanks"? Dead fish? Decent fishkeeping equipment? How often do they clean/change the water? Do they have a clue? etc. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't. But... it couldn't hurt.

[ChicoRaton]

When you are about to buy a fish, ask how long it has been in that tank. the store should know. I used to work in an LFS and we'd get bi-weekly fish shipments, and even though we had about 100 tanks, I would be able to tell you how long a fish had been there. Should be the same with any decent LFS. When we'd get a new shipment of fish, most of the fish that came to us really stressed or injured or (worst case scenario) diseased would die or show symptoms within a week. probably 80% of the fish that were going to die did so within 3 days, so if the fish has been in the store 2 weeks and is eating it's a pretty safe bet that it's a healthy fish. Also if the store has a tank or two marked "sick" or "quarantine" or something along those lines, that's actually a good sign too. Every fish store is going to have fish get sick, and if they seperate them from the others, that's a good sign. One thing I look for is central fintration. If the tanks all go into one sump, I don't buy anything form that store.

Following these guidelines, I have never introduced a disease into my tank from adding new fish.

[Rbishop]

Shipping and handling is stressful. Stress can weaken an immune system.
Thus...QT always.

[jm1212]

you should always check around the tank that the fish you want is in, and the others in the store to see if they have any diseases. some places use one filtration system, and disease can spread faster than wildfire

[Star_Rider]

many of the stores use community filtration systems. this increases the liklihood of exposure.

like rbishop..transporting is stressful= weak immune systems= increased chance of infection/infestation.

take a close look at the fish at the lfs..if they show signs of illness you will may see it in other nearby tanks.

[is300zx]

QT is probably your best insurance to prevent diseases from spreading to your other tanks. Even a healthy looking fish at a reputable LFS could have internal parasites that won't be visible to the naked eye.