The Puffer Forum

Just because the tank was established doesn't guarantee it is parasite free unless everything that was added to that tank was quarantined properly. If things weren't and were added directly from the LFS, chances of parasites are high.

Many tanks can "thrive"well for years with parasites, then when something happens (temp fluctuation, aggression, water parameters change, etc) the ich "appears" or becomes pathogenic.

Hmmm... well, I know the fellow I purchased from has a QT tank, so I assume he probebly used it. I'll have to ask him.

A lot of hobbyist quarantine fish but do not think that live rock, inverts (snails, shrimp, etc), corals, macroalgaes, sand from another hobbyists tank needs to be quarantined. This is another way that parasite introduction can occur. Another "failure" is when the hobbyist, "quarantines" things in a refugium or sump inside the display tank.

Another way display tanks are "contaminated" is sharing nets, siphon hoses or hobbyists hands that have been in another tank without properly sterilizing before placing in another tank. Tanks kept in close proximity can suffer from cross contamination from splashing (begging puffers spitting) or filter splash.

Hope this makes all of us a little more cautious (paranoid).

Sure did!