Advice needed on for a paranoid fishkeeper (new fish)

Hi everyone
I have 20 rainbow cichlids which i have had for 8+ years . I have recently upgrade there tank and want to add 2 green phantom plecos which my LFS have had in a tank for 2 years .

My rainbows are by children and do not want to put them in any danger as I haven't had any issues in my tank for 8 years . To me 2 new fish arent worth risking my children . I will still quarantine them for a few weeks even though they look super healthy and been at the LFS for 2 years . Am I being a overly paranoid parent ? What can I do to minimize the risk to my rainbows?

I have googled as much as I can but would like feedback from the local community.

Thanks

 

Quarantine, quarantine, quarantine.

 

The fact that the plecos have been at the lfs for more than two years is a good sign, if they where in their own tank without any newcomers it should be fairly safe.

But some fish may carry bugs and look healthy while other species are very vulnerable to the same bug, so there is always a risk.

The species should get along well according to : http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f100/green-phantom-l200-compatibility-171812.html

 

Agree with the above, just keep them in a quarantine tank for 6 weeks or so.
One step extra could be a UV steriliser (not a clarifier). Run that in the QT tank and/ or the tank the new fish will go into.

I've done a lot of reading and they seem to be a good investment - I ordered a portable one online via Amazon that I'll use across several tanks as needed.

 

Thanks for all the advice , I actually run a uv sterilizer on my main tank already and is a good idea for the quarantine tank as well. I was thinking 6 weeks quarantine. What are everyone's thoughs on dosing something like paraguard in the quarantine to start ?

I have done some reading up and my rainbows and them seem to come from the same sort area with very similar water conditions and I love there colours

 

You make a good point but now I want to save them lol . I am a sucker for a rescue animal

 

I know how you feel @Reafer ... I do that all the time... Anything hurt often ends in our tanks...

As has been said, just quarantine them for a month and you should be fine especially if you running a UV sterilizer
We run one on all our tanks and t certainly makes a huge difference

 

So I went and got the 2 green phantoms . I was told they L168 but they definately L200 Hemiancistrus subviridis. They in there quarantine tank but all I had was a 25l tank , will this be on for a few weeks quarantine?

 

On closer inspection I actually think I have Baryancistrus demantoides L200a or high fin green phantom .

 

Don't dose anything yet, resistant diseases are a scourge to the hobby. Rather observe, do they eat properly? What does their stool look like? Just keep tabs on the plecos properly for 6-12 weeks

 

They still getting use to the new tank I think. They have got there colours back nicely but not eaten yet , stools look normal. They looked so healthy to me I decided to just quarantine for 2 months and observe them

 

Nice! I reckon they'd do ok in a 25l for a while - they don't do a whole lot of moving

 

Just don't forget your WC, a 25l isn't too big!

 

Yea I will keep up witht he changes . Does anybody know how i would go about preparing guava leaves for the tank? I have a guava tree that i can take a few leaves off and put in my dehydrator to dry out then boil. I have heard good things about them for a quick biofilm that plecos love .

 

Awesome fish you got there.

As far as I know you should only use leaves that have fallen of the tree naturally, can't remember the reason for it though. Personally I won't boil them as the tannins does wonders for fish.

 

Its for the sugars in the leave to go away so to say. Of they dry naturally.

 

Awesome stuff thanks for all the help

 

To small for quarantine? They will go into a 550l afterwards