Quarantine Container Construction ?

[kristy55303]

i am planning on quarantining some newly acquired mints for fecals in those clear sterilite bins with the white lids. My problem with them is this.They are not fruit fly proof.I have even tried to put heavy objects on them in order to weigh down the top in hopes that the fruit flies wont escape. When i have big darts like this.I use these bins but end up having fruit flies everywhere...they find their way out no matter what. does anyone have any suggested remedies i could use to stop this? lol but i had my quarantines in my hubbies office and he was doing work in their online....and he was covered with fruit flies. I am looking for some kind of remedy for this problem that i can get locally. Any suggestions? thanks kristy

[porkchop]

try the clear bins w/ clear lids...
the white lids just allow flies to escape

[kristy55303]

try the clear bins w/ clear lids...
the white lids just allow flies to escape

aya a while ago figured it out. i put those big binder clips on them. worked out good but now all my froglets will go in grow-out vivs though those will be good for quarantines

thanks bud,
kristy

[smilexelectric]

Why not just use a 10 gallon w/ a glass lid?

[Philsuma]

Why not just use a 10 gallon w/ a glass lid?

Plastic tote (recommend KIS brand from Kmart) is just easier to keep clean and then disinfect as needed. They stack and nest in case you have a larger collection and need to Q-tine multiple animals. Just easier to use in this capacity.

I always think of glass tanks as "display tanks" and use plastic totes for all the other husbandry uses...not that a glass 10 wouldn't work......but that's just my preference.

[smilexelectric]

I guess that makes sense, but what about the plastic quarantine cups from Josh's Frogs, is that for just a 24 hour to 48 period. Seems kinda small for a long period.

I guess they are good if you decide to do a little cleaning.

[kristy55303]

Thanks guys, this post is a little outdated :wink:
I quarantine newly acquired frogs in temp tanks and froglets as well. Darts that get treatment for anything go into the clear bins and i just use those binder clips now to keep them ff proof.

Thanks everyone,

kristy

[Philsuma]

Had a discussion with a friend tonight in the frog room.....we were both agreeing that plastic tote boxes / sweater boxes work ok for temps/ q-tines with auratus, tincs, leucs - those types of frogs.

but NOT pumilio. Somehow pumilio are hurt by the lack of air circulation and the small size doesn't help I'm sure.

I think this is why Marcus B keeps all his imports in large, high plastic critter carriers - 1 per. They have a nice ventilated top.

[Philsuma]

IMO a Q-tine container should be medium sized - not too small.

furnished with pothos and some 'hides' like cork bark or even panels or slate than can be either disinfected and re-used or disinfected and thrown away (cheap).

A Q-tine enclosure should not be a tiny plastic tote with nothing but paper towels - that's a lot of added stress. It should not be an already made viv with substrate / ABG or dirt either.

"Quarantine Procedures:

The spread of infectious disease is a serious concern whenever multiple groups of animals are housed in the same facility. All animals should be isolated for a period of time before being introduced to their tank mates, or in some cases, even the area of the facility where other animals live. New acquisitions may harbor disease and should be isolated from other animals in your collection. New or sick animals should be held in quarantine for at least a period of 45 days, but up to 3 months would be ideal.

A quarantine setup should not be in a bare, sterile box. This can cause physical and emotional stress on the animals and if they did harbor pathogen(s), allow them to overtake their immune capacity. Quarantine tanks should provide cover, warmth, hiding/sleeping spots, water and access to food. They should also be away from household activity that could cause undue stress to the animals as they get acclimated to captivity. If possible, quarantine tanks should be kept in a different room or building from other amphibians and quarantine enclosures should always be serviced last when making daily rounds".

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Here is what I use. I have three of these type/size containers. I prefer the kind with a clear lid but this works too. I have a bunch of aquarium gravel I put in the bottom for drainage and I usually use sphagnum moss on top of that. A couple of pothos clippings and some old cottage cheese or sour cream containers for hides. Everything is either disposable or in the case of the gravel I boil it and reuse it. I'm not QT hundreds of frogs, usually 6 at the most.

[Philsuma]

Here's how I would construct a quarantine enclosure:

1. Medium to large plastic tote type storage box with some screening /modified lid that has some added ventilation as well as ease of cleaning / disinfection.

2. Clean white paper towels in lieu of substrate. Not the kind with coloured flowers ect, because that type usually is made in China with chemicals and binders. Look for 'eco friendly' and all white allows for a easier monitoring situation, poop is easier to spot on it. Poop with blood and other 'odd' things in it, is easier to see on white paper towels. Fresh clean all-white paper towels are going to facilitate fecal collection as well.

3. Lot's of clean, snipped POTHOS. No dirt, no roots needed as it will grow and thrive all by itself snipped and randomly tossed into the bin.Clean and wash with a 05% bleach solution and then wash a few more times and air dry before putting into the enclosure. Pothos provides excellent clean hides and barriers for security and to reduce stress as well as retaining decent moisture and humidity that is so important for new arrival animals. Pothos can be taken out and thrown away and new sprigs and cuttings tossed right in. Pothos just may be the 'ultimate' in useful hobby plants for this exact reason.

4. No need for lighting. Light can be ambient/ room lighting, as long as you're not in a full-on basement or closed closet. Another great aspect of Pothos is that it doesn't need too much light. Bright lighting can shock and stress new arrival frogs anyway.

Ventilation is important to note here. Tincs and 'tinc type' frogs, not quite so much , but newly imported pumilio seem to be a little more delicate or affected by a closed lid and stagnant box.

I would modify my plastic tote lids to include a center section with a ff proof tight screen mesh. You can always lay something on top of it whenever and if ever you wish to increase humidity for any reason.

[RichFrye]

Ventilation is important to note here. Tincs and 'tinc type' frogs, not quite so much , but newly imported pumilio seem to be a little more delicate or effected by a closed lid and stagnent box.

I'd disagree with the need for ventilation Phil. Circulation, which with with ambient light (which I totally agree with you about vs. purposeful and direct lighting ) and tons of pothos will create a little/enough circulation. A quarantine container should never be 'stagnant' , a word I see thrown around a bit too often, especially concerning vivs. Many would guess my vivs to be stagnant, until I explain thermals...
The lids will be opened for feeding , at the least, and the large amounts of pothos are creating O2.
We are really trying to insulate against things ( bugs, bacteria, viruses, dry air...etc., etc. ) and the more we protect against things both getting in and getting out the better and more strict the quarantine.
Which brings up the need for food stuffs such as springtails and isos which will find their way into the paper towels and the leaf litter I add and thus make it unneeded for the each and every day feeding many seem to practice.
Other than that I think you are spot on.

[frogs are cool]

Place a small jar of wine on the floor in a corner or someplace out of the way. The flies that escape will be drawn to the wine and will drown. I read once the flies use fermented fruit as a type of wormer in the wild and i have found this works the best with fly control.

[RichFrye]

Place a small jar of wine on the floor in a corner or someplace out of the way. The flies that escape will be drawn to the wine and will drown. I read once the flies use fermented fruit as a type of wormer in the wild and i have found this works the best with fly control.

Place a HUGE displacement of wine or vinegar or fruit or anything you may expect to drown the full barrage of bugs and you will find that instead of 'trapping' or 'killing' unwanted bugs you feed the Darwinian left-overs ...
I'm not sure how the above quoted pertains to the best and most relevant quarantine , but I know lots about FFs and alcohol...