Every time I buy some fish from my LFS at least a couple end up dead. I have seen people mention that they put newly bought fish in a quarantine tank for 24 hours before putting them in the permanent tank. I have searched but can only find posts mentioning that people quarantine and not how to quarantine. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to set up a quarantine tanks and the process of doing so.
how do you quarantine fish?
- Thread starter psi3000
- Start date
It's a very basic thing to do. And it's exactly how it sounds. You just put your newly bought fish in a separate tank with the filter, heater, air stone etc. Leave it in there for a few days and if its good after a few days then you can go ahead and transfer it into the permanent tank.
Well you setup a separate tank for new fish, add new fish in new tank before they go into their new home. Wait a couple of days before putting them into an actual tank to ensure they don't have diseases, that may be caught by other fish.
It is simple you get a tank that is setup and cycled properly and Use it only as a temporary tank and when you get new fish you put them in that tank for a few days and after those few days if your fish is still looking good and show no signs of sickness then you put them in its final tank that has your other fish in it
basically what i have set-up for quarantine tank is a old 20 gal tank i had, i have a spare sponge filter that runs all the time in one of my other established tanks, when i need the quarantine tank for a new fish or for a sick fish, i fill the 20 gallon up with water out of one of my established tanks and put the sponge filter in. This way i can put the new fish in the quarantine tank and watch him for a couple days, normally atleast 3 days if he's been at my lfs for a while or for up to a couple of weeks for a new fish that they just got in, and make sure he shows no signs of disease or parasite. Also works great as a hospital tank for sick fish.
A QT tank must be cycled if the fish is going to live through the process. The easiest way to do this is to place a sponge filter or HOB in or on your tank or sump, which allows it to become colonized with the beneficial bacteria. This way, when you stick it in or on the QT, the tank is instantly cycled. I keep extra HOBs running at all times on my display tanks, and just keep the extra tanks for QTs in the shed, so I don't have to have a bunch of little tanks running all of the time and worry about keeping them cycled.
The size of the tank depends mostly on what you're QT'ing. I find a 20 gallon long a pretty good size to have around that works for most fish. Obviously, if it's a larger fish, you're going to have to go larger.
There's no need to use tank water in the QT. You can fill it up, dechlorinate it, and let it sit so that it either adjusts to room temp or, if you have a heater, allow the heater to heat the water to the desired temp. Then, throw on your pre-cycled filter.
Now you're ready to actually begin the process. Most people say you should QT for a month. This is really the safest. Be sure to acclimate your new fish properly in order to reduce stress as much as possible. Here's a link to to an article which includes tips for acclimation (it is based on SW, but much of the same info would be useful for FW):
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimat.htm
While your fish is in QT, keep an eye on him. If you see signs of illness, find out what those symptoms mean, and treat for them. The only thing you might not see evidence of would be internal parasites, so it's often a good idea to go ahead and treat for them. Here's a link to Lupin's FW disease guide, which should help you identify illness:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168667
And one to help you choose how to treat:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137959
Don't rush QT. It will be tempting to throw your fish in the tank so you can enjoy it right away; however, your patience will pay off!
The size of the tank depends mostly on what you're QT'ing. I find a 20 gallon long a pretty good size to have around that works for most fish. Obviously, if it's a larger fish, you're going to have to go larger.
There's no need to use tank water in the QT. You can fill it up, dechlorinate it, and let it sit so that it either adjusts to room temp or, if you have a heater, allow the heater to heat the water to the desired temp. Then, throw on your pre-cycled filter.
Now you're ready to actually begin the process. Most people say you should QT for a month. This is really the safest. Be sure to acclimate your new fish properly in order to reduce stress as much as possible. Here's a link to to an article which includes tips for acclimation (it is based on SW, but much of the same info would be useful for FW):
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimat.htm
While your fish is in QT, keep an eye on him. If you see signs of illness, find out what those symptoms mean, and treat for them. The only thing you might not see evidence of would be internal parasites, so it's often a good idea to go ahead and treat for them. Here's a link to Lupin's FW disease guide, which should help you identify illness:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168667
And one to help you choose how to treat:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137959
Don't rush QT. It will be tempting to throw your fish in the tank so you can enjoy it right away; however, your patience will pay off!
The main reason i use tank water in my QT tank is to go ahead and acclimate the fish to the water conditions of my current tanks, it can sometimes be stressful to less hardy fish to go through 3 different types of water with different conditions over that short of a period of time, just my opinion, and it's just as easy as filling with new water.
