I have been serious about the hobby for two years now and 4 months ago decided to take things up a notch and added a dedicated quarantine tank to my fish room. I only have four display tanks, but despite that, I feel really good about having a dedicated 5.5 gallon cycled tank sitting on the floor in case I buy new fish or need a hospital tank. Just having it makes me feel more professional in my fish keeping endeavours. Do any other casual fish keepers have a quarantine tank?
How many people have a dedicated quarantine tank?
- Thread starter slava2929
- Start date
I always had a fishless 55 gal water flowing thru, in line with my other tanks on a sump.
When I'd get new fish, it was always ready and cycled. I would cut off flow off from the sump, and add the fish, add a HOB filter or power head so it was then independent, and no diseases could be transferred to other tanks on the sump.
After my normal 3 month quarantine (unless disease was detected), turn the valve back on to put it back on line with the others, and the fish would be totally acclimated to the temp, bacterial population, and water chemistry, so adjusted easily .
I believe quarantine is not only to keep disease out, but to keep anything the current population was immune (semi immune) to from infecting any newcomers.
When I'd get new fish, it was always ready and cycled. I would cut off flow off from the sump, and add the fish, add a HOB filter or power head so it was then independent, and no diseases could be transferred to other tanks on the sump.
After my normal 3 month quarantine (unless disease was detected), turn the valve back on to put it back on line with the others, and the fish would be totally acclimated to the temp, bacterial population, and water chemistry, so adjusted easily .
I believe quarantine is not only to keep disease out, but to keep anything the current population was immune (semi immune) to from infecting any newcomers.
I don't have a dedicated quarantine tank but do have empty aquariums various sizes and sneeded sponge filters in the sump just in case.
My quarantine tank is also my grow out so I buy fish in the fall and put them in the 90 all winter then move them to the 450 in the spring when I shut down my class room tank
There's too much risk involved not having a quarantine set up for new additions. You can get lucky putting new fish straight in your display tank, i've done it myself. But i've also been unlucky and then had to treat all my fish.
By the way, it's great that you're in health care and starting a thread about quarantine tanks!!
I don’t keep one running, but I have extra tanks on hand for new arrivals. And I run extra filters on tanks so I can set them up in a hurry. They have come in handy many times.
I have a 20 high that I keep as a quarantine/growout/ guppy breeding. The guppy breeding is just a way to get a disease free flow of live treats for some of my fish and it holds the cycle while I’m not quarantining anything. Currently I have
1 african leaf fish (auct-something ctenopoma)
8 african butterfly fish
1 delhezi bichir
1 retropinis bichir
Whenever I have fish that need the tank such as the ones above I simply move the guppies to my 29 where they wait. I recently considered making the 29 a quarantine also but decided against it.
1 african leaf fish (auct-something ctenopoma)
8 african butterfly fish
1 delhezi bichir
1 retropinis bichir
Whenever I have fish that need the tank such as the ones above I simply move the guppies to my 29 where they wait. I recently considered making the 29 a quarantine also but decided against it.
I have been trying to set one up but always find myself with too many fish! So for now its no more new fish lol.
The last time i purchased new fish i did set up my hex tank, moved some fish around, and used my 75 to quarantine all the new arrivals for a few weeks. This will likely be my method as long as i have a spare tank to fill spur of the moment. I keep sponge filters in my sump to use whenever the occasion calls for it.
The last time i purchased new fish i did set up my hex tank, moved some fish around, and used my 75 to quarantine all the new arrivals for a few weeks. This will likely be my method as long as i have a spare tank to fill spur of the moment. I keep sponge filters in my sump to use whenever the occasion calls for it.
Same man, I was always setting up a 10 or a 20 gallon intending for it to be a dedicated quarantine tank but I always turned it into a normal tank. Once you get a dedicated quarantine tank it’s easier to keep it that way.