How To Quarantine Fish Before Adding To Main Tank?

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Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
3,005
50
81
New York
Hey Everybody,

I've heard many awesome things about quarantine....but I haven't read anything on how to quarantine. By this I mean, I have the supplies just don't know how to quarantine.

Supplies:

20 Gallon Tank
2 Nano Power Heads
2 Aquaclear filters (One 20 and 30)
Heater (Temp at 82)
1 Whisper Tetra Air Pump
2 small pieces of live rock
1 PVC currently in it...have more.

Water is cycled everything is in great shape.

I have a puffer, yellow tang and a Lion fish in this quarantine.
(Im bringing back the tang and puffer soon). Thier is a divider between the puffer, tang and lion fish. Im curious on what do I have to do to prepare them for the main tank? Time?

(Im a fan of the drip system if curious)
 
well quarentine, ususaly involves a simple small system, like your set up, where you place your fish for 1-2 weeks (or longer) to ensure that they are healthy and parasite free. Sometimes its a good idea to include a small skimmer and UV to ensure any free floating parasites are killed/removed, and therefor not transferd to the system. The QT alows you to treat infected fish without exposing your entire tank to Copper and other agressive medications. It also allows you to make sure that they are feeding well and acting normaly before adding them to your main tanks (where this can become difficult to see). So once you have determined that the fish are healthy/eating/etc, you are ready to move them to the main tank. Use standard aclimation techniques (unless water temp and parms are the same as then its not an issue), also a good idea to make sure non of the QT water makes it into the MT (again minamize parasite transfer. It is sometimes a good idea to hold the new fish in "breeders boxes" to keep them from being harrassed, and alowing the rest of the fish to adjust to the new addition's presance.
 
http://www.**************.com/forum/library/hospital/qtine/
 
Thanks for the info guys, not a bad idea about the breeder box too. I can see that my lionfish is going to be in the quarantine for a long time.....because Im trying to wean him off of live foods....he eats ghost shrimp rather quickly. So I probably going to try breeding the shrimp for now (have to figure out how to put the screen and and safe hole size). Any ideas on how to make him eat dead foods....tried acrylic feeding stick hoping he wouldn't notice the stick too much.
 
Try some dead silver sides soaked in garlic guard. I heard all fish love garlic and this will also help boost his immune system :D
 
You can try cut up shrimp to. I had a puffer that went insane over them. Garlic fairs is awsome stuff. Oh and try Entice that good stuff too. Good luck!
 
Cant wait to get my puffer. Glad to hear that everyone is eating, large fish are so much fun when they take food straight from your hand. :D
 
Just don't let him brush up against it!
 
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