| Do I Need A Quarantine Tank? | | | | surface agitation |
| The often dismissed but very necessary part of the | | | | Test Kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate |
| tropical fish hobby, the infamous quarantine tank. Do | | | | Fish Net - don't use the same net for your main tank |
| you really need one to be successful in this hobby? | | | | Fill the quarantine tank with water from the main |
| For freshwater fish you may be able to get by | | | | tank and then turn everything on in the quarantine |
| without having one. Freshwater fish are generally | | | | tank. |
| more suited to captivity because they are usually | | | | Freshwater and Saltwater Fish Quarantine |
| tank raised and don't seem to break out in disease | | | | For newly acquired fish you will want to acclimate |
| as readily as their saltwater counterparts. However, if | | | | them to the water in the quarantine tank and |
| newly acquired fish do come down with something, | | | | monitor them very closely for a period of two to |
| you will surely wish that you had one ready to go. | | | | three weeks. Monitor the water parameters with |
| One newly bought fish that is introduced to your | | | | your test kits and check for signs of parasites or |
| main tank can easily wipe out the entire tank | | | | bacterial infections. |
| population. Better safe than sorry, right? | | | | If the newly acquired fish does come down with |
| For saltwater aquarium keepers, I would say that | | | | something you will need to use the appropriate |
| you definitely need a quarantine tank. Marine | | | | medication and you will need to keep them in |
| specimens are mostly wild caught and not used to | | | | quarantine for a further two weeks to make sure |
| being kept in captivity. Their journey to a dealers | | | | that you have indeed treated them effectively. If |
| tank is usually much longer and much more stressful | | | | after a few weeks no problems develop, you can |
| for them. Stressed out fish will usually come down | | | | then acclimate them to the main tank water and |
| with some kind of disease if they don't simply die | | | | then introduce them. |
| from the whole ordeal. Saltwater fish keepers will | | | | If a fish comes down with something while in your |
| usually have other things in the main display tank | | | | main tank, just net them and plop them into the |
| such as invertebrates and live rock, that they don't | | | | quarantine tank. There should be no need to |
| want to expose to the harsh medicines necessary to | | | | acclimate them because you used water from your |
| treat one or two fish. Some medicines can wipe out | | | | main tank. If you didn't use water from the main |
| all of the invertebrates in a tank, so be sure to | | | | tank you will need to acclimate them to the |
| research any medicine before using it in your tank. | | | | quarantine tank water. Diagnose the problem/disease |
| Quarantine Tank Setup | | | | and treat appropriately. After the disease clears up |
| You don't need to go all out here. A simple 10 - 20 | | | | you will still want to keep the fish in quarantine for a |
| gallon aquarium will suffice for most people. If you | | | | week or so monitoring the water parameters with |
| have larger fish then obviously you want to get a | | | | your test kits the whole time. |
| bigger quarantine tank. All you really need is a bare | | | | Conclusion |
| bones setup with the following equipment: | | | | Freshwater hobbyists may get away with not using a |
| Some type of filtration (a hang on the back of the | | | | quarantine tank, but saltwater hobbyists would be |
| tank power filter will work, just use filter floss | | | | crazy not using one. Save yourself some money, |
| without the carbon since carbon will remove | | | | headaches and especially the fish by having a |
| medication from the water, being counter productive) | | | | quarantine tank. The fish in your main tank will thank |
| Heater | | | | you for it. |
| A powerhead and/or an airstone for increased | | | | |