AQUARIUMSANDWHATNOT

What Does It Mean To Quarantine Fish? 

Quarantining fish is putting fish in another tank for a couple of weeks to identify any possible diseases the fish may carry. 

 

Do I Need To Quarantine My New Fish?

It's not necessary to quarantine new fish but it is recommended. I personally don't quarantine my own fish. However, if you've put in a huge amount of time, effort and money into an aquarium that is already holding fish, you should definately quarantine your new fish. Quaranting your new fish would erase any posibilities of them introducing a disease into your aquarium.

 

How To Setup A Quarantine Tank

Setting up a quarantine tank is easy. You will not need substrate, decor and plants. The tank should be empty but you should add some pieces of PVC pipe if possible for the fish to hide in. The tank also does not need to be cycled but you'll have to keep an eye on the water parametres and do water changes when necessary. I reccomend 25% - 50% water changes when required.

 

What You'll Need

- A tank or plastic container that has at least a 40 litre capacity

- A filter

- PVC pipe (optional) It provides good hiding places for the fish

- Air Pump (optional) Provides oxygen exchange for the fish but the filter should have you covered

- Water Test Kit

- Medication to treat the fish if necessary 

- Water Conditioner

- Heater (Tropical fish)

 

How To Set It Up

Step 1

Give the tank, heater (tropical fish) and filter a rinse

 

Step 2

Install the heater and filter into the tank

 

Step 3

Fill the tank up completely with water and add water conditioner

 

Step 4

Place in some pieces of PVC pipe for the fish to hide (optional)

 

Step 5

The day before you buy your fish, check your water parametres to make sure they're suitable. The best water parametres always are: amonia - 0, nitrites - 0 and nitrates >20.

 

How To Quarantine Fish

 

Step 1

Buy your fish and acclimate them properly. (Read my article on 'How To Acclimate Fish')

 

Step 2

Net the fish out of the bag and into the tank. Leave them in the tank for the next couple of weeks. You could get away with keeping them in there for just 2 weeks but 4-6 weeks is recommended.

 

Step 3

During this time, be sure to keep a close eye on your water parametres. You should be testing the water frequently, I'd even recommend you test the water daily to make sure your fish are in suitable water conditions. I'd advise you to do 25% - 50% water changes if you find that the water parametres are not suitable for the fish.

 

Step 4

Of course during this time, you should also be checking for any symptoms of disease on the fish. If you do happen to find any, do research or ask your local fish store for more information. Buy the required medication and follow as said on the instructions.

 

Step 5

After the quaranting your fish for about a month and making sure that they are disease free, you can now add them into your aquarium. Net your fish out into a bucket and acclimate them to their new home. If your fish weren't treated for disease during this time, you could net them back into the fish bag and acclimate them to their new aquarium if you want.