One of the biggest mistakes fish keepers can make is not quarantining the new fish they are planning on adding to an existing community. This could lead to an outbreak of diseases that may wipe out most, if not all, of the occupants in the fish tank.
This guide at Aquarium Blueprints will disclose the importance to using a quarantine aquarium as well as show the best methods of setting up a tank and potentially medicating your new stock.
- Why you should quarantine your aquarium fish
- What do you need to set up a quarantine tank?
- How do you set up a quarantine?
- How long should you quarantine your aquarium fish?
- Should you medicate your fish during quarantine even if there is no sign of illness?
- What medications to use on your fish?
Why you should quarantine your aquarium fish
New aquarium fish can carry contagious diseases that, when left untreated, may end up infecting your existing live stock. Keep in mind that your fish tank is a closed system, which means that you fish live in the same small body of water until you decide to do a water change. As a result, contagious diseases can spread very quickly if you aren’t careful enough.
Some species of fish are bred in fish farms, which can become a breeding ground for diseases as the fish are usually raise in overpopulated tanks, pools and/or containers. Others are captured in the wild, where they can contract contagious diseases as well. Even if the fish managed to get to your local fish store healthy, they can also be infected in the tanks at the retailer.
The point is that you don’t exactly know what diseases your new fish could be carrying when you bring them home to your fish tank. If you are planning to add them to your existing community, then you are risking potentially harming all of your aquatic pets.
What do you need to set up a quarantine tank?
To set up a quarantine tank, you basically need all the equipment to set up a regular tank. This includes a filter and most likely a heater (if you are planning to keep tropical fish). You don’t have to add any substrate or decor into the tank since it is a temporary tank. We also don’t recommend using live plants as they may not respond well to some of the medication.
You should also make sure that your tank is big enough for the fish you are planning to quarantine. As a general rule, bigger tanks are better at diluting fish wastes, which will turn into ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. They also provide more surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow. While you can still keep your new fish in a smaller aquarium, you will need to do more water changes to compensate. So, if you have the option to do so, we always recommend getting the bigger tank size. You can find out more on fish tank sizes in this guide.
How do you set up a quarantine?
The most important thing when setting up a quarantine is to make sure the tank is fully cycled. You can check out our cycling tutorial if you want to learn more. You will need beneficial bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite, both of which are deadly to your new fish, into the less toxic nitrate. You should do water changes if your nitrate goes above 40 ppm, as high nitrate concentrations can also cause health issues, when you test the water parameters.
Once your tank is fully cycled, you can add your new fish to quarantine. Before doing so, make sure you at least acclimate them to the temperature of your aquarium. If you don’t you will end up stressing them out or even send them into shock.
How long should you quarantine your aquarium fish?
You can quarantine your fish anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. With that said, we recommend going at least 4 weeks as extra precaution, especially if you really care about your aquatic pets. In this hobby, we believe that it is better to be safe than sorry.
Should you medicate fish during quarantine if there is no sign of illness?
If you want to be extra safe, then it is best that you medicate your new fish during quarantine even if they exhibit no signs of illness. This is because healthy fish are still carriers of diseases that could end up infecting fish with a weaker immune system down the line.
The argument against medicating your new fish if they already appear healthy is that medicine can be hard on the fish and could even kill them even if you aren’t using the right amount of dosage.
There is really no right answer when it comes to this question. The decision is ultimately up to you whether or not you want to medicate your fish during quarantine even if they appear to be healthy.
What medications to you use on your fish?
We recommend following Aquarium Co-Op’s method when it comes to medicating fish. For the uninformed, Aquarium Co-Op is a fish store that regularly take in new fish from wholesalers, breeders and other external sources. To ensure that the live stock is healthy enough to sell to costumers, they always quarantine and medicate the new stock right away regardless of how healthy the fish appear when shipped to the store.
Aquarium Co-Op currently uses a combination of Mardel Maracyn, Fritz Paracleanse (or API General Cure, which has the same ingredients) and Ich-X. (#CommissionsEarned). Maracyn comes with eyrthromycin as an active ingredient, which will help against bacterial infections. Fritz Paracleanse is used to treat internal parasites as well as some external parasites. Ich-X will cure Ich, external parasites as well as being anti-fungal.
The trio of medicine can be used at the same time. Aquarium Co-Op also claims that they is safe for shrimps, snails and plants.
Recap
Quarantining your new fish is important to stop contagious external diseases from getting into your aquarium, infecting all your fish and potentially killing them.
You should set up your quarantine tank the same way you set up your regular tank. With that said, you won’t need to add any substrate or decor. A filter and heater will do just fine.
We recommend waiting at least 4 weeks before taking your new fish out of quarantine and adding them to your main display tank. During this waiting time, you may want to medicate your fish with Mardel Maracyn, Fritz Paracleanse and Ich-X.
