# Quarantine tank how to's



## jaybird002 (May 12, 2006)

I have a 29 gallon planted community tank are probably need a quarantine tank for the infrequent occasions that I buy fish.

What is the minimal setup that I need? A two-gallon plastic rectangular container like they sell in fish stores? What is the smallest, cheapest heater that will do the job and not fry the fish? Would the temperature changes stress the fish too much without a heater? Is any small pump and filter OK?Also does the stress of another tank change outweigh the benefits of a quarantine tank. How long should the new fish be quarantined?


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## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

I would recommend getting something like a Marineland Eclipse Three. It comes with pump, filter, lid, light. All you need is a heater and any basic 25 or 50 watt heater will do it. I mentioned the lid, because a lot of times fish in uncovered quarantine systems jump out.

Also, either get some plastic plants or PVC pipe to give the fish some cover to hide behind - fish that are stressed tend to have weakened immune systems.

The Eclipse tanks don't offer great aeration, so if you medicate or use any chemicals that might reduce oxygen levels (Prime, AmQuel Plus, Kent Ammonia Detox, etc.) drain about a half inch of water out so that the water splashes from the bio-wheel as it returns to the aquarium.

I recommend using some sort of nitrifying bacteria to start up the quarantine each time you use it. The ones I have reason to believe really work are:
Fritz TurboStart
Proline 
Novalek Zym-Bac
Marineland Bio-Spira
When you are done with the quarantine tank, sterilize it with bleach, rinse it out well and use dechlorinator to remove any remaining bleach smell and store it for the next use.

I used to use my quarantine tanks for three weeks before putting the fish in my main display tank. I notice that Diana Walstead is recommending a much longer quarantine period due to mycobacteria.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

A q-tank doesn't have to and shouldn't be difficult. 
I recommend picking up at least a 10 gallon glass tank (you can get one for $10 or less), a 50 watt heater, a sponge filter or small HOB, and as stated above, some caves and decorations, easy plants like Anubias, Hornwort, etc. to absorb the ammonia, and that's pretty much all you need. If you're willing to spend the money, some sort of lighting would also help the live plants that are keeping the water clean.

I normally quarantine for about 28 days, and if everything is looking good, they then go into the intended tank, but if something still doesn't look right, I'll wait a bit longer.

At any rate, good for you to use quarantine.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

I've always followed Jan's instructions and haven't had a any cases of fish disease or dead fish for a while now. The basics: tank, heater set at 78-80 degrees, and some driftwood. I don't keep them in that long though, maybe two weeks max.

-John N.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

You can jump start the quarantine tank by pouring in a bunch of mulm from your established tank's filter or from vacuuming the gravel. This is better (and cheaper!) than commercial products. I always do this and never have a cycle.

Just remember that the fish should go into the q tank quite quickly after the mulm otherwise all that good bacteria you just added will starve...


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I've been keeping a 10g quarantine tank set up like Jan mentioned for quite a while now. I kept a school of Guppies in it to keep the bacteria alive until just recently. That way the tank stays cycled.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

MatPat said:


> I've been keeping a 10g quarantine tank set up like Jan mentioned for quite a while now. I kept a school of Guppies in it to keep the bacteria alive until just recently. That way the tank stays cycled.


Yes, I've done that too:

First it was keeping some fish in it to keep the tank going.

A week or so later: "why don't I just add some plants to it".

A week later: "hhmmm... I think this tank needs a bit more light for the plants".

After another week: "These plants need some ferts once in a while".

After a month or two of this I no longer strictly speaking have a quarantine tank, so the thinking then becomes: "Maybe I should set up another quarantine tank..." 

If you're not careful, those tanks will start multiplying in a very insidious manner!


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## Cassie (May 27, 2006)

along the subject of quarantining, does anyone routinely medicate the fish during qt to treat potential infections? I remember reading somewhere (not sure where) that qt without medications is basically pointless, since, if the new fish are carrying something, they'll likely not show signs in the typical 2-4 weeks and then pass whatever yucky thing they have into your main tank... any thoughts on this?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Laith said:


> Yes, I've done that too:
> 
> First it was keeping some fish in it to keep the tank going.
> 
> ...


LOL! Boy can I relate there.... 



Cassie said:


> along the subject of quarantining, does anyone routinely medicate the fish during qt to treat potential infections? I remember reading somewhere (not sure where) that qt without medications is basically pointless, since, if the new fish are carrying something, they'll likely not show signs in the typical 2-4 weeks and then pass whatever yucky thing they have into your main tank... any thoughts on this?


I'm personally against ever medicating, unless you're absolutely sure a fish has something. Almost all meds are hard on fish, so to medicate them as a preventative, is stressing them even more after they been through the stresses of being transported, handled and subject to different environments.
Most of the common ailments like ich, fin rot, fungus, etc. do show up well within the 28 day period, so it's easy to medicate them in the q-tank if necessary.

That said, I almost always do deworm new arrivals once they are eating well, so they can get off to a strong start.


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## iris600 (Feb 12, 2004)

Yes! Deworm, deworm, deworm! Once an internal pest gets established it can be particularly hard to cure in some fish species. 
Also, a ten gallon tank is often cheaper than any of the smaller sizes, offers more room, and provides a more stable environment than a smaller tank. When not in use as a qt tank it can also house live foods (gammarus, daphnia, microfex, etc) act as a growout/breeder (you now ahve a place to put those unplanned spawns) etc.


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## star rider (Feb 27, 2006)

iris600 said:


> Yes! Deworm, deworm, deworm! Once an internal pest gets established it can be particularly hard to cure in some fish species.
> Also, a ten gallon tank is often cheaper than any of the smaller sizes, offers more room, and provides a more stable environment than a smaller tank. When not in use as a qt tank it can also house live foods (gammarus, daphnia, microfex, etc) act as a growout/breeder (you now ahve a place to put those unplanned spawns) etc.


I agree
I recently had three discus I picked up 2"

I normally don't medicate young fish..but after getting these fish home I let them get use to the tank..about 3 weeks later 2 of them started spitting food out . within a day or two stopped eating and started hiding. they also lost color. water was pristine tank cycled(I use sponges I run in other healthy tanks)
I suspected camillanus and inspected the fish about an hour or two after dimming the lights. and bingo camillanus. I started the levamisole hcl treatment.
about 1-2 weeks later they started eating. I still have them in tank..my general run in Q is minimum 4 weeks..but when fish are ill I doouble the time.


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## Targaryen (Dec 3, 2006)

JanS said:


> That said, I almost always do deworm new arrivals once they are eating well, so they can get off to a strong start.


And how do you do that Jan?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Here is the recipe that many of us use.
Deworm recipe

Some are now using New Life Spectrum small food instead of the Color bits with good results.

The levamisole can be found at Vally Vet if you can't find it locally. It might seem a little pricey, but it does last a long time, and treats lots of fish.


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