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Anyone who has kept fish for any length of time is probably guilty of failing to quarantine new arrivals, and they have probably paid the price for it. I can think of several times that I purchased a new fish and put it directly into one of my established aquariums. When the fish in the aquarium started breaking out with Ich or Ichthyobodo or some other infectious disease shortly after, I knew I only had myself to blame and swore that I would never skip quarantining a new arrival again. Quarantining requires planning, effort, extra supplies, space, and patience, so it’s an easy step to want to skip. Here’s an outline for an easy-to-do quarantine set up, so you can protect your fish when bringing in new arrivals.
Most casual fishkeepers probably do not need anything larger than a 10 gallon aquarium to quarantine new arrivals. You may be able to use a 5-gallon or even smaller aquarium depending on the species you are quarantining.
Since you are only keeping your new fish in this set up temporarily, you can usually use a container smaller than the recommended tank size for your fish. If possible, use an aquarium with a bare bottom and as little decor as possible (recognizing that some species will need hiding places). This reduces places for pathogens to grow and hide and makes it easy to clean and maintain.
Sponge filters are probably the easiest and cheapest type of filter for a quarantine set up. If you have planned in advance for your new arrival, you can pre-seed the sponge filter with nitrifying bacteria by leaving it in your established aquarium for a few weeks. If your new arrival was unplanned, you can still use the sponge filter, but you will need to do frequent water changes to maintain the water quality.
It is important to quarantine your new arrivals at the temperature they will be kept at in your established tank, because some diseases only show up at certain temperatures. If you quarantine at a different temperature than the temperature they will be kept at, you might miss something.
One month should be a sufficient time to quarantine new arrivals for home aquaria. During quarantine:
Observe fish closely for signs of disease (lethargy, lack of appetite, flashing, white spots on the skin). Treatments are not needed unless fish show signs of disease. Unnecessary treatments are hard on fish and can worsen their health.
Maintain excellent hygiene and water quality. Perform regular, large volume water changes. Siphon out uneaten food and waste frequently. Consider using a UV unit to remove pathogens from the water.
If fish remain healthy for the month of quarantine, they can be moved into your main aquarium. If fish are ill or there are deaths, do not move fish out of quarantine until the problem has been resolved.
When your quarantine is done, you can empty the quarantine tank and store it until the next time you go to your fish store and get new fish. Keeping a spare aquarium can be beneficial in case of sick fish, equipment failures in your main tank, unexpected spawns, or disagreements between tankmates. Quarantine doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple setup can go a long way to protecting the health of your fish.
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