Is It Necessary To Quarantine My Newly Bought Fish?
A quarantine is the period of time in which newly acquired fish or sick fish are kept separate from the other inhabitants in an established aquarium.
This eliminates the risk of introducing diseases that the new fish may be carrying into the aquarium. It also allows any sick fish to be treated and prevents the infection from spreading.
Most beginners do fine without a quarantine tank a.k.a. hospital tank. However, if you have invested a tidy sum in acquiring your fish, you may find it more worthwhile to set up a quarantine tank than to replace fish killed through exposure to undetected sources of diseases. Also, you certainly wouldn’t want to lose any fish you have grown attached to.
How Do I Go About Setting Up A Quarantine Tank?
Keep an extra filter (a sponge filter is ideal) or filter floss
in an established tank, so you do not need to keep the quarantine tank set up at all times. If you are using the quarantine tank to treat sick fish, do not use activated carbon in the filter.
It’s best to add an air pump to provide aeration in a quarantine tank because these tanks are often smaller than usual, and certain medication may remove oxygen from the water.
If you don’t wish to keep the tank running, fill the tank with “old” tank water so you have an instant established tank when the need arises.
Alternatively, you can choose to keep the filter going with guppies (for freshwater tanks) or mollies (for saltwater tanks) in it.
If you are medicating the tank, take the necessary precautions to ensure that biological filter bacteria which are sensitive to the medication are not killed off. Sick fish are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of excessive ammonia in the water.
Make small, frequent water changes. Do this every day, if practical.
How Long Do I Have To Quarantine My New Fish?
Quarantine all your new fish for about three weeks. During this time, allow your fish to gradually become acclimatized to the water parameters—hardness, salinity, pH, and temperature. Watch closely to detect signs of disease and treat accordingly.
It is not necessary to medicate quarantined fish, unless they are evidently sick or infected. Treating all quarantined fish with medication indiscriminately will just lead to weakened fish and develop strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Once the quarantine is over, and nasty diseases have been dealt with, disinfect the tank and re-establish the filter. Any equipment used in the quarantine tank should not be reused in the main tank unless thoroughly disinfected. Chlorine bleach, strong saltwater, and potassium permanganate are some effective disinfectants that can be used to clean the aquarium and accessories.
What Should I Do If I Don’t Want To Quarantine My New Fish?
If you choose not to quarantine your new fish, here’s what you should do:
- Once you reach home, place the bag in your tank, so that the temperature of the water in the bag slowly adjusts to that of the temperature of the water in the tank.
- Wait for about 15 minutes before adding a little tank water to the bad.
- Repeat this a few times to allow the fish to get accustomed to the chemistry of the water in your own tank.
- Then, gently use a net to place the fish in the tank.
Do not place any water from the bag into the tank, as it could contain bacteria and parasites.
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