The benefits of a Quarantine Tank
A quarantine tank is used to help with minimizing the potential spread of infectious disease. As part of the quarantine process, it can be used to help condition new fish to new water parameters with a stress free environment.
When you are not using your quarantine tank you can use these tanks as treatment tanks. This is for when you may have to medicate or treating the entire aquarium display for a problem that affects only a few fish. Quarantine tanks allow only the infected fish to be treated, leaving sensitive species or water quality in the main display aquarium unaffected by medications. The other use for quarantine tanks could be used as a breeding tank for fish, a recovery tank for fish that are be picked on or harassed.
What size quarantine tank should I use?
Most people prefer a 29-gallon tank. It makes an excellent quarantine tank and is perfect for most freshwater and saltwater applications. If you would like a larger tank its up to you but a larger tank would mean more maintenance.
What equipment do I need for my quarantine tank?
Most quarantine tanks are set up with lighting, heater, easy-to-clean rocks, and PVC tubes or plastic plants to provide the fish with places to hide.
As for filtration, a sponge filter works great. The sponge can be colonized with nitrifying bacteria by placing it in the sump of your wet dry filter, or in the main display if a sump isn't available. Make sure to disinfect and rinse well between uses so you have no risk of spreading diseases in your tank. Substrate is unnecessary and not having substrate will help keep cleaning and disinfecting quarantine tanks much easier.
How do I disinfect my quarantine tank?
When disinfecting between uses, use a mild (2-5%) bleach solution. Make sure all traces of bleach are rinsed off before re-using. For an added precaution measure try, using a chlorine neutralizer to effectively remove any potential chlorine residual.
How long should I quarantine my fish?
Many people will keep their fish in quarantine for at least 7 to 10 day or 2 weeks. While they are in quarantine sometimes people treat the fish for parasites with a copper-based treatment for 14-21 days, and only treat for bacterial infections if there are obvious symptoms like ragged fins, red spots, marks on their body, white spots on their fins etc.. Make sure to perform a 10-15% water change anytime you treat for and diseases.
For more information or any other question feel free to stop by at Factory 2/41-43 Sinclair Rd, Dandenong VIC 3175, call us at (03) 9792 5513.
Contact Us
Melbourne Tropical Fish
Factory 2/41-43 Sinclair Rd
Dandenong VIC 3175
(03) 9792 5513