Using a Quarantine Tank for new fish

[Coyote251]

I added a Pleco to my tank last week and now this week I have an outbreak of Ich that I am dealing with. Since I am the type of person that learns from my mistakes I would like to start up a 33g tank that I have to use as a Quarantine tank for new and sick fish.I just have a few questions about how to use it.

1) When I get new fish, how long should they go into the quarantine before the main tank?
2) Should I mostly be concerned about Ich and therefore put the temperature up above 86F(30C) or wait and see if they show signs of disease then treat when I am quarantining new fish?
3) Should i try and keep the salinity level up a bit for any sick fish that need to use it or to help treat Ich for new fish? If so, what should the levels be?
4) Should I keep some fish in this tank to maintain the BB levels even if they may become sick or have problems with any new fish coming in?

I am sure I will have some other questions but any information that you can think of would be helpful

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

On average a quarantine tank consist of a filter, a heater, and very little decor. It's that simple. Then you just add you new/sick fish when you need to take care of them. As far as keeping the tank cycled you could just add pure ammonia or you could keep afew cheap fish in there like tetras or guppies.

 

[Hholly]

You could keep a filter cartridge for your quarantine tank in your main tank's filter, if there's room. Then just pop it in your quarantine filter when needed and it's instantly cycled.

 

[DavidAl]

I added a Pleco to my tank last week and now this week I have an outbreak of Ich that I am dealing with. Since I am the type of person that learns from my mistakes I would like to start up a 33g tank that I have to use as a Quarantine tank for new and sick fish.I just have a few questions about how to use it.

1) When I get new fish, how long should they go into the quarantine before the main tank?
2) Should I mostly be concerned about Ich and therefore put the temperature up above 86F(30C) or wait and see if they show signs of disease then treat when I am quarantining new fish?
3) Should i try and keep the salinity level up a bit for any sick fish that need to use it or to help treat Ich for new fish? If so, what should the levels be?
4) Should I keep some fish in this tank to maintain the BB levels even if they may become sick or have problems with any new fish coming in?

I am sure I will have some other questions but any information that you can think of would be helpful

1. Three weeks, minimum. Some pathogens, i.e., parasites, viruses, bacteria, etc., can take in excess of three weeks to show up, but three weeks is a generally accepted timeframe for a quarantine period.

2. Although ich is the most commonly seen parasite, there are other nasties that affect stressed fish. The initial quarantine water should match the dealers water, as best as possible. Then gradually, over the 3-week period, alter the chemistry to match the water you will be using. Water temperature will depend on the species of fish, but many pathogens show up quicker in warmer water. For new stock, I would set the temp at 78° and adjust accordingly.

3. I do not use salt prophylactically; others do. Nor do I treat a tank when there are no visual or behavioral symptoms present. I do not want any disease causing agent to build a tolerance for salt or meds, so I only use them when needed.

4. As suggested, keep the media you will eventually use in the quarantine tank, in your main tank (provided it is a healthy tank). Alternatively, or if you don't have room for extra media in your main filter, you can run the actual quarantine-tank filter on the main tank and just remove the whole filter and install it on the quarantine tank when needed.

If you will be using the quarantine tank for fish from your main tank, you can bypass the acclimation phase for the new water.

David

 

[Coyote251]

You could keep a filter cartridge for your quarantine tank in your main tank's filter, if there's room. Then just pop it in your quarantine filter when needed and it's instantly cycled.

Wouldn't that kind of defeat the purpose of having a Quarantine Tank if I am transferring media back and forth from one tank to the other? I would think you would want to keep them separate as much as possible. Am I misunderstanding something in the use of a quarantine tank?

 

[Sambo7475]

Wouldn't that kind of defeat the purpose of having a Quarantine Tank if I am transferring media back and forth from one tank to the other? I would think you would want to keep them separate as much as possible. Am I misunderstanding something in the use of a quarantine tank?

No, when you're done with quarantine, throw the media away, clean the filter really well, put new media in, and run it on the main tank again. That way you always have cycled media ready if you need a QT.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Only throw the media away if the fish was sick. If the fish was healthy there is no reason to throw the media away.

 

[DavidAl]

No, when you're done with quarantine, throw the media away, clean the filter really well, put new media in, and run it on the main tank again. That way you always have cycled media ready if you need a QT.

This ▲▲▲

You would never want to put filter media from a quarantine tank into a main tank, even if no diseases were observed.

David

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

This ▲▲▲

You would never want to put filter media from a quarantine tank into a main tank, even if no diseases were observed.

David

Explain please...

 

[DavidAl]

Explain please...

Hi Fishman,

Because there's no possible way to determine if the media incurred any pathogens in the course of doing its job, it is best to toss it out after its intended use, rather than risk introducing a pathogen into the main tank. Relying on whether the fish showed any symptoms to determine if pathogens were present is not very reliable. Many sick fish show no symptoms, or show them later in the pathogen's life cycle, well after the quarantine period.

With that in mind, if contaminated media is transferred from the quarantine tank to the main tank, and there are fish with an immune system weaker than that of the fish that were in the quarantine tank, that fish may not be as capable of withstanding an attack on its system.

For the price of media these days, it's a risk not worth taking, in my most humble opinion.

David

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Because there's no possible way to determine if the media incurred any pathogens in the course of doing its job, it is best to toss it out after its intended use, rather than risk introducing a pathogen into the main tank. Relying on whether the fish showed any symptoms to determine if pathogens were present is not very reliable. Many sick fish show no symptoms, or show them later in the pathogen's life cycle, well after the quarantine period.

David

So if the fish was sick and not showing any signs and put in the main tank the disease would spread anyway, you stated my point exactly.

 

[DavidAl]

Fishman,

I can further my explanation, but I don't think that will enhance your understanding.

Your advice to put filter media that was used in a quarantine tank, which most likely has a retail value equivalent to pocket change, back into the main tank, is not sound advice.

I'll leave it at that...

Kind regards,
David

 

[Hholly]

Fishman,

I can further my explanation, but I don't think that will enhance your understanding.

Your advice to put filter media that was used in a quarantine tank, which most likely has a retail value equivalent to pocket change, back into the main tank, is not sound advice.

I'll leave it at that...

Kind regards,
David

Right. You just have it in the main tank filter to prepare for when you need your quarantine tank. Then use it when you need it, then toss it and have a new one in the main filter again for the next time.

 

[Coyote251]

Good advice, I hadn't thought of that. I have a chamber in my canister that i am not currently using, so now it has a purpose. Thanks I now have a plan. If I was to put media in there tonight how long do you guys think it would take for enough BB to build up that i could start up a quarantine? I have a line on some nice fish for free and would like to try and get them before they are gone. The media in my main is less than a week old so I could change it again when it is ready.

 

[imtcurveball]

Good advice, I hadn't thought of that. I have a chamber in my canister that i am not currently using, so now it has a purpose. Thanks I now have a plan. If I was to put media in there tonight how long do you guys think it would take for enough BB to build up that i could start up a quarantine? I have a line on some nice fish for free and would like to try and get them before they are gone. The media in my main is less than a week old so I could change it again when it is ready.

It should take a few days but you could always use your old media to start it up. Go for it. Get the fish.

 

[Coyote251]

It should take a few days but you could always use your old media to start it up. Go for it. Get the fish.

My old media is only a few days old, I changed it on Sunday I think. My old,old media is in the garbage so I don't think that will be any good.

Good advice, I hadn't thought of that. I have a chamber in my canister that i am not currently using, so now it has a purpose. Thanks I now have a plan. If I was to put media in there tonight how long do you guys think it would take for enough BB to build up that i could start up a quarantine? I have a line on some nice fish for free and would like to try and get them before they are gone. The media in my main is less than a week old so I could change it again when it is ready.

 

[imtcurveball]

My old media is only a few days old, I changed it on Sunday I think. My old,old media is in the garbage so I don't think that will be any good.

I think you should only change half of your media ata time so you don't get mini cycles. That's what I do. And also you can put gravel or rocks to instantly cycle it