A quick check that I've setup a quarantine tank correctly

[Alexter]

Hello,

The first five fish I bought (all male guppies) had flukes from the shop. Unfortunately four died soon after getting them, but the fifth pulled through with the help of Vetark Fluke Solve and now seems to be doing really well (I have a thread about what happened).

So, I'd like to get 4-5 more male guppies to give my current one some company. I'll definitely be buying from a different shop, but I also want to quarantine the new fish for 3 weeks to catch any potential diseases that could affect my current guppy. Having saved him from flukes, the last thing I want to do is give him an avoidable illness.

Here's the steps I've taken:

• I bought a basic sponge filter a few weeks ago. I removed the sponge and put it in the back of my current tank (it's an Aqua Nano 40 so it has a hidden filter area) to seed it with beneficial bacteria.
• Earlier today I bought an 80 litre plastic storage box with a lid from Homebase. I rinsed it out and filled it with 50 litres of water + API Tap Water Conditioner.
• I've added a 100W heater set to 26 degrees Celsius. I was initially worried that this might melt the plastic, but as the suction holders mean it's not actually touching the plastic I think it should be fine. Is this correct?
• I've added the filter (without the sponge) and attached an air pump to get some water movement to help the heater.
• I've added a hideaway and two fake plants to give the fish some cover.
• When I get the fish, I'll move the sponge from the back of my current tank and dose with API Quick Start for some extra beneficial bacteria.

Does this sound ready for fish? Also, should I pre-emptively treat the fish with any medication, or wait to see if symptoms develop?

Any advice would be appreciated. I think I've done everything correctly, but I'm nervous that I've missed something important. Thanks!

 

[sharkweek178]

Some fast growing floating plants would help maintain water quality. Since they grow so fast, it's no big deal to throw the ones you use in the quarantine tank away.
I also use pvc pieces for hideaways in my qt tank. Same reason as the plastic plants. They won't hold ok pathogens as well so they're easier to sterilize after using them for quarantine.

 

[Alexter]

Some fast growing floating plants would help maintain water quality. Since they grow so fast, it's no big deal to throw the ones you use in the quarantine tank away.
I also use pvc pieces for hideaways in my qt tank. Same reason as the plastic plants. They won't hold ok pathogens as well so they're easier to sterilize after using them for quarantine.

Thanks for the tips - PVC pieces sound like a good idea. I have salvinia in my main tank too, so I'll move some across tomorrow before getting the fish.

 

[Essjay]

I buy a couple of bunches of elodea (anacharis) when I'm buying fish and leave the stems to float. Elodea is sold just about everywhere and is cheap enough to throw away afterwards. Since you already have salvinia you could leave the bunches with their weight on and have them vertical.

 

[GaryE]

The only problem with using plastic instead of glass for the container is the need to observe the fish closely in QT. Even fairly clear plastic is a bit cloudy. You need to study images of ich, velvet, gill problems like flukes, bacterial infections like columnaris, etc. A few minutes' study will make the whole process a lot more effective, and probably a lot less stressful. We get a lot of postings where long finned fish like guppies or bettas have had their fins torn with netting or store crowding and other males (guppies), and people panic and start treating for fin rot. I think a lot of fish in QT get killed by panicky fishkeepers treating for things that aren't there.

 

[Alexter]

I buy a couple of bunches of elodea (anacharis) when I'm buying fish and leave the stems to float. Elodea is sold just about everywhere and is cheap enough to throw away afterwards. Since you already have salvinia you could leave the bunches with their weight on and have them vertical.

Thanks. I bought a bunch of elodea and added it with the salvinia, so I feel a bit happier about the water quality now.

The only problem with using plastic instead of glass for the container is the need to observe the fish closely in QT. Even fairly clear plastic is a bit cloudy. You need to study images of ich, velvet, gill problems like flukes, bacterial infections like columnaris, etc. A few minutes' study will make the whole process a lot more effective, and probably a lot less stressful. We get a lot of postings where long finned fish like guppies or bettas have had their fins torn with netting or store crowding and other males (guppies), and people panic and start treating for fin rot. I think a lot of fish in QT get killed by panicky fishkeepers treating for things that aren't there.

Thanks, this is really good advice. I know what gill fluke behaviour looks like as my other guppies had them, but I'll spend some time researching the others to get a better idea of what they look like.

I got seven male guppies today and added them to the QT. They seem to be doing well so far - all swimming around and no signs of fin rot/ich. I have seen a couple flash on the hideaway a few times though, which is concerning. Could this possibly just be stress from the process of moving tanks?