Quarantine Tank

[fishygurl]

Hi,

I'm setting up a new 20 gallon community tank, and I'm wondering if a quarantine tank is really nessecary.
The local fish store tells me they quarantine their fish for 10 days...
I'm am good friends with the owner so I am almost positive she is not lying to me.

If this turned out to be the truth, do I really need aquarantine tank??

(Also I'm might get a quarantine tank a little later but...)

 

[GSD]

Some people have them others dont
it really depends on the number and type of fish as well as the tank.
alot of people wouldnt want their £200 of fish being infected with some sort of desise from another new fish.
you can get a cheap quarentine tank which is small for less than £50 so it would be worth investing in one.
it also makes it easier to treat individual fish rather than reating and stressing the whole tank

its a personal choice wether to have one or not.

 

[rdd1952]

If you cycle your tank fishlessly and add all the fish at once it would be very difficult to quarantine each fish or type fish seperately. I would say just put them in. If you add a few at a time, then I would definitely look to quarantine them rather than risk contaminating the whole tank. The key is the LFS and whether ou truely trust them or not. I have one that I feel 100% comfortable adding his fish directly to my tank. He quarantines them for 2 to 4 weeks and I have never had a problem with any of his fish.

Edit: Petsmart here in the states sells a glass 10 gallon for $9.99. You can get a cheap whisper filter (I know they aren't the best filters but they will work fine for a q-tank) and 25w heater for less than $10 each so you can get a full set up for under $30.

 

[beblondie]

QUARANTINE
Noun: a state of enforced isolation.
Why should we quarantine? In particular our bichirs are mostly wild caught this can lead them to be
carriers of all kinds of nasty things.And the importers can't catch all the bad stuff some of which may
not be evident for several days or weeks.It is far easier to observe and fix one fish than an chance
infecting an established tank.
There are two ways to quarantine new fish one is a basic bare tank.This is not a long term display
tank its meant to be emptied and cleaned and stored after the quarantine period. It can also do duty
as a hospital tank if and when the need arises. A tank sized to fit the specimen should be used for
this purpose Remember this is for temporary use.
Why don't we qaurantine?Simply because we are in a hurry to show off our new fish.However after
you have done this and wind up with a tank of sick or dying fish you will understand the importance of
quarantining fish.this applies to store bought feeders also.
The Tank 1
This is as simple as it gets Filter, Heater, and some plastic plants or some kind of structure to
hide in simple huh like I said its not long term .4 weeks in most cases should be fine.Its not pretty but
its not supposed to be .
The Tank 2 You setup the tank with substrate,plants, decorations as you would any display tank and
add the new fish and nothing more.Any future purchases for this tank will need to QT in a tank1 setup.
The Hospital Tank Is basicaly a tank 1 setup its use is to isolate and treat sick or damaged fish not
long term use As little decoration as possible is involved and the amount of water should be
measured so the correct amonut of medication is administered contrary to popular belief all tanks
are incorrectly sized and hold somewhat less water than stated.
To get the correct amount of water.
A tank holds measure the inside of the tank and calculate with those numbers.
Gravel displaces 2.4 gallons per 50 pounds. This is useful in calculating the true water capacity of your aquarium