Quarantine Tank

[Chilled Babe]

Just wanted to know if a quarantine tank is absoulety necessary as I don't know where I would put it. Can you advise.

 

[Morrgan]

It depends on how careful you want to be. If you want to be on the safe side, use one.

I guess it also depends on how trustworthy you feel your LFS is. I've never used a quarantine tank, because the owner of my LFS is an aquarist as well and seems to know what he's talking about (including knowing that a good LFS should quarantine fish before selling them). During the ten years I've had fish, there's only been one instance of disease in one of my tanks. That was ich and the fish got it about 6 months after the most recent addition of fish. But, maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[Chilled Babe]

That's what my LFS said as well but I wanted to find out what others thought.

Thanks.

 

[Ginger]

I would use a hospital tank if your planning on buying expensive fish.

 

[Tolak]

I was talking to a gentleman the other day who breeds discus, he lost around 100 fish this summer due to a parasite problem that affects discus and angelfish. He had purchased a pair of discus and kept them in quarintine for a month when they became ill. Soon after his other discus began showing the same symptoms. He tracked it down to the use of the same syphon hose for the quarintine tank and some of his breeding tanks.

A lesson learned hard, and something I would keep in mind. The cost of some hose for each tank, or the time spent cleaning equipment is minimal compaired to a loss like that.

Funny this topic should pop up, as I just began settong up a 20 gal. as a quarintine/hospital tank last night!

Tolak

 

[Eelzor]

I will probably getting some expensive fish, although not very expensive, still a fish is a fish - gotta love em'! I will probably be setting up a 10 gallon quarantine just incase.

 

[Sinuhe]

It's not absolutely necessary, but I'd feel nake without one. Having a QT tank makes me so much more relaxed with new fish. No need to loose sleep over the fear of new fish infecting the whole tank. The QT tank will also be useful for other stuff, like fry.

 

[Chilled Babe]

If I went out and got a quarantine tank what do I need in it? Do I just need a filter and heater? Do I have to have it set up all the time or can I run a filter in the current tank and then put it in the quarantine tank when required obviously making sure it is clean when I return it (just read a thread about what someone else did).

Thanks

 

[Lithril]

Good thing with a quarantine tank is that you can also use if as a hospital tank. Some lfs use carbon filter systems in their shops, this can halt and disease/parasite etc until removed so you've no idea if the fish are going to be healthy until you get them home and they've been in your tank a couple of weeks.

 

[reg2k2]

If I went out and got a quarantine tank what do I need in it? Do I just need a filter and heater? Do I have to have it set up all the time or can I run a filter in the current tank and then put it in the quarantine tank when required

yep, maybe a simple decoration/plant for cover.

on keeping it running or not...choice is yours.

 

[Chilled Babe]

If I put another filter in the main tank for use in the quarantine tank when required, how long would it take for the spare filter to cycle? Just wondered as I would like to get some more fish soon.

 

[Lithril]

If you can run a spare filter for a couple of weeks that should be enough. I use canister filters and always keep some spare media in there that I can take out and throw into another filter if needed. Another way for future use is to keep another tank running and just add some fishfood to it each day.

 

[Eelzor]

Since my quarantine tank will be small, I can just add 10 gallons from my big tank to my quarantine tank, so easy enough.