Quarantine Tanks

[Squid]

So, you have a couple of main reasons why people have been using quarantine tanks; sick fish or new fish.

This raises a couple of questions, where I would like to undersand which approaches people use. I know each of them are potential options, I'm just interested in what people ACTUALLY do.

Water

New water or water from the main tank?

With water from the main tank, does this contain any of the potential diseases if you have quarantined for sickness reason? Is it better to use new water?

For new fish being quarantined, I guess main tank water would be advisable?


Filter

Do you keep the quarantine filter in the main tank for removal when required?

Do you take a filter squeeze for the quarantine tank? (from the main one)

Do you move some media from the main tank to the quarantine tank?


Other

Do any of you keep fish in your quarantine tank that can be moved to the main tank when a quarantine is required. This would help keep the tank cycled???

I have often wondered about quarantine pros and cons:

With regards to sick fish, the quarantine helps isolate the fish from the others with potential benefits for the other fish. How does this affect the chances of the quarantine fish. Does moving tank increase stress, potentially put them in a non-cycled tank, or at least in a non-mature tank. We know that there is a difference between cycled and mature, which is bound to have an affect with some ill fish.

With regards to new fish, the new fish will then have the stress of being delievered to the LFS, transfer to your quarantine tank, then transfer to the main tank. Whilst this potects your main tank, how bad is the effect on the new fish. Whitespot is not always visible in the early stages, so you might not even notice it in the quarantine tank.

All in all, if you are using a quarantine tank: How do you each of you make sure that this has a positive impact on the procedure and not a negative one.

Cheers,
Squid

 

[VaegaVic]

So, you have a couple of main reasons why people have been using quarantine tanks; sick fish or new fish.

This raises a couple of questions, where I would like to undersand which approaches people use. I know each of them are potential options, I'm just interested in what people ACTUALLY do.

Water

New water or water from the main tank?

Depends, if emergency, tank water, if just setting a tank up for the future, new.
For new fish, use new water as by the time the fish are ready to go across, even old water would be different compared to the original tank water. (Made my brain hurt typing that)

With water from the main tank, does this contain any of the potential diseases if you have quarantined for sickness reason? Is it better to use new water?

If it's an emergency, there would already be pathogens on the fish. Majority of pathogens need fish hosts to survive.
New water if it's non-urgent (getting tired of typing emergency), let it settle, using PURE tap water first, no dechlor, to kill anything in there and then dechlor and add media/fish etc.

For new fish being quarantined, I guess main tank water would be advisable?

Depends on the quarantine period. 2-4 weeks is the average, by that time the 2 different amounts of water would be different in ions etc.

Filter

Do you keep the quarantine filter in the main tank for removal when required?

You can do, but this always has the issue of pathogens coming into the main tank. Ideally have a single fish (snails work great for this) take up residence in the Q tank and move him/them/she/it across to the main tank when new fish are introduced into the Q.

Do you take a filter squeeze for the quarantine tank? (from the main one)

Again, you can do, but as you know, ammonia would be required to keep them going, so see above regarding snails and what not. Just make sure any medications you use (if you do use snails) are non-copper based.

Do you move some media from the main tank to the quarantine tank?

See above. You can, but needs something in there.


Other

Do any of you keep fish in your quarantine tank that can be moved to the main tank when a quarantine is required. This would help keep the tank cycled???

Yep, see above. Or just have some fish as permenant residents.

I have often wondered about quarantine pros and cons:

With regards to sick fish, the quarantine helps isolate the fish from the others with potential benefits for the other fish. How does this affect the chances of the quarantine fish. Does moving tank increase stress, potentially put them in a non-cycled tank, or at least in a non-mature tank. We know that there is a difference between cycled and mature, which is bound to have an affect with some ill fish.

With regards to new fish, the new fish will then have the stress of being delievered to the LFS, transfer to your quarantine tank, then transfer to the main tank. Whilst this potects your main tank, how bad is the effect on the new fish. Whitespot is not always visible in the early stages, so you might not even notice it in the quarantine tank.

All in all, if you are using a quarantine tank: How do you each of you make sure that this has a positive impact on the procedure and not a negative one.

Quite simply, to answer all those in one: Time.
You allow for ample time between transistions, the average time is 2-4 weeks, this way you can easily spot any signs of disease and treat accordingly. As long as you do the transfers very gradually and assuming the tank is cycled, it should really be no worse than the conditions at the shop you bought them from.

Cheers,
Squid

Hopefully that has answered some of your questions, if not, please don't hesitate to contact me.

 

[kevin82]

If I have a fish in the main tank with a mild problem, there is the risk that all fish have been exposed so treat the entire main tank.

I have a [edited]21L emergency tank for those fish who deteriorate quickly. I use 50% main tank water and 50% new water with treatment already added/dissolved. I also use a small backup filter with filter wool from my main tank filter which I can replace with new. I also treat the main tank but with a single dose and see how it goes.

Any new fish are reserved in store for a few days first and then checked on before I take them home.

 

[mattlee]

i have a small quarentine tank and when needed i remove a sponge filter i have constantly in my main tank. fill with new water add dechlor and get to required temp, add a couple of plastic plants then transfer the fish over. its easier to treat a single fish in a qt than treat the whole tank it came from unless its something like ich that will be in the main tank anyway so you may as well treat all the fish. also if you have shrimp or snails etc some chems will kill them so it saves trying to remove them too, some chems can kill the bacteria in the filter or plants so again its best if possible to remove a single fish than kill all your plants or the bacteria in the filter.
also some fish like scaleless fish, corys, loaches etc are more sensitive to chemicals and full doses may not be permitted incase it kills them. another reason for a qt is you dont want to be treating healthy fish for problems they dont have.
once the sick fish is in qt then frequent water changes are required to keep the water at its best for the fish to recover better and faster. also as the filter is only a sponge filter it will not remove any uneaten food so regular clean up of uneaten food and poo is required.
you can keep fish in the qt to keep it cycled but you are then running another tank that requires water changes, feeding etc etc and the electricity costs for no reason really plus catching the fish adding them to the main tank then recatching them to put back will stress them out a bit so in my eyes not worth it. a small air pump and a cheap sponge filter in your main tank is all you need really, the sponge will stay cycled as it will go back into the tank when finished with.
if you dont have any large fish then wilkinsons do a small 11L plastic tank for about £5 that is ideal for this reason, i also use these for my newly hatched fry. a sponge filter costs about £3/4 and a small air pump anything from about £10 unless you already have one on your tank then you can just branch another pipe off for the songe filter costing just a few pounds for the extra pipe and t pieces etc. it doesnt have to cost a fortune or look fantastic its just a quarentine tank after all.....

 

[roadmaster]

I too take sponge filter from main tank to start quarantine tank. Use water from main tank and have spare heaters. Usually no substrate but place clay flower pot or artificial cave for fish to use if desired.Quarantine for two weeks minimum. If illness presents itself. quarantine begins after last day of treatment.

 

[Squid]

Thanks for the comments.!

As I said, I am aware of most of the different options, just keen to find out what people actually do.! Although saying that, these posts have been nice and informative too, so appreciate the new info!

Squid

 

[drobbyb]

I've found that a sponge filter in the main tank is the best option. You remove it to the q-tank for the length of your quarantine (at least 4 weeks with 6 being preferable. Anything less is moot because some pathogens take 4 weeks to show.) After your quarantine period, sterilize the sponge filter with household bleach (no scents, colors, or added anything. The cheapest brand is usually the best for this purpose.) in a ratio of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Let it stay in the solution overnight. After that, rinse very well in tap water until you can't smell the bleach. The final step is to put it in a bucket with enough water to cover the entire sponge filter and add a double dose of water conditioner.
After the water conditioner you are safe to add it back to the main tank where it can cycle alongside your other filters and in 6 weeks you will be able to re-use the quarantine tank. Alternately, you can use 2 sponge filters in succession so that you can repeat the process while the first one is cycling again.


HTH

 

[Assaye]

I have a dedicated tank that has it's own filter and heater. The filter is "cycled" using mature media from another tank. This presents some chance of disease spreading so I only do it if I can't do daily water changes for some reason. Otherwise, the filter just provides water circulation and has fresh filter wool put in to keep the tank clean.

Everything is sterilised between uses and new water is always used for new fish. I use old water for sick fish to minimise stress.

Fish are usually kept in for about 4 weeks if new, or until they have been healthy for a week if sick.

Moving fish does stress them but as I have lost 9 fish in as many days from a disease before, I would rather jeopardise one fish than risk all of them dying. Usually the fish pick up a bit and if they don't, they were probably too far gone to save anyway.

=)