
How do you keep a quarantine tank cycled? The easiest way is to run a spare sponge filter (or extra filter media in a hang-on-back filter) in one of your display aquariums. A hospital tank with less water volume also allows you to use less medication when treating the fish. How big does a quarantine tank need to be? Since it is only a temporary setup, a quarantine tank does not need to be as big as the recommended size for the fish to permanently live in. If you plan on purchasing more fish in the near future, just leave everything running so that it will be ready for the next batch.įrequently Asked Questions about Fish Quarantine Once quarantine is done, clean the hospital tank setup and store everything dry.

If everyone remains well, you can finally release the isolated fish from quarantine. If you want to be extra safe, consider adding two healthy fish from your main display tank to the fish hospital tank and see if they get sick. We recommend quarantining most new fish for 4-6 weeks since the last disease symptom or death was seen.Help the fish to build up their immune systems by feeding high quality fish food like frozen foods, which are nutritionally dense and easy to clean up. After treatment is completed, do regular water changes each week to gradually remove the medications over time.Let the medication soak in the water for 7 days without feeding the fish.ĭescription of quarantine medication trio Dose 1 packet of Maracyn, 1 packet of ParaCleanse, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of Ich-X for every 10 gallons of water. These medicines contain a blend of antibiotic, antifungal, and anti-parasitic active ingredients that are safe for scaleless fish, fry, shrimp, snails, live plants, and beneficial bacteria. If you bought new fish from an online retailer, pet store chain, or untested source, proactively treat them with the quarantine medication trio.If you do not see any symptoms, consider proactively treating them with ParaCleanse (as per the manufacturer’s instructions) to clear out any remaining internal parasites that are harder to spot. If you detect an illness, see Step 5a above. If you purchased fish from a local fish store or breeder that you trust to have healthy animals, feed and observe the fish for a couple days.If you are not sure which disease they have, follow the instructions in this article. If your fish are already sick and you can identify the disease, treat the fish with the specific medication for that illness and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging.Remove any chemical filtration (like activated carbon) and UV sterilizers before adding medicines. Add the fish, observe their physical appearance and behavior, and treat with medication if needed.Sick fish often want to hide, so the extra shelters will make them feel more comfortable. Use a bare bottom tank with aquarium decorations to provide plenty of cover. There is no need to use gravel or other substrate because a bare bottom setup allows you to easily clean the hospital tank and examine the fish’s waste if needed.
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This separate aquarium is used to temporarily hold newly purchased fish or ailing animals that need a quiet environment to heal. Many beginners may not know this, but one of the easiest ways to stop your fish from getting sick is to set up a quarantine tank.
