|
  |
|
|
Setting up a Quarantine Fish Tank
By Janet Ashby
A quarantine tank is a good idea if you have a freshwater fish tank but is really a necessity if you have a saltwater fish tank. Freshwater fish are not quite so prone to diseases as saltwater fish and you may be able to get away with not using a quarantine tank. However I would still suggest that quarantining any newly bought fish is highly desirable to prevent introduction of diseases and parasites into your main fish tank. For saltwater fish keepers a quarantine tank is definitely needed. Most saltwater fish sold are caught in the wild and are not acclimatised to captivity. They will be stressed from the journey to the dealers and are then much more prone to diseases. If medication is necessary for a newly bought fish it is much safer to add this to a quarantine tank than to expose delicate invertebrates and the other fish in your main tank. Setting up a Quarantine Tank A small tank of between 10 and 20 gallons is adequate. You will need the minimum equipment including the following: * Filtration - use a filter with filter floss as carbon will remove any medications you add
* Heater
* Airstone for aeration
* Water test kit
* Extra fish net - don’t use the same one as for your main tank to avoid transferring any diseases The tank can be filled with water from the main tank when you perform a partial water change. Monitor the Fish Acclimatise the fish and monitor them for at least two weeks. keep an eye on the water conditions with the test kit and look carefully for signs of disease or parasites. If any diseases develop you will need to treat them appropriately and then keep in the quarantine tank for a further two weeks at least. If after that time the fish are healthy you can introduce them into the main tank. If a fish in the main tank shows signs of disease place in the quarantine tank. If you used water from the main tank to fill your quarantine tank the fish will not need acclimatising. For a saltwater fish tank ensure that you have extra saltwater available for emergency water changes. You should not add freshly mixed saltwater to a tank as it can be toxic to the fish and it can also be hard to accurately read the salinity with the hydrometer. Conclusion Although freshwater fish keepers may be able to keep fish successfully without a quarantine tank it is still a good idea to have one available, especially when buying new fish. removing a fish from the main tank at the first sign of disease can go a long way to saving the other fish. For saltwater fish keepers a quarantine tank is a necessity.
This intel first appeared on: http://www.bestfishtankaquariums.com/2008/12/02/do-you-need-a-quara...
|
|
 |
|
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
The copyright for this content entitled "Setting up a Quarantine Fish Tank" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by janetra
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
