Why Learn The Hard Way? Quarantine Instead By Deborah Ralph
Most of us aquarists have had to learn our lesson the hard and expensive way. We buy a fish we admire and add it straight away to our display tank that has already taken time and effort to get just right. Did we research what conditions that particular new fish required? Probably not. Did we find out whether that fish was aggressive or could tolerate other aggressive species? Probably not, but these are just the ways where all our good efforts at fish keeping could be wiped out, simply because we liked the looks of a particular specimen. One cannot always blame a new fish for having a disease and introducing it into the aquarium: other points have to be considered.
The odds are that you have purchased numerous fish and have just added them to your display tank without thinking too much about it. Well, you can count yourself very lucky if you away with it, but how much longer this luck will last is anyone's guess. A good procedure is to quarantine all new fish and this will then prevent the introduction of any diseases that may be present on them or in the water, into your established tanks. Such new fish should be isolated for at least a week, examined daily for any possible diseases and treated if necessary. The quarantine tank should be from 8-20 gallons, depending on the size of fish that will be purchased. It is best not to include gravel in the tank as this makes for easier cleaning. Simple filters, such as the box or foam varieties, are best, but do not use charcoal in them, for if medication is required, the charcoal will remove most of the drugs from the water. Include a flower-pot as a possible hiding place for the fish, if they need one, but plants are not necessary. Don't forget a heater. If a quarantine tank is needed in a hurry and you have a reasonably large established aquarium, then remove enough water from it (but not more than 25 %) and use this to three-quarters fill the quarantine tank, if possible, and top up with fresh aged water. Adjust the pH if necessary and then you should have a working population of bacteria ready for you.
A quarantine tank for Marines however, will have to he an established one - a smaller version of your display tank but without any corals or invertebrates present, and it will need to be kept biologically sound. This can be done either by keeping one small fish in it or by adding occasional small doses of brine shrimp, with regular testing of the water.
Be careful not to use nets, etc., in your display aquarium, directly after coming from the quarantine tank, or you risk transferring any disease that may be present. Prevention is best, so also, wash your hands or anything else that could result in transfer. Myazin is good for sterilising nets. If you do have to have to treat the fish, make sure you are using the right medicament, so check with a book and follow the directions that come with the medicines. Also, don't forget to use the correct dose for the amount of water in the tank (not its total capacity).
Quarantine tanks may be used not only for newly purchased fishes but also for any occasionals that may fall ill in the display aquarium. This will require less medicine than treating the whole display tank but be sure to check the latter for any further breakouts. Moreover, some medicines can upset the biological harmony if used in an established tank.
Quarantine tanks may also be used as refuges for fish that have been injured in some way. Let them recover and regrow any torn finnage before deciding on a permanent home for them and don't forget that treatment with dilute cooking salt solution can be helpful in such cases.