Quarantine Tank

The quarantine tank is an essential addition in the marine aquarium hobby. This is after all, not a cheap hobby. The costs of salts, test kits, livestock, live rock and a variety of expensive equipment can quickly add up. The last thing we want is to introduce a sick fish that can infect the rest of your marine fish.

This is where the quarantine tank comes into play. The primary role of the quarantine tank is to treat all new fish for a variety of parasites, diseases and bacterial or fungal infections. The fish doesn't have to be suffering from these conditions in order to be quarantined. Sometimes you may not know the fish is suffering from an ailment of some sort. So as a precaution, all new fish should be housed in a quarantine temporarily before introducing them into the main display aquarium.

To set up a quarantine tank you will need :-

An aquarium of a suitable size. If you are keeping smaller fish of up to 4 inches then an aquarium as small as 10 gallons can be used. Larger fish will of course require larger quarters.
Pvc pipes to provide shelter to the fish. Do not use live rock. Pvc pipes are easy to adjust and easy to clean. Add as much as needed.
Some form of water circulation. A cheap regular powerhead of your choice will suffice.
Some form of biological filtration. A simple hang on back filter with bioballs will do. Ensure that this filter has an active bacteria colony to process wastes from the treated fish.
Medication that can treat external parasites, diseases plus bacterial and fungal infections.
Optional - A heater if you live in colder climates and a fan if you live in hotter climates. A light fixture if you want but it isn't really necessary as long as there is some consistent amount of ambient light present.

Now we move on to the medication that we will be using to treat the new fish. Here is some fast information :-

Copper treatments are the most effective against parasites but they are rather harsh and some fish do not respond well to copper. Some good brands include (*See Below) Coppersafe and (*)Cupramine. Copper will kill any invertabrates present such as marine shrimp, crabs and corals. Some non copper based parasite treatments that can be effective are (*)Rid Ich and (*)Paraguard. These products may use a variety of non copper ingredients such as aldehyde, formaldehyde and malachite green. Rid ich also doubles as an anti fungal medication. For further information on treating parasites in particular, visit Marine Ich.
For treating bacterial and fungal infections, (*)Pimafix by Aquarium Pharmeceuticals is a reputable medication for saltwater fish.

We have the equipment and it is time for us to begin. Prepare a pail or a container using water from the quarantine tank. We will be giving the fish a (*)Methylene Blue dip. This dip will last about an hour so prepare an air pump and put it in the container. Put enough methylene blue in to darken the water until it is a deep blue as shown in the video to the left. Or if you are using a branded version, simply follow the instructions. Never use methylene blue in the quarantine tank itself as it will cause problems for the biological filter.

Once an hour has passed, it is time to put the fish in the quarantine tank. Turn off the light fixture if any is present and make sure there are plenty of hiding places by putting in pvc pipes and elbows. Once it is in, leave the fish alone for a day to let it settle in as it will be in a state of high stress at this point.

Come back the next day and take a good look at the fish. Do you see any external parasites? Is there any indication that it may be suffering form bacterial or fungal infections? If any of these are present, note it down mentally and begin treatment. If no parasites or infections are apparent, we will begin treatment with a non copper based medication.

This treatment will last for at least 2 weeks but a month is recommended to be really sure. My medication of choice in this situation is Rid Ich. It is a formaldehyde and malachite green based medicine that is a non harsh medication that treats parasites and fungal infections. You must get the fish to eat in the quarantine. Offer a variety of foods including pellets and frozen foods. Do not offer brine shrimp as it is junk. Newly hatched brine shrimp however, is nutritious as it still has its yolk sac.

Treat the quarantine tank once every three days or per instructions. Ensure the quarantine tank has good water quality and perform water changes as necessary. After a month is up and the fish looks healthy and is feeding well, acclimate it to the display aquarium water and release. Pat yourself on the back for practicing proper quarantining.