Quarantine process

[john466uk]

Hi all,

Just doing a bit of of forward planning and need some information,
My new tank is cycling well and just thinking about when it’s time to
add a couple of fish would you recommend Quarantine from the start if so
for how long,

Was hoping my first purchase would be a couple of Maroon clowns, which will be from my lfs would only be a few miles away from my house so will be short distance for transporting my new arrivals so not to sure if what's be best for them.

[SJS]

There are probably some older threads and some sticky's on this subject but I'll give you a quick idea. Quarantine tanks should be really simple - easy to set up and simple in design. No substrate, no live rock, just a couple peices of pvc pipe or elbows etc to provide cover for the fish. The tank should have the same equipment as a tank - heater, lights, filtration...
When I bring a new fish home I keep the lights off for awhile. I overfeed so that if they stress out once they are in the display tank they are already fattened up...
Many say you should leave a fish in QT for 6 weeks so that any signs of ICH have time to show. ICH has a 6 week lifecycle so using the full 6 weeks is good practice.. I would read up on the species of fish and what type of disease/parasite they are prone to and then decide for yourself how long they should stay in QT..

[Dentoid]

A Fish Quarantine Process - Step by Step

[msbdiving]

I usually qt for 4 weeks but I use copper to kill off any bugs that might be brought over. It would be a good idea to have a medication tank (copper) and a regular qt. That way you don't affect the inverts.

[rlcline76]

I QT the first fish. I QT the the last fish. Clownfish can come with some nasties!

[BoomerD]

I agree with everything said here...
MINIMUM 4 to 6 weeks in quarantine. One fish at a time is best.

Quarantine EVERY fish...not really any exceptions, as they ALL can bring parasites and diseases.

It's a good idea to use hyposality in the quarantine tank to rid any problems before they start. (note: hyposalinity does not cure ALL parasite problems)

By the way, how big is the new tank? Maroons get pretty big...

[john466uk]

Thanks for all that info, all makes good sense

My tank is a 2ft cube approx 50 gallons I think with 25kg of live rock
hope that would be big enough room for maroon clowns

once again thanks for all your advice

[BoomerD]

Maroons get to about 5-6 inches, so a pair of them will max your bioload in a 50 gallon tank.

[john466uk]

Right so I take it that would be a max of two fish only for that system size

will have to rethink on the maroon clowns or maybe just have the one,
any clowns smaller in size.

[BoomerD]

Maroons are by far the largest of the species. The others max at about 3" or so, and while they still have Damnsel attitudes, they're usually much less aggressive. (although I've had clarkii's take meat when they bit me)