What is a quarantine tank? Also known as a hospital tank, a quarantine tank is used to isolate sick fish to (hopefully) prevent the spread of disease to other fish. A quarantine tank doesn’t have to be a complicated setup — for most aquarium owners, a tank between ten and twenty gallons is enough.
If you keep freshwater fish, you may not need a quarantine tank as much as you would if you had a saltwater tank. Why? Because freshwater fish are generally better suited to life in captivity. Many freshwater fish are born and raised in tanks, and aren’t stressed by the transfer from one to another. However, a new fish may come down with a disease and need to be separated in order to protect the rest of your population. Sickness can happen any time, and a quarantine tank is handy for those occasions.
If you have a saltwater aquarium, you will almost definitely need a quarantine tank. Saltwater fish are often wild caught, and not used to life in captivity. The journey to a tank can be incredibly stressful — fish that are stressed often end up sick or dead. Your quarantine tank can be used to acclimate your new fish to tank life. After two weeks in the quarantine tank, you will know if your new fish is healthy and ready to transfer into the main tank or sick and needs treatment. A quarantine tank is also useful for saltwater aquarium owners so sick fish can be removed and treated without exposing other tank dwellers like invertebrates and live rock to harsh medicines that can be dangerous or deadly!
It may seem like a pain to keep a quarantine tank and a regular tank, but in case of an outbreak of ich, velvet, or other fish disease, a quarantine tank can save your fish population!