I am relatively new to this great hobby. I know that quarantining is ideal. I just wonder how many people actually do it? I have a 90 gallon saltwater tank in my office that we are slowly stocking. I have ordered a Marineland Eclipse Seamless Integrated 12 gallon tank that I am thinking of using for a quarantine tank. Any advice?

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90 gallon saltwater reef tank
2 clownfish (mated pair)
1 scooter blenny
1 saddled mimic puffer
1 garden eel
1 royal gramma
1 sabae anenome (purple tip)
1 brittle star
assorted corals and inverts

and growing

Definitely quarantine. It will save you aggravation in the long run.

Every time I have set up a quarantine/hospital tank I end up stocking it. So no I guess I still don't.

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Do fish get thirsty?
How to fishless cycle your aquarium http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fis...cle-15036.html

Information on API FW test kit http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/api-...ion-15347.html

I am going to set up a 12 gallon quarantine tank. I bought a Marine Eclipse self contained tank with all the workings in the hood. It will be small enough to set up near my main tank. I will probably decorate it a little. Maybe some live rock rubble and live sand to help with filtration etc, some snails and crabs, maybe a shrimp or two and some lowlight soft coral. That way it will be attractive as well as useful.

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90 gallon saltwater reef tank
2 clownfish (mated pair)
1 scooter blenny
1 saddled mimic puffer
1 garden eel
1 royal gramma
1 sabae anenome (purple tip)
1 brittle star
assorted corals and inverts

and growing

i would do a quarantine tank just in case. or at least have a spare tank around if you need it.... one thing to mention though, if you do get fish from a lfs, be sure to watch it for awhile and look for behavior irregularities, ask them how the fish has been health-wise, and look for spots, fin damage, etc. this may help you determine the fish's health before you ever bring home.

Yes, its not worth risking hundreds of $$ in fish and inhabitants for a new $15 fish.
Same with corals, set up a hospital tank and treat every coral with the appropriate medication such as flat worm exit, interceptor, Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure, iodine, etc.

Good morning c...

I've never quarantined a fish prior to putting it into one of my tanks. I do run a small amount of standard aquarium salt in my tank prior to getting a new fish. This does a couple of things. It calms the new fish and kills most disease causing bacteria that could be introduced to the tank by the new fish.

It helps to know the source of your fish too. I tend to avoid the chain LFSs and go to the local "Mom and Pop" places. I've never had a problem.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

getting rid of parasites in salt water is a different story than freshwater. For corals, a good thing to do is a quick 1-5 min freshwater "dip". This will help kill off any hitchhikers and wont hurt the coral.

As i said, be sure to watch the fish for awhile for adverse signs of health and talk to the lfs employees about it. Bad part about that is, if you go to petco or petsmart, the fish crew usually doesnt know enough about whats going on with the fish to be useful.

phys...

Thanks for setting my straight on the fresh vs. saltwater. Obviously, the freshwater approach wouldn't be very helpful.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

One thing to watch out for when treating for saltwater parasites (specifically for ick) is its becoming "immune" to current medications and treatments. It is becoming increasingly resistant to freshwater and copper treatments. So if you ever do a treatment for it, be sure to do the treatment 100% so it doesnt further the resistance.
For freshwater ich, this may be an issue in the future. So be sure to do the same for this and all parasitic infections.