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Quarantine Tank?


Fishy101
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Hello! This is my first time using this forum.

I have a 10 gallon with mainly some tetras and Corys, and a 5.5 with a betta and a couple panda Corys. I have been getting in some fish from a local fish store and overall they are great, however recently I have been having trouble with the panda Corys, some guppies, and a couple black phantom tetra getting sick. They all seem to have the same issue: 

Corys: Pale, very skinny, heavy breathing and then they do not make it much longer after they flip over on there side and it all happens so fast.

The tetras seem to get really fat and it’s happens right after I get them. However it’s not like they eat to much, the entire abdomen/stomach area just swells (I actually have a couple that are still like that but are living). However, all of my other fish that I have in my tank for awhile are always fine. 

I was wondering if a quarantine tank or something else would help prevent this from happening?

Thanks!

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Hi Fishy101, welcome to the forum.

Having a quarantine tank will help you make sure new fish are healthy before putting them in with your existing fish. You don't need another glass tank to keep fish in quarantine, you can use a plastic storage bin or a rubbermaid container. Irene has a video about how:

So, having a tank to put new fish or sick fish in is great, but there's also the question of what's wrong with your fish.

If you go to the Diseases section of the forum and post your water test results and symptoms, people who are good at recognizing common problems may be able to help you figure it out.  It's important to know what your ammonia, pH, nitrite and nitrate levels are to diagnose problems.

 

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Just to add to the great advice given already. Moving fish from place to place and shipping to the store is extremely stressful for them. Stress weakens fish immune systems. Many things are in our tanks that healthy unstressed fish are never bothered by. It is a kindness to new fish to quarantine them, let them unstress, recover their immune system and regain any weight they may have lost in the stressful process they have been through. Best of luck I hope things work out for you. 

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On 1/15/2022 at 10:42 AM, Fishy101 said:

Ok, thanks for the feedback! I watched the video and am definitely going to look to getting a quarantine tank right now. 
What size is suggested as I am typically bringing in fish that aren’t that big!

thanks!

I used 5 gallon totes for smaller fish. Works great. Try to get ones as clear as possible to see the fish for signs of illness. They are all somewhat foggy though

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When you say "some," how many fish are you talking about? 

As far as a quarantine tank goes, if you're regularly purchasing new fish you might want to set up a 5 gallon and keep it running permanently so it's always ready. I'm keeping one running strictly because I buy a lot of plants and they almost always bring in snails, but I have a new betta girl in there now quarantining, she also is taking care of the snail problem lol.

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I will add, keeping a 5 gallon quarantine tank running is ideal for smaller fish and also stretches meds the furthest.

The majority of the meds have directions for how much to add to 5 gallons of water. It is easier to eliminate parasites if you don't have a substrate... much easier to see poop, and to vacuum the bottom to remove waste and expelled parasites/ eggs.

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