How to properly quarantine with only salt?

[Supermassive]

The reason for only using salt is because I'm in Canada and that is only thing I know of that I can use besides Melafix which I've heard mixed things about. I plan on getting a nerite snail, amano shrimp, and Betta for my 10 gallon. Do shrimp and snails need to be quarantined and can they be quarantined together? And if so is it the same process as for a fish? As for quarantining the Betta how much salt should I use per gallon and for how long should I quarantine? Also should I do water changes or anything while they are in quarantine?

This is only going to be my second fish so I've never quarantined before. Thanks for any help or advice.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

If I didn’t have access to meds, I wouldn’t immediately quarantine with salt. 
 

I would isolate and observe, and use salt if I needed to (meaning I saw something like ich or some other disease). 
 

The Betta and the amanos should be fine with the salt. I’d be hesitant about the Nerite, though. Also, I’ve never quarantined inverts (shrimp and snails), and if you’re only going to have the 1 fish, then it’s essentially already quarantined as it will always be by itself. 

[Lennie]

You dont need to quarantine if you will be keeping only one fish. Who else will potentially catch a disease anyway. 
 

I have never quarantined shrimp in my life.

 

I would say, let them be and enjoy your fish keeping and observe closely for 30 days in their tank👍🏻

[Supermassive]

@AllFishNoBrakes Okay I see. What would you consider to be an adequate isolation time?

On 9/14/2023 at 12:34 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

if you’re only going to have the 1 fish, then it’s essentially already quarantined as it will always be by itself

There will only be one fish but he wont be by himself. The shrimp and snail will be with him. Do you mean there aren't diseases or parasites that will go from fish to invert or vice versa?

@Lennie Okay, so I can just put everyone in the tank together and if any of them have problems I can remove them and go from there?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Sorry, meant “they will be by themselves” as in no other fish. 
 

I’m not going to say it’s impossible for inverts to infect fish, but what I will say is that in my 3 years with 14 tanks I’ve never seen it happen. I’m more concerned about new fish coming in sick or developing illnesses and spreading them to my healthy ecosystems.

My Betta (by himself except for some snails) wasn’t quarantined with meds as he’s isolated by himself. If I ever see issues I have quarantine tanks I could move him to in order to medicate. 

[Supermassive]

Okay I'm just going to get the shrimp and snail and put them in the tank. Then I'll start searching for my Betta and just put him in when I get him.

Thanks for the info and advice 🙂

[FLFishChik]

If it’s just shrimp, a snail and a Betta then I personally won’t quarantine them. I’ve had many betta tanks with shrimp and snails and never bothered to quarantine. IF you were planning on adding other fish, then yes, quarantine those before adding them.  But just 1 fish and some inverts, then I think you’re ok to just add them as is.

[JChristophersAdventures]

Shrimp and snails going into a new setup aren't generally a problem. As I'm setting up my new tank, I will be doing the plants 1st... 2nd a few shrimp and a few snails, 3rd more shrimp and snails...  but it is not until 4th when I get the first fish that I will be quarantining.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/15/2023 at 9:43 AM, JChristophersAdventures said:

Shrimp and snails going into a new setup aren't generally a problem.

I tend to disagree, at least a little bit. 
 

Shrimp, in my experience, do better with a more seasoned tank. Meaning, you WANT some algae and diatoms and other things for them to graze on. Not saying your tank needs to be covered in algae with green water, but a barely cycled tank isn’t necessarily the environment for shrimp to thrive in. 
 

That being said, it’s also not impossible. Make sure they’re getting food and have a stable environment and you should be just fine 🙂

[Supermassive]

On 9/15/2023 at 9:57 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

you WANT some algae and diatoms and other things for them to graze on. Not saying your tank needs to be covered in algae with green water, but a barely cycled tank isn’t necessarily the environment for shrimp to thrive in.

I do have a little bit of algae growing on some leaves on my plants. I also put in two pieces of driftwood with java fern, anubias, and moss that were in a cycled tank for about 4 months.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

What do you intend to feed the shrimp? As long as they’re getting food it should be alright. 
 

I really think a stable environment for them is the most crucial. Then to ensure they have food on top of things to graze on 

[Supermassive]

@AllFishNoBrakes I'm not actually sure yet. I was going to ask the guy at my LFS what he recommends for food and if there is some kind of calcium supplement. Since I'm doing a Betta tank I'm mixing my tap water with distilled to bring my KH/PH down but GH is kind of low and I've heard its important to have calcium for the shrimp and snails.