Is a quarantine tank necessary?

quarantine tanks are really unrealistic for most, especially newbies. you really don't need one. it's a waste of time and space. down the road, as you gain experience, you will know if/when you need one

it is good to have a quarantine tank. let me tell ya... it's a real stinker to lose your "babies" that you've had, or see them suffer through an illness. a 10 gallon would be sufficient to house your new comers in for a week minimum, 2 is better. even though a fish appears healthy when purchased, that doesn't mean it is. if it is a new arrival, it has been through a lot of stress being netted, bagged and transported, not to mention you don't know the conditions it came from. all of that can be exasperating. then they are moved again, and... you get the picture. initially when you first start getting fish you may not find it necessary, but as your population grows and so does the money you invest, you would be happier if you did.

I will give you an example of why it is important.

I have many many tanks. I got seven fish from a so called reputable breeder. These fish carried something that wiped out two of my biggest breeders, a juvie and four of themselves. So I lost seven fish all together when I shouldn't have. You might end up losing fish if you don't quarantine. So you might as well be flushing your money down the toilet. Hope I don't sound too harsh.

Quarantine tanks will prevent any sick fish from infecting your current fish. It's a good idea to have one. You should quarantine new animals for 2 weeks before introducing them to your tanks.

I have one. i did not used to have one, yet then another fish I were given further in some nasty. Ich spreads like wildfire and may kill rapidly if no longer dealt with without delay, and once ONE fish has it in a tank, all of them have it. All it takes is a fish with ich(which isn't exterior) to be on your tank for 5-ten minutes and it truly is on your water to contaminate different fish. there are one of those large style of contageous nasties available, some are like ich and spread and kill quick in basic terms via being there, others can take a lengthy time period and are a lot more durable to treatment and may even stay on your tank for years till they stumble on a suitable host to contaminate. some are even incurable and smash each and each of the tank, like Fish TB. Gourami's are also customary to carry some incurable nasties, continuously quarantine those for a minimum of a month minimum, ideally six+ weeks. 2 years in the past I had a platy tank, i purchased one new platy and it had ich that began internally(i realized at the same time as she had white stringy poo) and interior of twelve hours all my fish had it. each fish contained in the tank died interior of 24 hours, it became a terrible case of it and it loved the tropical water temps so it bred and spread faster, and did not die because I had no salt or meds to position in the tank because it became got here across at ten PM. It would not continuously flow that quick, regardless of the undeniable fact that it truly can. I have heard of it shifting even swifter before besides. that's an excellent safe practices degree to have, yet no longer all of us does it. ultimately your at possibility of get a foul regardless of the truth that and may be apologetic about no longer having a QT. very last 3 hundred and sixty 5 days became terrible with ich and certain fungus going round, a minimum of it became right here. There have also been some circumstances of fish TB that i have considered in my opinion at 3 of our LFS's. extra effective to be possibility-free than sorry.

not 100% needed...

But it depends how much you trust you fish supplier?

The only time I have had a nasty pox come in with fish came with a totaly healthy fish from a friend. The fish is still alive, but it was carrying something that wiped out my guppies. Not the cichlids or plecos?

If you buy healthy fish from a good supplier the risk is low.

Ian

well saltwater fish are way more expensive and delicate than freshwater... add one seemingly healthy fish that is actually sick and you might lose all the fish in the tank. sad and costly.

so no, you don't *have* to, but it's a good idea.

as for the size, sorry but I have no idea.

No, a quarantine tank in not necessary.