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Quarantining your new fish...by Walter Oldenburg
Whether you’re purchasing new fish or receiving them from a friend there is one major consideration which I can not emphasize enough; the process of quarantining your fish. I can’t tell you how many horror stories I’ve read of people loosing their fish. When asked what did they do differently to their pond or tank? ”Well… we added some new fish!”
So what’s the big deal? Why should we quarantine our new arrivals? Imagine you bring little Nemo home… He’s so cute and you can’t wait to introduce him to his new brothers and sisters… Little Nemo is loaded with parasites. He looks ok; however these parasites can only be seen with a microscope, or by the physical wounds they inflict. He meets his new friends and slowly starts infecting them… One by one those fish you have raised for years begin to die. Thanks Little Nemo!
Setting up a Quarantine tank
Have your quarantine tank ready for your new arrivals, the bigger the better. 100 to 500 gallon tanks are good for most fish depending on its size and the quantity you purchase. Whether you are using an aquarium or a tank, be sure to place a net over it as koi like to jump. If it came with a hood do not use it as your koi will jump and most likely scar its head. I have 2 with such dents on my fish. Remember it’s cheaper to quarantine a small tank vs. your entire pond.
Fill your tank with de-chlorinated water. If you fill your tank from the tap make sure you place a de-chlorinator to rid the water of chlorine. If you can fill your tank with some of your pond water do so, providing the water is in good condition.
With the tank filled, hook up your filters, air supply and heater. If you are planning on using an air pump with an air stone only then: DO PARTIAL WATER CHANGES EVERY 2-3 DAYS. Change out 25% of the water (remember to add de-chlorinator).
Crank your heater to around 72 to 78 degrees. This temperature will create an environment where parasites, bacteria, fungus, and viruses can break out. You want to do this to see if your fish has picked any of these in its travels so you can treat them accordingly. More importantly, this temperature is when you may see the effect of the Koi Herpes Virus. It is at this temperature that the virus becomes active.
We believe that it is a good idea to keep "feeder fish or tester fish" in quarantine tank, as Koi do not like to be alone. Koi are gregarious and are happiest with company. This also helps to keep the new fish calm and secure in their new environment.
Time to place your fish in your Quarantine tank
1) Once the fish has arrived to its new home, float the bag in the quarantine tank for 10 to 30 minutes for the fish to adjust to the new water temperature.
2) Open the bag and gently with your hands and release the fish into the water. DO NOT ALLOW THE WATER FROM THE BAG TO FLOW INTO YOUR QUARANTINE TANK. The bagged water is full of ammonia may be infected and nasty. If your koi look extremely exhausted, please open the bag and release them as soon as possible.
3) You can add an antibiotic such as Melafix to the quarantine tank. Some consider it snake oil… It’s your call.
4) Float something in the tank or net the top; this is to prevent the fish jumping out.
5) Try not to feed your fish for two days to allow them to adjust to their new surroundings. Feeding is stressful for the fish and it won’t hurt them to go a day or two with out food.
6) On the 2nd day you can treat the tank with salt. Add 3 pounds per 100 gallons. Salt is one the most useful treatments for koi. Salt can be used to prevent nitrite poisoning, helps to minimize salt loss or over hydration in sick or injured koi and can be useful to kill parasites. Salt should be 100% pure containing no additives.
7) On the 3rd or 4th day treat the water with Supaverm or Prazi as a precautionary measure. CAUTION: Supaverm is highly effective for treating koi for flukes. However; it will annihilate all your goldfish, comets and shubunkins.
8) Test the water regularly for salt content, ammonia and nitrites. Ammonia and nitrites should be ZERO. If you find Ammonia you can neutralize it with products such as Ultimate or Ammo lock.
9) Be sure to have enough aeration, adding an extra air stone will do no damage.
During the quarantine period
Test your water regularly.
Always monitor the behavior of your fish carefully.
Assure that your filtration system is working correctly.
Do not unnecessarily handle or disturb your fish in quarantine, they are there to adjust, relax and recuperate.
Watch for the fish rubbing against the sides, flashing, clamped fins or any other irregularity. This could be an indicator of a more serious issue.
I know this seems like a lot, being pre cautious and all… But it sure beats the heck out of loosing all of your fish!
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