Leaderboard

I agree with JayC and have N|EVER quarantined personally, but there is also something a little more to consider. My setups are small and simple/basic and don't have many fish - all about 30L max! If you have spent a lot of time and money setting up a beautiful tank, cycling it etc and then you introduce fish with some sort of disease or parasite you will need to TREAT the tank or may even have to re-setup the tank, if you put those sick fish in it so not only will you lose the fish you may have wasted a lot of time and money, and may have to completely start again from scratch, and never be 100% confident it/they won't recur. You may have to cycle etc again, buy new stuff depending on what the treatment was etc? I would say if you have a small bare bottom tank with a spare filter WHY not quarantine for the peace of mind? I am aware of course that I am being hypocritical in saying this..............................so just a thought! Simon

If they are the first inhabitants in a tank, then not needed. Beyond that, it's difficult to answer as it is a personal choice. we never value the quarantine process, until we REALLY need it, by the time we find out, it's too late. And we always wish we had quarantined. If it was me, my thought process goes like this ... i ask myself, do I already have inhabitants in the tank that are so rare and precious that I absolutely CANNOT loose due to disease? If the answer is Yes, than I quarantine any new tank inhabitants - fish or plants.

Hey all. So, I'm getting some cory cats in the near future, and I want to know if I need to quarantine them. I know a guy at my lfs really well, and I trust the store, so I might be able to get them to hold and quarantine them for me for a week. I'd prefer to just add them straight to the tank if it's possible though. If not, then I can sort a qt tank soon. Thanks in advance

I used to work at the New England aquarium, and we would keep lobster and crab molts all the time for educational purposes. The sooner you can pull the molt from the tank the better. Place the molt on a paper towel and then just leave in a dry, well-ventilated area away from prying hands or paws. Sometimes it's good to place the paper towel and molt in an uncovered Tupperware dish to protect it a little more. In a couple days the connective tissue between joints, etc. will be dry and hard enough to have locked your molt in whatever position you placed it in. Obviously it is extremely fragile, but it is a super cool keepsake! I have also had success doing this with smaller molts like cleaner and fire shrimp. Do not try this with deceased animals, unless you are trying to get rid of roommates, as the stench will clear the house ?

Photos time.