How Long Should You Quarantine New Fish?

When you get a new fish, they’ve likely been swimming in water that’s at least a little different in quality from your tank at home. Quarantining them in that water is a stress-free way to let them get used to their new environment while keeping an eye out for possible diseases that could spread to other fish. But how long should you quarantine new fish, and how can you tell when it’s safe to put them in your community tank?

How Long Should You Quarantine a New Fish?

Unfortunately, the timeframe varies, as many hobbyists have differing opinions on how long you should quarantine a new fish. Some say as little as two weeks, while others say as long as four, though most land somewhere in the middle. It depends on what you’re comfortable with, but the quarantine period shouldn’t be less than two weeks, as this is typically how long it takes diseases and parasites to show. Ideally, during this time, you’ll treat your new fish with a copper-based treatment to kill parasites and wait to see if any bacterial infections, such as fin or tail rot, begin to show.

When Is It Safe To Introduce Them to Your Community Tank?

If, after the quarantine period, your fish don’t show any signs of parasites or bacterial infections, it’s safe to add them into their new tank. However, if you’ve already added new fish to the tank within the past two weeks, adding another one can put stress on all your fish. Fish need about two weeks minimum to get used to a new addition and adapt accordingly. So, if you’ve recently added a new fish within this time frame, it’s best to wait and keep the other fish in the quarantine tank.

What Should You Do if Your Fish Shows Signs of Disease?

If you’ve given the fish a copper treatment during the quarantine period, it likely doesn’t have a parasite but rather some form of bacterial infection. Unfortunately, there are many different bacterial infections, and they all show different symptoms. Most bacterial infections show some form of tattered fins, tails, and scales, as well as reddening or swelling in the abdomen and eyes.

Because of this, you may not be able to tell what it is, but you can treat it with antibiotics. It’s best not to put the fish into the community tank until they have healed and show no signs of disease. However, most bacterial infections take different amounts of time to heal.

Setting up a quarantine tank is no easy task. To make this process easier, Fish Tanks Direct sells fish tank and stand combos so you can set up a quality quarantine tank fast.