Quarantine Period?

Whats an acceptible quarantine period for a fish?

Also should the fish be reacclimated when being transfered from the quarantine tank to the main talk (Both tanks are right beside each other and have slightly different Ph readings - 6.6 and 6.8)

The first question has many answers.

The second post and question is simple.......Yes, you need to take care in transferring the fish.

On the first now.

Quarantine means "40 days" (~6 weeks), and, really, that is not a bad period anyway in view of the time taken for some diseases to show themselves.
Certainly disease that have a long life cycle (eg white spot) may indicate the benefit of a full quarantine period to observe the appearance of the disease.
Other disease, however, can be observed with a much shorter period.

You could get away with having an isolated observation period of a week or 2, but 2 or 3 days is not long enough to call "quarantine".

Many people do not place new fish into isolated observation before introducing them to an established tank.....and I do not always use isolated observation myself (if I am confident of the fish and the potential to treat any illness)

During that time, fish should be given really good conditions and made to feel at home.

As a note, in general and not necessarily in reply to this thread, it could be suspected that many diseases "brought in" by new fish are not necessarily brought in by new fish but are existing already in an existing and that the poor introduction of new fish compromises the immunity of the new fish....such that it seems to be the first to show the disease and, thus, blamed for the introduction of that disease (white spot is one common example of that).
So....the method of introduction is important.

ian

Solid advise there as ever Ian. In terms of introducing new fish to a tank, many do not have quarantine facilities, and as a result its important to carefully study the fish you are purchasing to see if there is any illness showing. Of course many illness wont show up until after they are introduced,and as Ian pointed out some will already be within the existing tank but the existing habitants may be avoiding it or immune to it as such. I find that doing a water change the morning or day before introduction means that the fish can at least be given an easy introduction to the tank with lights off for 12 hours or so to allow them settle in and no need for a water change for a few days then to let them settle. Everyone does things differently, so its what works for you is important, but I think everyone agrees that the fish should be quarantined firstly if at all possible, but of course its not always possible. I pop mine into the sump of my tank for 12 hours before moving them upstairs! I know it wont avoid the spread of disease but it at least allows an easy introduction to the tank water , using the drip method etc.

Gavin

Gavin