When setting up any salt water aquarium it is important to include the funds and time to also establish a quarantine tank. This tank can be used in the event that a single fish or individual in your aquarium needs special attention. A quarantine tank isn’t only used when a fish is sick, but for a plethora of reasons. Of course, an ailing individual is the most common reason to use a salt water aquarium. By placing the individual in a tank of their own you can establish what is wrong with them, and if necessary, easily medicate the individual. This is important because some medications can be harmful to other species inside of the large salt water aquarium and can even do damage to the filtration system.
As mentioned earlier, there are several other reasons that a salt water aquarium enthusiast needs to set up a quarantine tank. Another popular reason these tanks are used is to safely introduce new fish to the main aquarium. It is suggested that fish owners keep any new specimens in a quarantine tank for 2 to 3 weeks before introducing them to the salt water aquarium. This wait is suggested, first and foremost, to make sure the fish is healthy and won’t infect other individuals with any disease or ailment. The quarantine can also be used to help individual fish to build up their strength before joining the additional fish.
When setting up a quarantine aquarium, it is important to keep the conditions as similar to the main aquarium as possible. This means using the same type of filter, sea salt mix, and other mechanical entities. This will make an individual’s final adjustment to the main tank that much easier. Generally you’ll have no more than one or two fish in the quarantine aquarium at one time, so a 10 to 20 gallon tank is plenty large enough. It is recommended that you leave the tank with a spare bottom, so as not to stress the individuals in the tank any more than necessary. It is also important to make sure that water and chemical conditions stay at the most stable levels. You should regularly test the water quality in quarantine tanks.
What do you think about quarantine tanks? Do you use one? Do you think they are 
unnecessary? Well, if you have opinions, stories, or any other information regarding a salt water quarantine aquarium, let me know!