Koi

Ian Wellby says...

The purpose of quarantine is to establish whether the new fish has a disease, which could adversely affect the resident fish. Any diseases that do show up can then be more easily treated in a quarantine system and will not spread to the resident population. It also gets the fish used to the conditions prevalent in your area. The fish should be kept in quarantine for at least two weeks and up to three months, preferably including some of the warmer spring and summer months. If this is not possible, heat the quarantine tank for a period up to 20˚C and then let it settle back to ambient temperature. This will help bring out any diseases that might be present. Every fish you put into your pond must be quarantined. The quarantine system should be large enough and have suitable filtration. If possible it should initially be filled with water from the pond and any water changes should be completed using pond water. All equipment (nets and buckets) should only be used within the quarantine system; colour code them with yellow electrical tape so there are no mistakes. Finally, it is a good idea to quarantine new fish with resident fish. If one or two resident fish are put in the quarantine system, not only will they keep the filters ticking over, but they will also react quickly to any nasty disease that the new fish have brought in. The quarantine the fish undergo at the dealer’s premises will not match your requirements, but it is good practice on the part of the dealer.