# How long to quarantine for?



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi, All

I picked up 4 pygmy corydoras on the weekend and they are in a 6 gallon quarantine tank by themselves. They're pretty small, so I'm not worried about their space but I'd like to put them into the 36 gallon community tank as soon as it's safe to do that, because there's a lonely pygmy cory in there waiting for them.

I used to quarantine fish for about 2 to 3 weeks because I was mostly worried about ich or bacterial infections. However, these days callamanus worms or other internal pests seem to be the biggest risk and they take longer to show up. 

How long should I quarantine these little guys? Do they have to stay on their own for 3 to 6 months so that I can know that they are free of worms? Or ... what do you suggest?

Thanks!


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## Scholz (Apr 21, 2010)

I would think 30 to 60 days.... If you really really really really want to be safe!

Most people go for 4 to 6 weeks..... so I've read....


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, Scholz! You're always so helpful. 

I do want the other fish to be safe... I've heard reports of callamanus worms showing up a long time after the fish were introduced. But these fish are so tiny that you'd think the worms would show up pretty quickly.

Maybe I should move my lonely pygmy cory out of the community tank and into the quarantine tank with the other pygmys. I worry that he's stressed on his own, though he seems to believe he's a rasbora these days.


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

Honestly I only QT for a short time... maybe a week and if the poop looks fine and the fish is behaving normally and there are no external signs of infection I move it into the main tank.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Kelly528, thank you for the advice. Do you treat your fish prophylactically for anything? Say, with PraziPro or an ich med? I haven't put anything into the quarantine tank except for water.


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

oh jeesh I'll be worming all my new fish for sure after the little outbreak I had a few months ago! But with levimasole that only takes a week if you're doing it in a bare-bottom tank.


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## plantedinvertz (Apr 21, 2010)

I always go 2 weeks


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, everyone!


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## seanyuki (Apr 22, 2010)

New arrivalls in a qurantine tank for 4 weeks,,,,,,then from the commitunity tank add one of your least favorite fish to the qurantine tank and wait for a week and no outbreak ang may add all fish to to commutnity tank......just my 2 cents.


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

seanyuki said:


> New arrivalls in a qurantine tank for 4 weeks,,,,,,then from the commitunity tank add one of your least favorite fish to the qurantine tank and wait for a week and no outbreak ang may add all fish to to commutnity tank......just my 2 cents.


LOL! I would hate to be that fish


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## rgrling (Apr 22, 2010)

2 weeks minimum, IMO.


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