4-week quarantine
Quarantine kit for new discus
The minimum equipment for a proper quarantine: prevents bringing diseases into the main tank.
Why quarantine is mandatory
Any new fish — even from the most serious breeder — can bring parasites, bacteria or latent viruses. Adding them straight into a tank with an existing population can destroy years of work in a week.
A 4-week quarantine with careful observation and preventive treatments eliminates 95% of the risks.
Minimum quarantine setup
Quarantine doesn't have to be a spectacular tank. A simple 60-100L tank (depending on the number of new fish), bare-bottom (no substrate), with a sponge filter and heater is enough.
A sponge filter because it can be sterilized easily between uses. Bare-bottom for cleanliness and easy observation of the faeces.
✓ What's included
Tick them off as you get them — progress saves automatically on this device.
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Clear steps: from box to your first discus
- 1Prepare the quarantine tank a week before purchase: bare-bottom, cycled sponge filter.
- 2On arrival, drip acclimate for 2–3 hours to smooth out pH/temperature differences.
- 3Week 1: observation only — feeding, faeces, breathing, behaviour. No treatments.
- 4Week 2: preventive Levamisole treatment (internal parasites) following the instructions exactly.
- 5Week 3: preventive Praziquantel treatment for anthelmintics. 7-day break between treatments.
- 6Week 4: final observation — if the fish eat well and faeces are normal, transfer to the main tank.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping quarantine because the fish look healthy — many diseases have a 2–3 week incubation.
- Using a single net for quarantine and the main tank — you transfer parasites.
- Combining treatments — Levamisole + Praziquantel at the same time is toxic; respect the 7-day break.
- Guessed doses — calculate exactly on the real volume of the quarantine tank.
- Using substrate in quarantine — it makes cleaning impossible and hides the faeces.
- Shortening quarantine to 1–2 weeks — you risk bringing diseases into the main tank.
Frequently asked questions
How long does quarantine last?
At least 4 weeks with active observation. Many problems only appear in week 3–4, after the transport stress fades.
Should I treat preventively even if the fish look healthy?
Recommended. Preventive Levamisole and praziquantel eliminate asymptomatic internal parasites. For visible treatments (Ich, Columnaris) you only treat if symptoms appear.