How to Quarantine a Goldfish

Quarantining your goldfish is the first step in helping it recover from an illness. Separating the goldfish from others prevents it from infecting other healthy goldfish and provides it with a sterile, controlled environment in which it can be treated and become well again.

Instructions

  1. Set up a Quarantine Tank

    • 1

      Obtain a 10-gallon aquarium tank with a tightly fitting cover, an air pump, air stone, air line tubing, heating equipment, plastic plant aquarium decorations and a dark mat.

    • 2

      Lay the dark mat down on top of a surface that can sustain the tank's weight.

    • 3

      Place the tank on top of the mat.

    • 4

      Assemble your tank as you would any other aquarium. Fill the tank with water; use water from the main tank to help your goldfish acclimate to its temporary home. Turn on all aeration devices and use the heater to warm the tank water to between 72 and 76 degrees F. Decorate the tank with the plastic plants.

    Transport and Treat a Goldfish

    • 5

      Catch your ill goldfish from the main tank using a plastic bag. Tie off the top of the bag and leave a large area for air at the top of the bag.

    • 6

      Put the bagged goldfish in the quarantine tank and allow it to float undisturbed for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, slightly open the bag and pour between two and four ounces of the quarantine tank's water into the bag so that the main tank's water and the quarantine tank's water mixes. Repeat this process over the next five to seven minutes until the bag is full.

    • 7

      Release the goldfish and the bag's water into the quarantine tank.

    • 8

      Check your goldfish for signs of illness. Determine what your goldfish's illness is and obtain the proper medication to treat it from a pet store or a veterinarian's office.

    • 9

      Treat your goldfish's illness with its medication. Allow it time to recover. Often, general recovery times are specified on the back labels of goldfish medications; use these as guidelines.

    • 10

      Observe your goldfish for five days after it has recovered. Watching your goldfish for signs of a recurring illness can help in its recovery process and save your other fish from being infected.

    • 11

      Confirm that your goldfish has fully recovered.

    Return a Goldfish to the Main Tank

    • 12

      Use another plastic bag to capture your now healthy fish.

    • 13

      Repeat the acclimation process you used when transferring the fish to its quarantine tank, except this time, place your fish in its main tank.

    • 14

      Let the goldfish swim into the main tank; don't let much of the water in the plastic bag mix with the water in the main tank.

    • 15

      Sterilize the quarantine tank by adding lots of salt to its water. Allow aeration devices to keep working so that the salty water can pass through the devices. Drain and clean the equipment with boiling water and more salt. Dispose of any equipment that is meant to be replaced regularly. Use sunlight to dry the equipment and store after five days.