This is from my Wiki article but hope it helps.... I would show my 3 QT tanks but I break them down when not in use. So looking at empty tanks on a shelf in my garage is not fun for most people.
The equipment involved for quarantine is ridiculously simple. You will need a small glass/acrylic tank with cover (from 10 – 40 gallons, depending upon the size/number of specimens that you are working with), outside power, canister, or sponge filter, and a reliable aquarium heater of sufficient wattage for the tank that you’re using. Other items include an accurate thermometer, a dedicated net (that will not be used in any other aquarium), siphon for water changes, and test kits for any therapeutic agents that you will be using, such as copper.
That’s about all you need! No rocks, gravel, or other substrate is used, as these materials can potentially bind with or absorb any medications you may be using. Inert materials such as PVC pipe sections may be used to create hiding places for your fishes.
Setting up is a very simple process. Several days before the arrival of your new animals, fill the aquarium with water from your main system. Introduce the filter, plug in the heater, and you’re ready to go. (Here’s a tip: If you keep your filter sponge or other quarantine tank filter media in your main system’s sump when the quarantine tank is not running, you will always have a filter that is fully colonized by beneficial bacteria at all times.)
Following a proper dip/bath procedure, which is in itself a simple procedure, introduce your fishes to the quarantine aquarium. I highly recommend refraining from running the tank lights, if present, for at least the first 24 hours to give the new fishes a chance to settle in after a rough journey. In fact, ambient room light is usually fine.
It’s a good idea to wait overnight before attempting to feed your new arrivals, as they are usually not inclined to eat right off the bat. Besides, cleanliness in the quarantine tank is of utmost importance. Any uneaten food should be promptly siphoned from the tank to avoid pollution.
The quarantine tank’s water chemical parameters (pH, etc.) and temperature should approximate these found in your main system. Some hobbyists like to run their quarantine tank at a lower specific gravity (as low as 1.010) to assist in eliminating parasites, but I like to keep the quarantine tank at a "normal" specific gravity (1.022 – 1.026).
Since you are working with a smaller volume of water in most cases, it’s important to follow a diligent schedule of small water changes. Assuming that your main system is healthy, you can utilize water from the main tank to replace the water in your quarantine tank. Since it is the water that your new charges will eventually be living in, I can’t think of a better use for wastewater from your main system’s routine water changes (you are doing regular water changes, aren’t you?). The quarantine period should last 21 days. <Let me interject here to and say you should run it for 4-6 weeks at a minimum in my opinion! Better to be safe then sorry. Also the clock starts when you add your last fish to the QT, not your first. If you add a fish 2 weeks after the others, the clock starts over again!>
During the quarantine period, observe your fishes daily and be sure to keep a keen eye out for any potential infection. Obvious signs of illness, such as rapid respiration, open sores, fungus, etc. require recognition and quick action on the part of the aquarist. As you will find, the quarantine tank presents a perfect environment to treat fish diseases before they can spread to your main system. See elsewhere on the wetwebmedia site for information on the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of various afflictions that can affect your fishes.
What do you do if your fishes do become ill during the quarantine period? Two things: First, take the appropriate actions to treat your fishes, and second, congratulate yourself on having the foresight to utilize quarantine procedures with your fishes! Unfortunate though it may be, you will receive the best possible lesson on why quarantine is so important.
Keep in mind that, should disease rear its ugly head during quarantine, you’ll need to reset the clock for another 21 days after you have successfully eradicated the ailment. There would be absolutely no point in rushing to add your newly cured fishes to your main system at that stage of the game. Patience is truly a virtue with quarantine, and it will, reward you and your fishes handsomely.
Should you acquire more new fishes while you are in the middle of the quarantine period (this never happens, right?), you have two options: either add the new fishes to the quarantine tank (after appropriate prophylactic dips/baths) and reset the calendar for 21 more days, OR you can set up a new quarantine tank! Either way, you have to stick to the 21-day rule. It’s that important.
In addition to being an invaluable aid in the prevention of disease in your main system, the quarantine tank provides a perfect environment for newly-received fishes to "toughen up" and rest after the long ordeal of capture, shipping, and handling. Your fish will be refreshed, well fed, and most important of all, healthy after a stay in your quarantine tank. When the 21 days are up, and your new fishes have been introduced to their new home, you can break down and thoroughly clean the quarantine system. Be sure that none of the equipment from your quarantine tank comes in contact with your main system before it has been cleaned, particularly if you were utilizing copper or other therapeutic agents in the tank. Your sponge filter or other filter media may then be sterilized and placed back in the sump of your main system to re-colonize beneficial, ready for your next new arrivals.
Hopefully, you are now convinced of the value of the quarantine tank, and the piece of mind and other benefits it provides. Such a simple concept, yet an invaluable tool. The quarantine tank is used at all public aquariums as a first line of defense against the introduction of disease. Aquarists at public aquariums cannot afford the risk of infecting their entire population of fishes, neither should you. Quarantine should become an integral part of YOUR fish keeping procedures.
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