The Quarantine Tank Setup That Actually Gets Used

The QT tank you'll actually use is the simple one

An elaborate quarantine setup that takes an hour to break down and store is a quarantine setup that gets skipped "just this once" — and that one skip is usually how disease enters a display tank.

A minimal, fast setup

• A bare 10–20 gallon tank. No substrate, no rock — bare glass is easier to keep clean and easier to spot parasites against.
• A cheap HOB filter with sponge media, pre-seeded by running it in your display sump for two weeks before you need it.
• A heater and a thermometer. That's genuinely close to the full equipment list.
• PVC fittings or a plastic plant for hiding spots — fish stress without cover, and stressed fish are more susceptible to disease.

The non-negotiable rule

Every new fish, coral, and invertebrate goes through quarantine — minimum 2 weeks for fish (4 if you're treating proactively), and a dip protocol for corals to deal with pests like flatworms and nudibranchs.

Why this is cheaper than it feels

A simple QT setup costs under $100 in equipment you likely already half-own. Compare that to the cost of one ich outbreak or one Acropora-eating flatworm infestation reaching your main display — quarantine isn't the expensive option, it's the cheap insurance against the expensive outcome.