SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/fish-quarantine-tank-basics

According to Merck, what makes a simple, low-cost home quarantine tank?

A small 10 gallon tank, sponge filter, air pump and heater.

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  1. A second big tank with live corals
  2. A plastic cup with no filter
  3. A 10 gallon tank, sponge filter, air pump, heater ✔

Why: Merck says a hobbyist can set up a quarantine tank for a modest cost: an inexpensive 10 gallon tank, a sponge filter, a small air pump and a heater. It does not need to be fancy to protect your main tank.

Huh, didn't know that: Merck suggests running the quarantine sponge filter in a healthy, established tank first so it picks up helpful bacteria.

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References

Answer: A 10 gallon tank, sponge filter, air pump, heater. Merck says a hobbyist can set up a quarantine tank for a modest cost: an inexpensive 10 gallon tank, a sponge filter, a small air pump and a heater. It does not need to be fancy to protect your main tank.

  1. Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of Aquarium Fish www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/aquarium-fish/management-of-aquarium-fish
    a hobbyist can set up a quarantine tank using an inexpensive 10-gal. tank, sponge filter, small aeration pump, and heater.
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of Aquarium Fish www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/aquarium-fish/management-of-aquarium-fish
    run the previously disinfected sponge filter in an established tank that is free of disease to inoculate the sponge with nitrifying bacteria.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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